Hello. I am Sally, a new member of MATSURI. I am good at biology, but I am still a beginner when it comes to environmental impact assessment and related activities.
This time, as a special edition of the diary, I would like to report on the online information sharing event exclusively for MATSURI partners, "What to communicate in an era of criticism of greenwashing," which was held on November 21, 2024.
Click here for the report of the information sharing session.
We held an information sharing session exclusively for MATSURI partners entitled "What should we communicate in an era of criticism of greenwashing?"
In recent years, there has been increased scrutiny of "greenwashing," a practice that involves making false or misleading claims about the environment or climate impact. Not only has this practice been met with increasing public criticism, but regulatory authorities have also taken concrete action, such as issuing guidelines banning inappropriate environmental claims in commercials showcasing environmental initiatives.
In this situation, what kind of environmental communication can we make? To get some hints, we have introduced some well-known examples of environmental communication already being made by companies in the market and the reactions of the public and the government to them.
One of the examples introduced is LEGO's efforts towards sustainable materials. Currently, LEGO blocks are made from petroleum-derived ABS resin. LEGO has set a goal of switching all parts to plastics derived from sustainable resources by 2030, and in 2015 invested 1 billion Danish kroner (approximately 21 billion yen) to establish the "Sustainable Materials Center" at its Danish headquarters. In 2021, it announced that it had successfully created a prototype of a block made from recycled PET bottles. However, in 2023, LEGO officially announced that it would no longer produce blocks made from recycled PET. The company explained this decision by saying, "When we announced the prototype, we were optimistic about the possibility. However, after two years of testing, we found that it did not contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, so we decided not to further develop it."
(Reference: https://www.sustainablebrands.jp/news/us/detail/1218450_1532.html )
In response to this announcement, there were hardly any critical voices from the public, such as "Why are they stopping using recycled plastics?", "Isn't this just an excuse to continue using ABS resin?", or "Isn't this just a way to continue using ABS resin?" On the contrary, it seems that LEGO is being praised for its thorough investigation and for honestly and dispassionately announcing the results. This recognition is likely due to LEGO's serious commitment to sustainability, with solid investments of people and funds.
I felt that this was truly "Honest MATSURI."
Finally, a discussion was held with Sally, energy analyst Noriaki Ooba, and Junpei Nomura, Secretary General of the Japan Microalgae Technology Association.
Sally (right) is still nervous, and energy analyst Noriaki Oba (left)
To be honest, as Sally from MATSURI, I feel that we need to give more careful thought to how we can promote algae as a worthwhile endeavor in the future.
For more details about the information sharing session , please visit the MATSURI Partner page!
