Share
Forces for Good
How can business combat greenwashing?
Season 1, Ep. 2
•
Have you noticed an influx of products marketed as sustainable, eco-friendly, or recycled? You're not alone. As the global climate emergency accelerates and consumer awareness grows, businesses are increasingly leveraging green marketing to reach conscientious customers. But not all marketing is created equal.
On the show, experts explain the problem of "greenwashing," when marketing is designed to make consumers believe a business is doing more for the environment than they really are. We also talk about how to spot greenwashing and learn from companies that are telling transparent stories about their environmental footprint. In this episode we answer:
- What is the difference between green marketing and greenwashing?
- How have businesses and the advertising sector misled consumers about their environmental responsibility?
- How can these same players combat greenwashing?
- How can consumer awareness combat greenwashing?
In this episode, we discuss Patagonia as an exemplary B Corp. At the time of recording, Patagonia had not yet made their groundbreaking announcement transferring ownership to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, where every dollar not reinvested into Patagonia will be distributed as dividends to protect the planet. Patagonia’s unprecedented decision drives home the value of business taking concrete action to be a force for good.
Guests include:
Maria Correa, Head of Marketing and Communications at B Lab Europe
Luke Purdy, Director of Social Impact & Group Account Director at Wieden + Kennedy
Sharoni Rosenberg Amszynowski, author of “WTF is Purpose” and Executive Director at the PwC Chile Foundation
More episodes
View all episodes
10. Can we make AI work for us?
20:59||Season 3, Ep. 10AI is poised to radically transform the way we work. This moment is an opportunity for workers, business leaders, and governments to come together and harness this powerful technology for good – or face the consequences of failing to act. Today’s guests, Richie Jones and Hilke Schellmann, help us learn how people and AI fit together into the future of work.Hilke is an Assistant Professor of Journalism at New York University and an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter. Recently, her reporting has been focused on AI. In the episode, she gives us an overview and a warning about how AI has been shaping hiring processes.Richie is the Founder and CEO of Vvast, an e-commerce services company (and B Corp). He also helped found and is a member of the Ethical AI Coalition. Their goal is to introduce more transparency into the use of AI so that companies can learn from each other.B Lab believes that AI can be a force for good, but no one person – not a worker, not a CEO, not even governments – can do this alone. We all need to demand transparency and accountability from those in the business of AI.Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
9. How do I make my voice heard at work?
19:34||Season 3, Ep. 9The ability for employees to speak up is critical to creating a system that is fair, representative, and works for all. Our guests today, Jenny Holdcroft and Antoine Heuty, are both on a mission to make sure people are heard by their employers. Jenny is Deputy Director of Business Engagement at the Shift Project, the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. She and Shift champion unions and organized labor. Antoine is Senior Vice President of Human Rights at EcoVadis and founder of Ulula. Ulula is a B Corp that gives workers the ability to communicate with their employer anonymously. It can be used to make complaints about working hours or conditions in real time.If you see or know about human rights violations in the workplace, you can report them to the UN:https://www.ohchr.org/en/reporting_violations Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
8. How can workers share in the prosperity they help create?
20:00||Season 3, Ep. 8The best way to build a thriving business is to build a thriving workforce. In this episode, we look at two ways both a business and its people can prosper.First, we’ll learn about worker cooperatives from Julian McKinley, Co-Executive Director for Partnerships and Growth at the Democracy at Work Institute. A business co-op is a group of workers coming together to co-own the business for which they work. Generally, workers in a co-op have better working conditions, higher wages, and more power. The business also benefits from more democratic decision making, lower administrative costs, and even tax benefits in some cases!In the second half of our episode, we're going to take a look at the B Corp, Naturesweet. CEO and President, Rodolfo Spielmann and Sustainability and Social Impact Officer, Fernanda Suarez tell us about how having a prosperous work force is a part of their business model. Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
7. What does it mean to “go purpose?” with Patagonia
18:48||Season 3, Ep. 7Alternative ownership structures, like cooperatives and employee ownership trusts, are some of the most powerful wealth and power distributors we have at our disposal. Are they the key to creating better jobs?Today’s guests would tell you yes!In this episode, we hear the story of how B Corp and outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia donated itself to Planet Earth and we learn more about alternative ownership structures.Greg Curtis is the Executive Director of Holdfast Collective, the nonprofit that owns all of Patagonia’s non voting stock and distributes its profits to environmental causes. Our second guest is Mark Hand, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at Arlington. He’s an expert in democratization and teaches us about the alternative ways to set up a company that you might not learn in business school.Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
