Is water in a box really better for the environment? What about sneakers labeled eco-friendly? How about green-accented soap bottles with plant visuals?
These words and images may look environmentally friendly, but they could also stem from a marketing strategy known as greenwashing. The practice occurs when companies sell the idea of "green" products while accomplishing little or nothing for the environment.
There is a growing market for products that minimize damage to the environment, according to Todd Larsen, executive codirector for consumer and corporate engagement at Green America, a nonprofit that certifies environmentally responsible businesses and promotes ethical consumption.
Purchasing more sustainably is prevalent especially among younger people, Larsen said, leading some companies to engage in deceptive marketing practices that exploit consumer values.
If you want to learn how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis and reduce your eco-anxiety, check out Life, But Greener at the link in our bio. It's CNN's essential source for information that inspires and challenges us to lead better lives.
📸: Westend61/Getty Images; FreshSplash/E+/Getty Images
Material supply chains showed renewed complexity as Europe delayed enforcement of deforestation rules, affecting traceable sourcing of mass-timber and the embodied carbon in materials that underpin sustainable building practices. The deferral reinforces the need for lifecycle assessment and end-of-life reuse in construction, ensuring renewable building materials meet the standards of environmental product declarations (EPDs). Clients now prioritise deforestation-free, rights-respecting, low embodied carbon materials supported by circular economy in construction frameworks and robust whole life carbon assessments.
Rising energy prices across North America increase attention on energy-efficient buildings, deep retrofit strategies and life cycle cost optimisation. Developers are integrating eco-design for buildings that enhance operational performance while lowering the carbon footprint of construction. Water resilience is shaping sustainable building design in the UK, with drought prediction and reuse systems becoming part of life cycle thinking in construction and sustainable urban development.
The transition demands resource efficiency in construction and carbon neutral construction models that directly address the environmental impact of construction. Developers and contractors must commit to building lifecycle performance monitoring, circular construction strategies and sustainable material specification aligned with BREEAM v7 and similar frameworks. Environmental sustainability in construction now depends on design teams treating embodied carbon and whole life carbon as defining metrics for low-impact construction and durable, eco-friendly assets.
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