How green is green?

I am surprised that the Co-op isn’t at the top of the “Green to the Core” list and Sainsbury’s is, which makes me doubt this survey. Coming as it does from a government watchdog makes me doubt the value of this survey even more. Nothing run by the Government is likely to have a well-balanced and objective view. I think we have to be very careful of these kinds of reports, as what makes a firm green is dependent on what you decide to define as green. Green is like politics, it has many different views. When a report like “Green to the Core” decides to define what’s green it can corrupt the agenda. So proving that the Government has even introduced politics into the green arena, which can’t be a good thing. And where does it sit in the debate between ethics and green – Fairtrade vs carbon footprint?

I’m inclined to agree with some of Asda’s comments on the report. At least it can say it is the only supermarket with a green logo.

Chris Arnold
Author of Ethical Marketing and the New Consumer