6. Will the green transition work for workers?
23:21||Season 3, Ep. 6What does it really mean to go green? As the climate crisis accelerates, businesses are under pressure to transition away from fossil fuels, adopt sustainable practices, and reduce their environmental impact. But this shift isn’t just about the planet—it’s about people, too. In this episode, we hear from Marina Gning, CEO of ApiAfrique, a B Corp proving that sustainable businesses can create both environmental impact and quality jobs. She shares how manufacturing locally in Senegal—despite industry norms—has empowered workers, especially women, and strengthened the local economy. We also speak with Andrew Prag, Managing Director for Policy at We Mean Business Coalition, about why businesses must center workers in their sustainability strategies and how a just transition benefits both people and profit.Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
5. Workplace belonging: Perk or priority?
18:06||Season 3, Ep. 5How do we make sure everyone feels welcome when they show up to work? Our unique qualities are what make us great at our jobs and we have to build inclusive workplaces where we can show off those talents. Our guests today are Tom Strong, Director of Employer Activation at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and Sarah White, CEO and Founder at Fairware. Sarah shares why social justice is a business imperative for her and how she promotes inclusivity on her team. Tom shares his experience working with companies to simply ask workers what they need and provide that support. Overall, this episode provides a guide book to increase worker's access, wellness, and sense of belonging.Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
4. How do you find meaning at work?
22:01||Season 3, Ep. 4People want meaningful, purpose driven jobs now more than ever. In this series so far, we’ve talked about what makes a job "good" - we’ve looked at pay, economic mobility, benefits, hours and scheduling. But what about purpose? In this episode, we dive into why workers are demanding more meaning in their careers and how it keeps them engaged for the long haul. Annemiek Nusmeijer is the owner of Greenjobs.nl, a B-Corp and the largest job board in the Netherlands for sustainable positions. In this episode, she tells us how young people are flocking to her site in hopes of finding meaningful employment. We also welcome Julie Richards, Guardian News & Media director of sustainability and operational transformation to the show. Julie tells us how The Guardian pursues impact in their day to day operations. Finally, we asked some members of the B Corp community to tell us what they look for in a ‘good’ job. Spoiler Alert - It’s almost always purpose! Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
3. Which Comes First, Policy or Progress?
20:20||Season 3, Ep. 3Policy and progress can’t exist without each other. Without progress there would be no demand for new policy and without new policies we wouldn’t see progress continue. In this episode we focus on policy and the workplace - is it business-focused policy or societal progress that really improves the livelihoods of employees? Our guests for this episode are Jamila Rizvi, Deputy Managing Director at Future Women, a B Corp committed to achieving gender equity in Australian workplaces and Wojciech Baginski, B Lab Global-Board of Directors and Partner at Impactive.law. They share examples of policy and progress working in tandem ranging from the rise of the 40 hour work week to child care options increasing women's participation in the workforce.Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.
2. What do lobsters have to do with job opportunities?
19:29||Season 3, Ep. 2Maine’s Lobster Industry is at a breaking point. Jobs all over the state depend on lobster fishermen bringing in over 100 million pounds of lobster each year. But with fewer and fewer legacy lobstermen this is becoming harder and harder. That’s where retraining and economic mobility come in. Young people and immigrants from all over the country, and the world, are filling the labor gap in Maine.In this episode we’re joined by Ben Conniff, Co-Founder of Luke’s Lobster and Ryan Rippel, Director, Economic Mobility and Opportunity at The Gates Foundation. We’ll discuss how businesses can create economic opportunities for workers in their communities and meet the challenges of a changing economic landscape through training, development and mentorship programs.Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.netViews and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of B Lab or Hueman Group Media.