Climate protection or marketing ploy? How green are climate neutrality labels really?
Die Klimakrise ist zweifelsohne das drängendste Thema unserer Zeit. Sie hat viele Unternehmen dazu veranlasst, ihre Produkte mit Labels wie „Climate neutral„, „Climate-friendly“ und „Climate positive“ zu kennzeichnen, in der Hoffnung, den Verbrauchern ein gutes Gewissen beim Kauf zu vermitteln.
Mittlerweile werden schon 10% aller Lebensmittel in den Supermärkten mit einem Klima oder Umwelt-Versprechen angeboten. Doch es sind nicht nur Lebensmittel, sondern auch eine Vielzahl an anderen Produkten, die als „grün“ und „klimafreundlich“ beworben werden.
These labels suggest to us that we can buy the goods without hesitation because the manufacturer has already ensured that everything is regulated with regard to "climate. So we consumers like to buy products that are labeled as sustainable and bear a label that refers to climate or CO₂. If this is accompanied by the promise that a little tree will also be planted somewhere to slow down or even reverse climate change, we buy - without knowing exactly whether these promises will be kept.
But how reliable are such seals and certificates actually?
Every company can create its own labels and make claims about the climate friendliness of its product. There is currently no legal regulation for such claims - you should know that!
Some companies advertise that their products climate neutrally produced are manufactured in a climate-neutral way. When you consider that this excludes the transport route (which accounts for 90% of emissions), this statement appears in a completely new light.
The idea behind the labels is as simple as it is seductive. CO₂ emissions generated by the production and transport of a product are offset by planting trees in Africa, for example. For these trees, certificates are generated for the CO₂ saved, which other companies can buy to improve their carbon footprint.
Unfortunately, the exact footprint of a product can only be calculated approximately. In addition, neither the quantity nor the price of these climate certificates are controlled or regulated by law.
Eine Untersuchung der Verbraucherorganisation Foodwatch zeigt, dass Werbung mit „Klimaneutralität“ häufig irreführend ist. Daher fordert Foodwatch ein Verbot solcher Werbeaussagen. Aber wie können wir sicher sein, dass die versprochene Kompensation tatsächlich stattfindet?
The investigation showed that only about 2% of the projects used to offset emissions actually deliver what they promise. Most of these projects are hardly verifiable in practice, such as the protection of rainforest areas.
Two reporters from the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT were able to acquire three "climate neutral" labels from three different providers of climate certificates for a non-existent company (a fictitious flower store) in 2022. non-existent company (a fictitious flower store) can acquire.
None of the three suppliers were required to provide evidence of carbon footprint or proof of CO2 emissions reductions.
The unfortunate fact is that the CO₂ certificates that can be purchased by relevant companies are part of a profit-oriented business model. They allow companies to declare their products as climate-friendly regardless of their actual environmental impact. Foodwatch notes that behind the climate-neutral label is a thriving business that benefits everyone - except climate protection.
So we shouldn't rely solely on labels, but take action ourselves to reduce our ecological footprint. That means consuming less, reducing waste, buying locally and seasonally, and switching to renewable energy sources. This is the only way we can really make a contribution to climate protection.
In summary, it is crucial to be skeptical when using climate seals and certificates and to actively pursue a sustainable lifestyle. So we should not be fooled by profit-oriented business models, but instead consciously commit ourselves to protecting our planet.
