Greenwash is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as:
Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.
and on Wikipedia as:
a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organization's products, aims or policies are environmentally friendly
Here's a recent example from Aggregate Industries:
#Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do 🙌 We’ve defined specific targets which are fundamental to achieving and maintaining sustainable climate goals. Download our report to discover our focus areas https://t.co/Eq5uZY3iXM pic.twitter.com/wkKoGo8Rcu— Aggregate Industries (@AggregateUK) February 20, 2018
Obviously #sustainability is not at the heart of everything AI does, otherwise it wouldn't be planning a ridiculous multi-million mile CO2 intensive haulage scheme for Devon - detailed most recently here.
Click on the greenwash label for other examples.
OK, so greenwashing has been around some time, and AI is obviously not the only offender. But the application for Straitgate is an indication that still, in 2018, sustainability considerations are not driving AI's modus operandi.
Which is disappointing, because in 2011 the UK Green Building Council - whose mission is to "radically improve the sustainability of the built environment" - set up a Task Group to combat greenwash. And who should be on the Task Group but AI.
Did AI really want to combat greenwash? Or was it more about being seen to be doing something about it? In other words, more greenwash?
