“Cuando todo es sostenible, nada lo es”: Andreu Escrivà, ciencia contra el 'greenwashing'

“Cuando todo es sostenible, nada lo es”: Andreu Escrivà, ciencia contra el 'greenwashing'

The article reveals that sustainability has been commodified into a vague marketing tool, allowing corporations to mask their continued environmental destruction under the guise of eco-friendliness. This phenomenon, known as greenwashing, creates a false sense of security where consumers believe simple actions like recycling or buying electric vehicles are sufficient solutions. Consequently, these superficial measures distract from the need for systemic change, enabling businesses to maintain unsustainable practices while portraying themselves as responsible. The core relevance to greenwashing lies in how this deceptive labeling undermines genuine ecological progress. By reducing complex environmental crises to manageable consumer choices, the narrative shifts responsibility onto individuals rather than addressing the root causes: infinite growth in a finite world. The author argues that true sustainability requires abandoning growth-oriented economic models in favor of planned, resource-efficient systems. This critique exposes the hollowness of "green" branding, which often serves as mere cosmetic improvement rather than a structural transformation of production and consumption. Ultimately, the text underscores that without challenging the power of greenwashing, society risks accepting inadequate solutions that fail to prevent severe climate impacts. It advocates for significant structural shifts, such as reducing working hours and implementing equitable resource rationing, to ensure that sacrifices are shared justly across all social classes. The article serves as a critical warning that relying on marketed sustainability rather than radical systemic change will lead to devastating environmental consequences, highlighting the urgent need to distinguish between authentic environmental stewardship and corporate deception.

Source: lavanguardia.com
Published on 2023-02-27