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People & Purpose Theatre

Greenwashing vs Greenhushing: Navigating Credibility, Relevance and Effective Messaging

Day 2 : 12:15 – 13:05

Full Programme
People and Purpose Theatre

The business of deciding what to communicate is a complex one. As eco-consciousness becomes mainstream, so have marketing strategies designed to show how brands are walking the talk and doing good for the planet. And while brands that exaggerate environmentally friendly credentials have been called out for greenwashing, more recently a more subtle phenomenon – greenhushing – has emerged.

This session will discuss the tightrope on which brands are seeking a balance in their sustainability communications, in face of increasing scrutiny by the public, NGOs, media and authorities.

Learnings

  • In addition to being the right thing to do, brands that are transparent about their environmental claims and base their marketing on facts and credentials stand to gain a competitive edge in a world racing towards more credible inventory and impact standards for climate progress.
  • As consumers opt for greener alternatives, the increasing pressure to “go green” sometimes result in businesses prioritising superficially appealing demands to satisfy conscious consumerism. What repercussions – reputational, legal, financial and otherwise – can such practices cause?
  • More recently, some businesses are opting to turn down the volume on their sustainability strategies, reasons of which include a fear of negative attention, amongst others. What impact does this have for meaningful action?

Post-Event Actions

  • Rethink how brands should build messages on facts and proof, stay transparent and authentic, and make sustainability a core brand value and business-wide initiative.
  • Gain insights on steps that PR, marketing, advertisement and other communication professionals are taking to upskill and boosting ties to sustainability experts as communications become increasingly complex.

Speakers

Martin Choi

Business Reporter

Martin covers climate change, sustainability and ESG as a business reporter at SCMP. He joined the Post in 2018 as a graduate trainee, after completing his degree in Journalism and Global Studies at the University of Hong Kong. He holds the Certified Environmental, Social and Governance Analyst (CESGA) designation issued by the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Greater interest in climate change and sustainability among businesses, investors and the broader community

Sonalie Figueiras

Founder & CEO

2021 Women of Power, 2019 GEN T Honoree, V Label Global Hero, 2 x TEDx Speaker: Serial social entrepreneur & trends forecaster Sonalie Figueiras is a sustainability expert, food futurist and eco-powerhouse who has been inspiring global audiences for over a decade with practical steps on how to fight climate change. Known as the Green Queen of Asia, she is the founder and Editor in Chief of the award-winning Green Queen – the region’s first impact media platform that educates millions of readers on the connection between health, sustainability and the environment and showcases future solutions. She is also the co-founder and CEO of organic sourcing platform Ekowarehouse and climate tech SaaS Source Green, which helps consumer brands quit plastic packaging thanks to proprietary plastic reduction software In addition, Sonalie is a global keynote speaker and an advisor to multiple mission-driven startups and NGOs, and a venture partner to several VC funds.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

  • Working on how to make the food and climate connection more mainstream
  • Helping companies quit plastic in their packaging supply chain

Luca Fong

Managing Director, Sustainability & Experience Design Lead

Luca is a Managing Director, Sustainability & Experience Design Lead at Accenture Song with over 17 years consulting experience in NA & APAC. He helps companies transform into sustainable and efficient organizations, bringing brand purpose to life through innovation, and designing meaningful experiences that drives conscious consumption behaviors. Luca is also Accenture’s Greater China Cross Cultural Diversity Lead and holds a Global ESG Competent Boards designation (GCB.D).

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

I would like to see companies in Hong Kong start seeing carbon emission as a business cost and recognize the need to transform into a sustainable business to remain market relevant.

Ivan Zeng

General Manager, LEGO Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau

Ivan is General Manager of LEGO Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Ivan leads the growth and development of People, Brand and Business growth in these 3 very exciting markets. Together with his team, the 3 markets achieved over +20% growth in 2022 and 2021 with Hong Kong as 1 of top 3 markets with highest active LEGO consumers globally.

Ivan is a passionate advocate of sustainable organization, development and productivity, he led initiatives to provide holistic wellness benefits especially mental wellness, bringing out the best of employees between working from office and home, energizer activities in office to increase sustainable motivation and productivity.

Prior to his current role, Ivan was Regional Head of Marketing of Asia-Pacific at The LEGO Group, leading marketing strategy across 15 markets and also Asia-Pacific’s representation into global product, packaging and marketing development.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Organizations to have big vision but small and actionable steps towards environmental & people sustainability.

Supported by

With thanks to