Her presentation on greenwashing at the World PR forum in Canada has catapulted East London public relations dynamo Angela Barter into the global limelight and established her as an international expert on the subject.
Speaking to Saturday Dispatch this week, Barter explained that greenwashing was more than just the latest buzz word.
“The term was actually coined almost 40 years ago. I have just revived it,” said Barter, a product of Clarendon High who launched The PR Company in Johannesburg 14 years ago before relocating its base to East London in 2014.
“Greenwashing refers to companies making environmental claims that cannot be substantiated and misleading consumers that their product is green when it’s not.
“It’s unethical and it’s called greenwashing,” said Barter, who has a postgraduate diploma in environmental management from Stellenbosch University and is also a Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (Prisa)
practitioner.
She said companies were increasingly eager to be part of the green economy by adapting to environmental legislation as well as consumer expectations by advertising the “green” qualities of their products or services, but that these were often misleading or deceptive.
“So products will be labelled as earth-friendly, or natural, bio-degradable, compostable and recyclable, but these claims often cannot be backed up.”
She said public relations professionals had an obligation to be ethical by ensuring claims could be substantiated before communicating them.
“My focus is to help companies communicate their environmental initiatives ethically and honestly because as communicators we have the power to influence attitudes.
“As PRs we should be a credible source giving accurate information,” said Barter, who has been researching the issue for six years and is busy with her master’s in environmental management through Stellenbosch University.
As one of only one two public relations practitioners to represent SA at the World PR Forum in Toronto at the end of last month, her greenwashing speech made an unexpected impact on delegates and media at the conference.
“I was very surprised that my topic was seen as new and fresh. The response was incredible. I was interviewed by C Suite Podcasts on iTunes and was quoted by the UK’s Influence magazine as ‘an environmental PR expert’.”
But beyond the hype and helping companies to be mindful of greenwashing and its pitfalls, Barter said she was “passionate” about protecting the environment.
“It is not just about a buzzword or about hopping onto the green bandwagon. The issue is close to my heart. Our natural resources are being depleted and so I am doing the best I can to help preserve them.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Global limelight for EL ‘green’ expert
Her presentation on greenwashing at the World PR forum in Canada has catapulted East London public relations dynamo Angela Barter into the global limelight and established her as an international expert on the subject.
Speaking to Saturday Dispatch this week, Barter explained that greenwashing was more than just the latest buzz word.
“The term was actually coined almost 40 years ago. I have just revived it,” said Barter, a product of Clarendon High who launched The PR Company in Johannesburg 14 years ago before relocating its base to East London in 2014.
“Greenwashing refers to companies making environmental claims that cannot be substantiated and misleading consumers that their product is green when it’s not.
“It’s unethical and it’s called greenwashing,” said Barter, who has a postgraduate diploma in environmental management from Stellenbosch University and is also a Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (Prisa)
practitioner.
She said companies were increasingly eager to be part of the green economy by adapting to environmental legislation as well as consumer expectations by advertising the “green” qualities of their products or services, but that these were often misleading or deceptive.
“So products will be labelled as earth-friendly, or natural, bio-degradable, compostable and recyclable, but these claims often cannot be backed up.”
She said public relations professionals had an obligation to be ethical by ensuring claims could be substantiated before communicating them.
“My focus is to help companies communicate their environmental initiatives ethically and honestly because as communicators we have the power to influence attitudes.
“As PRs we should be a credible source giving accurate information,” said Barter, who has been researching the issue for six years and is busy with her master’s in environmental management through Stellenbosch University.
As one of only one two public relations practitioners to represent SA at the World PR Forum in Toronto at the end of last month, her greenwashing speech made an unexpected impact on delegates and media at the conference.
“I was very surprised that my topic was seen as new and fresh. The response was incredible. I was interviewed by C Suite Podcasts on iTunes and was quoted by the UK’s Influence magazine as ‘an environmental PR expert’.”
But beyond the hype and helping companies to be mindful of greenwashing and its pitfalls, Barter said she was “passionate” about protecting the environment.
“It is not just about a buzzword or about hopping onto the green bandwagon. The issue is close to my heart. Our natural resources are being depleted and so I am doing the best I can to help preserve them.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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