Nearly seven in 10 Canadians don’t trust the sustainability claims companies make about their products and services, a new poll has found.
According to the survey, the most skeptical region of the country was Atlantic Canada, where 75 per cent of respondents didn’t trust companies’ green claims. Tied for second, 69 per cent of respondents in B.C. and Ontario said they don’t trust companies’ sustainability claims. Albertans were found to be the most trusting, with 63 per cent of those polled saying they don’t trust how companies represent their environmental record.
‘Greenwashing’ has increasingly caught the eye of federal watchdogs — in 2022, the bureau warned consumers to be wary of companies’ sustainability claims. Since then, the it has taken on a number of complaints alleging misleading and false environmental claims. “False and misleading environmental claims prevent competition between businesses on their merits. They also erode consumers’ confidence in a greener economy.”