Do you know your greens?
The likes of greenwashing, carbon-neutral and net-zero have entered the lexicon in recent years as society looks towards an eco-friendlier future. But there is confusion over the now commonly used words – with a survey of a selection of UK adults finding 41 per cent have pretended to know what someone meant by a particular environmental term to appear ‘with it’ or avoid having to ask.
Where someone has heard an eco-term they didn’t understand, 16 per cent pretended they knew what they were talking about, while 27 per cent glossed over it. Just half (49 per cent) would ask for clarification.
“The nation is overwhelmingly on-board with moving towards a greener future – whether it’s by washing clothes at 30 degrees, or having a smart meter installed and using it to identify ways to reduce their energy use. But it is clear the public has been bombarded with a whole new range of words and phrases which not everyone is familiar with, and some are afraid to ask.” – Iagan MacNeil, Smart Energy GB
The research was commissioned by Smart Energy GB, the campaign helping the public understand the benefits of smart meters. The organisation has recently released a report which makes recommendations for a broad range of organisations, including government and businesses, on how to communicate with the public about climate change.
One of the key recommendations in the ‘Tackling Climate Change from Home: How to Turn Good Intentions into Positive Actions’ report, is to make sure that any communications reflect language already used by the public. This will in turn help motivate consumers to make environmentally-friendly changes at home, such as getting a smart meter installed.
The word Brits are most confused about is ‘greenwashing’, which is where statements, often by large companies about their positive environmental performance, are either misleading or unsubstantiated by evidence.
This is followed by biomass – the mass of living (or recently harvested) organisms that is grown or used for fuel – and net zero, where emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere are balanced by removals of GHGs from it.
Despite regularly being mentioned by governments, campaigners, and the media, 26 per cent don’t understand the phrase ‘carbon offsetting’, while 22 per cent are confused by the term ‘carbon neutral’.
And 59 per cent care about the environment but ‘switch off’ when people start using sustainability buzzwords Overall, 81 per cent of those surveyed via OnePoll think it’s important for people in general to be more aware of environmental terms.
“Today we’re reminding government and businesses that the easier it is to understand what is needed, the more likely people are to take action.” – Iagan MacNeil, Smart Energy GB
