Whenever there is a customer trying to make a sustainable and green choice, there will be a company only too willing to splash some green dye across their marketing campaign.
Greenwashing is when a company or organization spends more time and money on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than on minimizing their environmental impact. It is a practice that can be hard to pin down and is not just limited to the energy industry, although it has been prevalent there for quite some time.
Within the energy industry the practice of greenwashing refers specifically to providing end users with energy from fossil fuels, and then purchasing certificates after the fact to cover themselves. A loophole in legislation means that an energy supplier can provide customers with “renewable energy” despite not buying any power from renewable generators.
This means that some energy suppliers are doing the bare minimum to support renewable generation. The reliance on providing energy from coal, peat and gas can put pressure on local wind and solar providers, pushing them out the market generation.
A key tool in combatting greenwashing is transparency and understanding where your energy comes from. That’s what we’re all about, making sure that your money goes to the renewable generator that you want and not to fund further fossil fuel extraction. If you want to find out how to increase transparency in your energy supply chain why not get in touch with our team: info@voltclub.ie