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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

GREENWASHING?

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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What do you think ‘greenwashing’ means?

2. How much does it matter to you about how environmentally conscious the companies you buy
from are? Why?

3. Do you think a company has any responsibility to the environment or society? Why / why not?

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2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Complete the vocabulary with the missing vowels (a, e, i, o, u).

1. d _ c _ pt _ v _ (adj.) - making you believe something that isn’t true

2. pr _ f _ ss (v) - claim that something is real or true when it is not

3. d _ v _ _ _s (adj.) - behaving in a way that is intended to trick people to get something that you
want

4. h _ _ dw _ nk (v) - trick someone into doing or believing something

5. b _ ndw _ dth (n) - the brain space or energy you have to be able to do something

6. s _ bs _ st _ nc _ (n) - a situation when you only just have enough money to live on

7. w _ _ gh (v) - carefully consider something before coming to a conclusion

8. _b_d_ by (phr. v) - follow rules or laws

Part B: Now complete the following sentences with the correct vocabulary from Part A. You may need
to change the form of the word to fit the sentence.

1. Once a business has the advantages of reducing their carbon footprint against
costs, they invariably start to make significant changes.

2. Companies that pay wages can’t expect loyalty from their staff or growth.

3. The company to trying to improve living standards for the local population when
in reality they were extracting resources.

4. My boss keeps adding new projects to my workload and I really don’t have the
for it at the moment.

5. We do regular checks to make sure the staff are our health and safety standards.

6. When I got home, I realised I’d been into paying almost double the price for the
shirt compared to if I’d bought it online.

7. Nutritional information on a lot of goods is presented in a way that is and designed

to make you think it’s healthier than it really is.

8. Printing the important legal information in small font is quite a way of ensuring
most people will never read it.

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3 Listening for gist

Listen to the interview with Holly Parker and tick all of the points she discusses.

1. Why greenwashing is attractive to companies.

2. What can be done to stop greenwashing.

3. Why organic ingredients cost more than non-organic.

4. An organisation that focuses on people being given reasonable wages

5. An organisation that looks at how companies affect society and the

environment
6. An organisation that monitors plastic pollution created by companies

7. An organisation that measures the carbon output of a company

8. An organisation that promotes the management of woodlands

4 Listening comprehension

Listen to the interview again and decide on the best answers a - c for questions 1 - 8.

1. Greenwashing could be defined as

a. using planet-friendly products for cleaning and washing items in the home.

b. companies trying to give a false impression of how environmentally-friendly their products

are.
c. consumers pretending to be interested in helping the environment until it becomes
expensive.

2. Examples of greenwashing include

a. including plants and flowers in the design of containers to make a product appear
environmentally-friendly.
b. lowering the price of products that have a more damaging effect on the environment.

c. using a lower-temperature on washing machines to lower costs, save energy and reduce
emissions.

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GREENWASHING?

3. A company that engages in greenwashing is

a. actively trying to create a sustainable business model that is both profitable and beneficial to
society and the environment.
b. either trying to mislead or is misinformed about their impact on the environment and society.

c. committing a criminal act that could result in a considerable fine in order to make their
business more profitable.

4. What does Holly Parker say is the main obstacle for consumers who care about the environment?

a. being able to afford products that are more environmentally-sensitive

b. understanding the legal processes that companies must observe

c. having the time to be able to understand all the information

5. What does Holly Parker say about Fairtrade?

a. It enables manufacturers to produce goods at a lower cost which is passed on to the customer.

b. It ensures that no one is exploited throughout the supply chain from production to purchase.

c. It gives middlemen more power to make decisions which can benefit farmers.

6. Which companies are eligible for a B Corp certification?

a. Companies that can prove they have not profited from any practices that may harm the
environment in any way.
b. Companies that are both listed on the stock market and have low carbon emissions.

c. Companies that can demonstrate they don’t harm the environment and look after their
workers and communities.

