Avoid greenwashing in advertising

How to adopt the best practices in environmental communication and strengthen consumer trust

Ecological transition and advertising: watch out for pitfalls!

The ecological transition is now a prominent feature in advertising communication. And that's a good thing! On one hand, it shows that businesses and consumers care about sustainable development. On the other hand, it confirms the relevance of using advertising to encourage new consumption behaviors. However, it’s essential to communicate correctly in order to avoid greenwashing : "an advertising message that may mislead the public about the actual ecological quality of a product or service or the real sustainability efforts of an organization."

To guide you toward more transparent practices and help you avoid greenwashing, which can dangerously harm the credibility of your messages, RMB, GiveActions, and JCDecaux have collaborated on the Greenlight’ study, the first of its kind in Belgium.

Are you running eco-friendly advertising? Does your message contain an environmental claim? Collaborate with RMB based on the results of the Greenlight study to enhance the accuracy and impact of your responsible communication.

Discover examples of ads that carry greenwashing risks

Sustainable advertising: a commitment under scrutiny

Why must brands be cautious when engaging in green communication or responsible advertising?

First, because recent studies show that the majority of consumers expect more transparency from businesses. Secondly, because new European regulations, effective from 2026, will impose stricter controls on greenwashing in advertising.

What are the most common mistakes you should avoid in ‘eco-friendly’ advertising?

• Generic promises: "100% green," "Good for the planet," etc., are vague formulations that can mislead.
• Lack of evidence: Advertising must justify the brand’s ecological commitment with verifiable facts.
• Overuse of "carbon neutrality": No product alone can be fully carbon-neutral.
• Misleading visuals that exaggerate or amplify the ecological qualities of a product.

Get some advice to avoid common mistakes

The Greenlight study: a strategic tool

The Greenlight study, a collaboration between GiveActions, RMB, and JCDecaux, has three key objectives: to assess the frequency of environmental claims in advertising in Belgium, identify and quantify greenwashing risks, and provide recommendations to improve the transparency and credibility of advertising messages.

Greenlight is based on a rigorous four-step methodology:

Ad collection: 12,950 ads aired in 2023 were analyzed. These ads came from three media sources: 2,918 TV spots, 6,991 radio spots, and 3,041 OOH ads.
AI Analysis: An AI tool processed the ads in two phases: extracting all advertising components (texts, sounds, labels, logos, images, etc.) and identifying those mentioning an ecological commitment.
Manual verification: The AI identified around 1,500 ads with potential environmental claims. Manual verification confirmed 1,196, of which 469 had greenwashing risks.
Categorizing results: Ads were classified according to the sector of the advertisers, media used (TV, radio, outdoor), and the type of greenwashing detected.

Greenlight is an operational tool, directly usable, providing concrete solutions for advertisers engaged in the ecological transition. Beyond the primary results of the study, freely available to you, RMB offers a tailored coaching program to enhance your sustainable communication.

Request a presentation of the Greenlight study

12.950

Number of ads analyzed (2023)

9,2%

Percentage of ads with an environmental claim

39,2%

Percentage of ‘eco-friendly’ ads with a risk of greenwashing

classy, smiling woman with her hands on her hips

Other key results

The analysis of 12,950 ads reveals several striking trends :

Brands still have work to do: 39.2% of so-called ‘green’ ads carry a risk of greenwashing.
Two levels of risk identified: 8.6% of ads show a high risk (based on risk factors outlined in the upcoming EU directive Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition), and 30.6% present a potential risk (according to advertising standards from JEP, JDP, ARPP, and ADEME).
Radio is the most affected medium: 47.9% of environmental claims on the radio pose a risk, due to a lack of contextualization.
Energy (63% of ads) and automotive (32%of ads) lead the green talk: these two sectors account for the largest share of environmental advertising, while the retail sector lags far behind (just 4%).
Sectors which are most exposed to greenwashing: banking (96% risk), construction (84% risk), and health/wellness (79% risk).