The article highlights how the Portuguese paper company Altri is employing greenwashing tactics to rehabilitate its image for a controversial macro-complex in Galicia. By rebranding its project as "Greenfiber" and partnering with another entity using eco-friendly naming, the corporation attempts to align its industrial activities with concepts of sustainability and the green economy. This strategic repositioning aims to counteract strong social, ecological, and political opposition from local communities and environmental groups who view the project as inherently harmful to the natural environment. Central to this deceptive narrative is the company’s heavy reliance on visual marketing and political lobbying rather than genuine ecological responsibility. Altri utilizes soft green aesthetics on its website and employs a public affairs firm led by high-profile former ministers to influence public perception and secure government support. Despite the branding emphasizing innovation and ecological care, the plant’s operations involve massive resource extraction and the release of toxic emissions, exposing a significant disconnect between the marketed image of sustainability and the reality of industrial pollution. The relevance of this case to greenwashing lies in the stark contrast between the company’s claims and the documented environmental impact. While Altri asserts that its technology is state-of-the-art and harmless, scientific evidence indicates that paper production significantly degrades ecosystems through deforestation, water depletion, and toxic waste discharge. The fact that the company admits to raising the river’s temperature and discharging treated wastewater, yet denies broader ecological harm, illustrates a classic greenwashing strategy: minimizing severe environmental consequences to obscure the fact that the core business model remains fundamentally unsustainable despite its "green" facade.
Source: publico.esPublished on 2024-04-08