7. What does the B stand for in B Corp?

a. behaviour

b. belonging

c. beneficial

8. If you felt strongly about animal welfare, which logo would you look out for on products?

a. Leaping Bunny

b. FSC

c. Carbon Trust

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5 Skimming for gist

Decide which word a - c on page six is the best fit for gaps 1 - 12 in the article below.

B Corp
High standard or greenwashing?

A. From big name companies, such as Ben and Jerry’s and Patagonia, to small to midsize businesses,
the B Corp logo has become a clear signal that the company cares - not just about profit, but the
world in which we live and the communities where they operate. Over 8000 companies now have
the designation in around 80 countries around the globe. At a time where business interests and
society’s interests frequently collide, B Corp is a helpful signal to customers that the company has
1
been assessed on how it impacts the world.
2
B. By 2005, Jay Coen Gilbert had co-founded a basketball clothing company and
disillusioned with how business practices at the time favoured shareholders over all else. He reasoned
3
that what is good for one set of shareholders isn’t necessarily for others and if
businesses take more from the community than they give, they are effectively eating themselves. He
wanted to start a company that would set a high standard which other businesses could emulate. The
4
following year, B Lab was founded. Jay Coen Gilbert still the idea of it being charitable,
but more of a way to steer businesses in a direction that benefits all.
5
C. Despite best intentions, the B Corp standard has been into question lately. A
group of B Corp-certified coffee businesses wrote an open letter to B Lab protesting the awarding of
6
the status to Nestlé. The group cited the company’s terrible track record with human
rights and accused them of having an ‘extractive business model’. Meanwhile in the UK, Brewdog, a B
Corp status-holding beer company that had made its mark as much for its brash marketing as for its
potent IPAs, also fell foul of the certification. An open letter from a group of its workers claimed that
the company operated on a ‘culture of fear’ even though it had scored highly in the worker assessment
7
category. Brewdog lost their B Corp status, but the episode was damaging to the
public image of the designation.

D. A company that wants to use the B Corp logo must achieve a minimum score of 80 out of 200
8
across multiple categories. The process can up to a year and for the company to retain
the certification, it has to be reviewed every three years. The cost is dependent on the company’s
annual revenue and can be anything from $1000 to $45,000. Yet critics point to the fact that much
9
of the process involves self-assessment which they say it up to false reporting. In
addition, participating companies can decide for themselves which sustainability goals they’d like to
attain, allowing them to go for easier and cheaper options over more challenging and costly options
10
that may be more vital and impactful. B Lab, however, its procedure and says that
data reported by companies is checked independently.

E. Where profits are to be found, there will always be those trying to buck the system for their own
11
ends. This doesn’t , however, that the entire process of B Corp certification is flawed
and criticism can potentially help it evolve. As a measure for making businesses work for all, rather
12
than just the wealthy few, it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Sources: Business Insider, BBC

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GREENWASHING?

1. a. casually b. rigorously c. effortlessly

2. a. grown b. shrunk c. expanded
3. a. favoured b. advantageous c. popular
4. a. protects b. elects c. rejects
5. a. rung b. questioned c. called
6. a. covering b. introducing c. protecting
7. a. repeatedly b. subsequently c. initially
8. a. take b. snatch c. remove
9. a. opens b. reveals c. reduces
10. a. attacks b. covers c. defends
11. a. mean b. say c. implicate
12. a. most b. many c. few

6 Finding vocabulary
Find vocabulary in the article on page five which has the same meaning as the following definitions.

1. a name or title signalling an achievement (n, para. A)

2. be actively in opposition to, or disagreement with, something (v, para. A)

3. feeling disappointed because something that you thought was positive turns
out to be less than you hoped (adj., para. B)
4. copy behaviour because it is something that you look up to (v, para. B)

5. very confident in a way that is quite aggressive (adj., para. C)

6. having a very strong effect on your ability to think or how you act (adj., para.
C)
7. the use of products and systems that do not negatively affect the
environment (n, para. D)
8. lacking perfection or containing problems (adj., para. E)

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7 Reading comprehension
Part A: Decide which paragraph A - E the following information or ideas can be found in.

