Kath Dewar on Greenwashing & Marketing Sustainability

With Westpac and BNZ owing New Zealand hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid tax, is it helpful for them to be promoting beach clean ups and their save the kiwi efforts - no matter how well intentioned those campaigns?  When is green marketing, green wash?With over a third of New Zealanders taking social and environmental ethics into account when they shop, the businesses competing for their spending money are waking up to their needs. Some of the best achievers will be celebrated in the Sustainable Business Awardshttp://www.sustainableawards.org.nz/event on the 12th Nov.But alongside the many quiet achievers are companies whose promotions run ahead of their reality.In this interview Kath and Tim chat about the challenges and opportunities for businesses wanting to promote their social and environmental credentials - and the legal protection New Zealanders have against Greenwash. Kath will identify some of the risks and problems and sharelocal examples of companies getting it right.Kath Dewar, Managing Director of KD Consulting, is a marketing professional with twenty years experience at the forefront of the industry here and in the UK and the tutor of a short course in How To Market Sustainability at the University of Auckland on Wed 5th May 2010. Yes! book now!Kath Dewar www.KDConsulting.co.nz