Useful information

The Whole Universe in a Cube

A unique project in the world, in which two Romanians also participated, manages to combine art, technology, design and science in an innovative way.

A new "Uber" launches in Romania

A new ride-sharing service is launching in Romania. It's called Blu. And it belongs to Autonom, a car rental company.

About SEE ME DO, a project for and about sustainability

What does SEE ME DO mean? Sustainability. Education. Economy. Environment. Evolution. Development. Organization

Trifoi Fest: the festival that puts people, creatures, and the planet before profit

How we tried to be sustainable tourists in Vietnam. Even though we flew by plane

Tourism is an industry that generates a lot of greenhouse gases. Mainly because of transportation. Especially air travel. If you can't avoid flying, there are a few other things you can pay attention to to make your tourism eco-friendly.

How to get rid of plastic - The Zero Waste Solution

What is Zero Waste really? And how can this solution be scaled from an individual level to communities, buildings, cities, businesses, and even society?

How I found out I had too much CO2 in my bedroom. And why that matters

I did an experiment with a backpack that measures how polluted the air is, indoors and outdoors, and I was horrified by the results.

Everything you need to know about greenwashing

What is greenwashing, how do we avoid it, as communication professionals or as ordinary people.

Greenwashing. OMV Petrom case study, sustainability report

We are analyzing the difference between intention and action in sustainability reports. And the importance of a law to amend misleading "green" claims.

Greenwashing. Case study: Coca Cola, sponsor of COP27

We are analyzing the 2022 scandal at COP27, the largest conference on climate change, where Coca-Cola was the main sponsor.

Greenwashing. Case study WWF-Coca Cola, Together for Danube partnership

When a large environmental NGO partners with a major polluter, such alliances can avoid being labeled as greenwashing under the following conditions: 1. Transparency and Accountability: * Full disclosure of the nature and terms of the partnership, including financial arrangements, objectives, and expected outcomes. * Clear, measurable, and publicly reported targets and timelines for the polluter's environmental improvement. * Independent third-party verification and auditing of the polluter's progress against agreed-upon environmental goals. * Regular public reporting on progress, challenges, and any deviations from the plan. 2. Substantial and Measurable Environmental Impact: * The partnership must address the core environmental harm caused by the polluter, not merely peripheral or cosmetic issues. * Commitment to significant, quantifiable reductions in pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, or restoration of ecosystems. * Focus on systemic change within the polluter's operations, supply chain, and product lifecycle, rather than one-off projects. * The NGO must ensure that the polluter's commitment goes beyond legal compliance and aims for leading environmental performance in its sector. 3. No Compromise on NGO's Mission and Values: * The NGO must maintain its independence and critical voice, reserving the right to speak out and withdraw from the partnership if objectives are not met or if the polluter acts in bad faith. * The partnership should not prevent the NGO from advocating for stronger environmental regulations for the entire industry or for specific policies that might impact the partner. * The NGO should not endorse the polluter's overall brand or products if they are fundamentally unsustainable. * No funding from the polluter should be tied to suppressing criticism or promoting a false image. 4. Long-Term Commitment and Cultural Shift: * The partnership should aim for a deep, long-term transformation of the polluter's business model towards sustainability, not just a temporary fix. * Evidence of a genuine commitment from the polluter's top leadership to integrate environmental considerations into their core strategy and corporate culture. * Investment in research and development for cleaner technologies and sustainable practices. 5. Stakeholder Engagement and Consent: * Meaningful engagement with affected communities, indigenous groups, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure their concerns are addressed and that the partnership does not inadvertently harm them. * The NGO should be able to demonstrate that engaging with the polluter is the most effective way to achieve significant environmental gains compared to other advocacy or confrontation strategies. 6. "Additionality" Principle: * The environmental benefits achieved through the partnership must be additional to what the polluter would have done anyway (e.g., due to regulatory requirements or business as usual). * The NGO's involvement should clearly accelerate, deepen, or widen the scope of environmental improvements. 7. Exit Strategy: * A pre-defined exit strategy for the NGO in case the partnership fails to deliver results, the polluter backslides, or the agreement is exploited for greenwashing purposes. In essence, such alliances are acceptable when they are genuinely transformational, transparent, verifiable, and do not compromise the credibility or mission of the environmental organization, leading to concrete and significant environmental benefits that would otherwise not be achieved.

Greenwashing. Case study on TotalEnergies, the Net Zero campaign.

One of the largest oil companies is being sued over an advertising campaign in which it promises to become carbon neutral by 2050, despite continuing to invest in fossil fuels.