1. The reason why some coffee businesses objected to a B Corp certification.

2. The author’s view of the validity of the B Corp certification.

3. Well-known companies who have signed up for the B Corp certification.

4. How payment for the B Corp certification is determined.

5. A difference between how B Corp scored a company’s treatment of staff and the reality.

6. The length of time it can take for a company to complete the assessment required to display the
B Corp logo.

7. What B Lab was created to work against.

Part B: In your own words, answer the following questions.

1. What is the meaning of ‘fell foul of’ in paragraph C?

2. What is the meaning of ‘buck the system’ in paragraph E?

8 Talking point
In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Can you give any real-life examples of greenwashing that you are aware of?
2. What do you think should happen to businesses that are found to be guilty of greenwashing?
3. Do you think the intention of B Lab with the B Corp certification is a good one or do you think it’s
flawed? Why?
4. Do you think businesses really have to serve any other purpose than just making money? Why?
5. If you ran your own business, would you want to get a certification to show that your business
was concerned about its impact on the environment and society? Why / why not?
6. What affects your decisions about whether or not to buy products from a particular company
versus another?

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9 Extended activity/Homework

Read the question.

The practice of business stands fundamentally opposed to environmental and societal needs.
Businesses can’t be expected to profit and take care of everything around them. The
environment and society are the realm of the government which needs to tax businesses
effectively so that it can offset the damage that they do.

To what extent do you agree with the above statement?

You should:

• Write at least 250 words.

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

GREENWASHING?

Transcripts

3. Listening for gist

Peter: With us in the studio today is Holly Parker from the local council’s environmental team
to talk to us about business and the environment, particularly ‘greenwashing’. Holly,
welcome to the show!

Holly: Thanks for having me on. It really helps us to raise awareness.

Peter: So I’m guessing greenwashing isn’t using an environmentally-friendly soap?

Holly: It isn’t, not that I would discourage you from doing exactly that. No, it’s really a form of
marketing that is deliberately deceptive. There are a large number of consumers these
days who genuinely care about the environment and who will give preferential treatment
to products that profess to care about climate change.

Peter: Profess?

Holly: So there are a number of ways to make a product appear greener than it really is. This
could be as simple as making the packaging have elements from nature on it, despite
the product not doing anything to protect or improve the environment, to more devious
approaches, such as promoting a product as containing organic ingredients when that only
applies to a limited number of them.

Peter: So it’s really just marketing finding ways to lie to customers then?

Holly: Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that. A company could be trying to reduce the amount
of packaging it uses, for example, while not realising that its carbon emissions are a
problem that is considerably worse. But undoubtedly, there are deliberate attempts to
hoodwink both consumers and regulatory boards.

Peter: So what can we do when we’re deciding which products to buy, but want to make sure
that we’re not being fooled?

Holly: The primary issue is the lack of bandwidth the average person has for this. It’s the same
with politics and crime and technology. Most people don’t have the time to keep up,
as they have jobs, children and relationships to consider and these areas can change
at speed. Still, there are organisations which issue certifications which help to quickly
identify responsible businesses.

Peter: Can you give us some examples?

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Holly: Well, you’ve probably heard of Fairtrade. This focuses on the payment that people receive
for their work and is aimed at reducing exploitation. Many coffee producers use this
certification to show that the farmers who cultivate the coffee bean are receiving a fair
sum for their labour. There have been instances where farmers were forced to accept
subsistence wages by middlemen who were reaping the rewards by inflating the price,
earning staggering profits, before passing it on to producers and consumers. Fairtrade
products are often a little more pricey, but you can rest assured that someone isn’t forced
to choose between eating and paying bills just so you can have a cheap cappuccino.

Peter: Very interesting. Are there others?

Holly: There are a few. One of the more notable is the B Corporation, or B Corp as it’s
more commonly referred to, which is administered by a non-profit organisation called
B Lab. To get the certification, companies have to demonstrate that they are transparent,
accountable, and their processes are sustainable as well as their behaviour offering value
to the societies and communities in which they operate, not just that they are increasing
the wealth of their shareholders.

