Letitia James, attorney general for the state of New York, filed a lawsuit in February against the American division of the world's largest meatpacker over misleading statements about the company's environmental efforts, The New York Times reported, describing the effort to counter this form of deception known as greenwashing.
JBS, which is based in Brazil, has advertised an ambitious plan to considerably reduce its planet-warming pollution by 2040, but it included several allegedly misleading statements, including that it's possible to produce "bacon, chicken wings, and steak with net-zero emissions" and that it would reach its pollution-reduction goals of being "net zero" as a company by 2040, according to The Times.
Last summer, the National Advertising Review Board recommended that JBS discontinue such claims. This came on the heels of a paper released by the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau National Programs.
The paper stated that the claims made by JBS were meant to convey to consumers that the company was already working toward its stated goals; however, the company had not yet formulated a plan, let alone implemented one. In fact, the NAD said that JBS didn't even have scientific evidence that its goal was feasible.
Unfortunately, greenwashing isn't an uncommon practice, including — per lawsuits and complaints — by many brand names. Some companies and industry groups falsely claim to be cutting harmful carbon pollution, while others suggest they're doing their part to reduce plastic pollution.
This can trick consumers into thinking they're doing their part to help the environment by supporting these companies — whose practices are actually contributing to the warming of the planet and thus deadly weather events around the world, among other things.
"Consumers eager to reduce their impact on the environment can be misled by advertisers due to the complex nature of environmental benefit claims, ambiguous terms, and less than expert environmental knowledge," the NAD paper stated.
James echoed that sentiment.
"When companies falsely advertise their commitment to sustainability, they are misleading consumers and endangering our planet," James said in a statement, per The Times. "JBS USA's greenwashing exploits the pocketbooks of everyday Americans and the promise of a healthy planet for future generations."
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