An Experimental Study of the Impact of Greenwashing on Attitudes toward Fossil Fuel Corporations’ Sustainability Initiatives

IF 3 3区社会学 Q1 COMMUNICATION Environmental Communication-A Journal of Nature and Culture Pub Date : 2023-05-25 DOI:10.1080/17524032.2023.2215959

Ronald S. Friedman, Dylan S. Campbell

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, fossil fuel companies have released TV advertisements publicizing their efforts to address climate change, efforts that have been branded “greenwashing”. We conducted an experiment testing whether such ads actually cause individuals to develop more favorable attitudes regarding these corporations’ environmental behavior. Our results showed that a single exposure to two 30-second greenwashing ads was indeed sufficient to bolster individuals’ opinions regarding the efforts and progress of fossil fuel corporations in transitioning to renewable energy. In addition, we found that when individuals were presented with data revealing the true extent of these companies’ investments in renewables, this diminished, but did not fully reverse, the effects of the ads on their attitudes. The findings suggest that greenwashing ads may readily sway individuals to adopt more positive attitudes toward fossil fuel companies’ environmental behavior than might be warranted and do so in a manner that may be difficult to counteract.

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洗绿对化石燃料公司可持续发展倡议态度影响的实验研究

近年来，化石燃料公司纷纷发布电视广告，宣传他们为应对气候变化所做的努力，这些努力被贴上了“洗绿”的标签。我们进行了一项实验，测试这些广告是否真的会使个人对这些公司的环境行为产生更有利的态度。我们的研究结果表明，单次暴露在两个30秒的绿色清洗广告中，确实足以支持个人对化石燃料公司向可再生能源转型的努力和进展的看法。此外，我们发现，当个人看到揭示这些公司在可再生能源方面投资的真实程度的数据时，广告对他们态度的影响减弱了，但没有完全逆转。研究结果表明，洗绿广告可能很容易影响个人对化石燃料公司的环保行为采取更积极的态度，而这种态度可能很难抵消。

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来源期刊

Environmental Communication-A Journal of Nature and Culture Multiple-

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

7.40%

发文量

期刊介绍： Environmental Communication is an international, peer-reviewed forum for multidisciplinary research and analysis assessing the many intersections among communication, media, society, and environmental issues. These include but are not limited to debates over climate change, natural resources, sustainability, conservation, wildlife, ecosystems, water, environmental health, food and agriculture, energy, and emerging technologies. Submissions should contribute to our understanding of scientific controversies, political developments, policy solutions, institutional change, cultural trends, media portrayals, public opinion and participation, and/or professional decisions. Articles often seek to bridge gaps between theory and practice, and are written in a style that is broadly accessible and engaging.