Could a climate pledge accreditation help stamp out greenwashing?

There’s certainly something to be said for the idea of having an outside body help investors to sort the green corporate wheat from the cynical PR chaff, writes James Moore

Too many firms hide behind meaningless pledges and PR jargon (Getty)

Climate transition, net zero, decarbonisation, stewardship. All those words have been added to the corporate lexicon and every company with its eyes on the PR ball has a published plan that makes use of them. 

It’s also standard practice for businesses to devote part of their websites to their environmental credentials. These often include pretty pictures of trees. There’s sometimes even a climate pledge progress update in the annual report. 

Washed in green? That’s what an awful lot of these activities are; little more than efforts to apply a coat of faux green paint to activities that give the finger to the Paris Accords.