Peter: So they have to be beneficial to elements outside of their profits?

Holly: Indeed they do, and that’s actually where the B comes from in the organisation’s name.
There’s also the Carbon Trust, which as the name suggests, weighs the impact of a
company’s carbon emissions. Abiding by their standard shows customers the company
has significantly reduced their carbon footprint and are continuing to do so. There’s also
the FSC, the Forest Stewardship Council, which looks into products made from trees
and ensures they are from managed and sustainable sources. You can also look out
for the Leaping Bunny which shows that products were not tested on animals during
development.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

GREENWASHING?

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This section encourages students to think about some of the main themes of the lesson ahead of reading and
listening. Ask students to try and define ‘greenwashing’ in their own words rather than looking up a definition.
This will be defined in the listening section.

2. Focus on vocabulary

10 mins.
Part A
This section looks at some of the higher-level vocabulary used in the listening task. For Part A, ask students to
complete the task unaided in the first instance, but allow them to use a reference later if needed.

1. deceptive 2. profess 3. devious 4. hoodwink

5. bandwidth 6. subsistence 7. weigh 8. abide by

Part B
Ask students to put the vocabulary in the appropriate context. Ensure students can pronounce the target language
correctly and are aware of the variant forms of the words.

1. weighed 2. subsistence 3. professed 4. bandwidth

5. abiding by 6. hoodwinked 7. deceptive 8. devious

3. Listening for gist

5 mins.
This task gives the students a chance to listen to the interview for the first time and identify the content that is
discussed.
Source for the audio: www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/58465027

1. ✓ Why greenwashing is attractive to companies.

4. ✓ An organisation that focuses on people being given reasonable wages
5. ✓ An organisation that looks at how companies affect society and the environment
7. ✓ An organisation that measures the carbon output of a company
8. ✓ An organisation that promotes the management of woodlands

4. Listening comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to read and complete the questions after the first listening. Then allow them to listen again to check
their answers.

1. b. 2. a. 3. b. 4. c. 5. b. 6. c. 7. c. 8. a.

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5. Skimming for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a strict time limit on this task to encourage students to skim read rather than read in detail.

1. rigorously 2. grown 3. advantageous 4. rejects

5. called 6. protecting 7. subsequently 8. take
9. opens 10. defends 11. mean 12. most

Sources:
www.businessinsider.com "The B Corporation Movement Was Started by AND1, B Lab Cofounder"
www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20240202-has-b-corp-certification-turned-into-corporate-greenwashing

6. Finding vocabulary

5 mins.
This task focuses on some of the higher-level vocabulary in the article and will aid comprehension.

1. designation 2. collide 3. disillusioned 4. emulate

5. brash 6. potent 7. sustainability 8. flawed

7. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Part A
Ask students to read more carefully and underline where they find the information or ideas.

1. C - The group cited the company’s terrible track record with 6. protecting human rights and accused them of
having an ‘extractive business model’.
2. E - This doesn’t mean, however, that the entire process of B Corp certification is flawed. Criticism can potentially
help it evolve.
3. A - From big name companies, such as Ben and Jerry’s and Patagonia...
4. D - The cost is dependent on the company’s annual revenue and can be anything from $1000 to $45,000.
5. C - An open letter from a group of its workers claimed that the company operated on a ‘culture of fear’ even
though it had scored highly in the worker assessment category.
6. D - The process can take up to a year
7. B - Jay Coen Gilbert had ... grown disillusioned with how business practices at the time favoured shareholders
over all else.

Part B
Ask students to use the context of the phrases to write their answers before checking them.

1. Get into trouble with an organisation or authority due to doing something wrong
2. Refuse to follow the usual rules or change the rules so that it serves the person’s interests

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

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GREENWASHING?

9. Extended activity/Homework

40 mins+.
Ask the students to plan, write and edit their essays based on their work in the lesson and their own ideas. Be
sure to give them feedback on their work.

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