Greenwashing Vs. Climate Integrity

Friday, 11 July 2025: 15:00-16:45
Location: SJES031 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
RC24 Environment and Society (host committee)

Language: English

Especially after the Paris agreement in 2015, conflicts over climate policies seem to have shifted to a new phase. Demonstrating commitment to sustainability remains a social responsibility, but also provides a chance of further growth in almost all sectors. But the integrity of claims about sustainability and climate action is challenged by increasing evidence showing that the actions of many companies do not stand up to the rhetoric. In parallel, although blatant denial and skepticism about climate action have been almost swept away, many actors continue to leverage skillful rhetorical tactics to delay or obstruct the transition away from fossil fuels. As the United Nations calls for an end to corporate greenwashing, the need to disentangle greenwashing from climate integrity is greater than ever. This session will discuss case studies and environmental sociological analyses from state /non-state and public/private actors from different geographical scales. We will examine: What does integrity mean in the green gold rush era, and how do we distinguish it from greenwashing?
Session Organizers:
Atsushi NOZAWA, Tokyo Keizai University, Japan, Takashi NAKAZAWA, Japan and Gregory TRENCHER, Kyoto University, Japan
Oral Presentations
Climate Obstruction Tactics in Japan’s Car Industry
Gregory TRENCHER, Kyoto University, Japan
Corporations As Arenas of Responsibility and Irresponsibility: A Multi-Level View
Gregory JACKSON, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Julia BARTOSCH, Radboud University, Netherlands; Jana COSTAS, European University Viadrina, Germany
The Revival of Voluntary Carbon Markets in the Anthropocene
Juliane SCHUMACHER, Germany; Miriam BOYER, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany; Sarah HACKFORT, Germany
Distributed Papers
The Role of Civil Society in the Legal Regulation of Greenwashing
Camille LEMARIÉ, University of Sherbrooke, Canada
Behind the Green Curtain: Agribusiness Narratives of Sustainability in Western Bahia
Adriano Casemiro NOGUEIRA CAMPOS DE SOUSA, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
Strengthening Social Impact Assessment in Corporate ESG Reporting
Ana BURGUÉS-FREITAS, Spain; Adriana AUBERT, Spain; Ramon FLECHA, University of Barcelona, Spain