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The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or just a possibility, it is now a reality for all of us. In this pathway, Kevin Trenberth, a renowned climatologist, delves into the science behind climate change. He first introduces the climate system, its main components and forces.

Tackling the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is by far the biggest threat to our oceans and this remains an incredibly tough problem to solve. Plastic credits could potentially serve as one of the much needed solutions for this crisis.

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The Scale of the Net Zero Challenge

The price of meeting net zero is estimated to be between $100-150 trillion over the next 30 years. Regardless of this cost, we need to reach net zero before climate change does irreversible damage to the environment and the economy.

ESG, Sustainability and Impact Jargon Buster

ESG, sustainability, impact… they all just mean green, right? Not quite. Despite being used often interchangeably, there are distinct differences between these terms.

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The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or just a possibility, it is now a reality for all of us. In this pathway, Kevin Trenberth, a renowned climatologist, delves into the science behind climate change. He first introduces the climate system, its main components and forces.

Tackling the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is by far the biggest threat to our oceans and this remains an incredibly tough problem to solve. Plastic credits could potentially serve as one of the much needed solutions for this crisis.

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Ready to get started?

Our Platform

Expert led content

+1,000 expert presented, on-demand video modules

Learning analytics

Keep track of learning progress with our comprehensive data

Interactive learning

Engage with our video hotspots and knowledge check-ins

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Managed learning

Build, scale and manage your organisation’s learning

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Connect Sustainability Unlocked to your current platform

Featured Content

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The Scale of the Net Zero Challenge

The price of meeting net zero is estimated to be between $100-150 trillion over the next 30 years. Regardless of this cost, we need to reach net zero before climate change does irreversible damage to the environment and the economy.

ESG, Sustainability and Impact Jargon Buster

ESG, sustainability, impact… they all just mean green, right? Not quite. Despite being used often interchangeably, there are distinct differences between these terms.

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Types of Greenwashing and Key Terminology

Types of Greenwashing and Key Terminology

Roger Miles

25 years: Behavoural science & conduct

In this video, we are going to look at some detailed examples of greenwashing in action, as well as various words used to identify different forms of the problem.

In this video, we are going to look at some detailed examples of greenwashing in action, as well as various words used to identify different forms of the problem.

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Types of Greenwashing and Key Terminology

15 mins 28 secs

Key learning objectives:

  • Understand key greenwashing-related terminology

  • Recognise what greenwashing looks like in action

  • Learn about previous public cases of greenwashing

Overview:

Greenwashing is a vast topic with many related key terms. Many organisations accused of greenwashing have fallen into a trap of misaligning their intentions with their actions. This video will outline the types of greenwashing to avoid and explore the missteps of other organisations to avoid making similar mistakes.

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Summary

What is ‘woke-washing’ and is it being regulated?

‘Woke-washing’ can be defined as a firm claiming it is actively working to improve social goods such as gender equality, racial diversity and social inclusion, when in fact there is no proof of a fundamental change in the firm’s activities or culture. For example, firms might be talking publicly about their diversity, but not actively taking steps to recruit and promote people with more diverse characteristics: a better mix of genders, ethnicity, social backgrounds, and so on. Employment watchdogs including the UK’s financial regulator, the FCA, have begun to analyse and test how committed firms are to ESG values, such as diversity and inclusion. 

Why is greenwashing a risk to the reputation of an organisation?

Greenwashing is a risk to business value that arises when a company benefits unduly from misrepresenting its green credentials. We might think of this as a “green valuation bubble” which can all too easily burst when people (and financial markets) discover the truth. Some NGOs and governments are looking to create global reporting standards to stop companies from making such claims.

What is ‘wokenomics’ and why is it harmful?

‘Wokenomics’ is a term used by some commentators as a satire, to describe what’s happening when big brands and financial firms “pretend that they care about something other than profit and power, precisely to gain more of each”. Some critics of ‘wokenomics’ argue that what many firms are doing is simply a new form of window-dressing in their annual corporate reports, that is, boosting claims to environmental and social probity, while suppressing any troublesome evidence of, for example, their continuing to invest in fossil fuels and other environmentally harmful industries. These critics describe ‘woke capital’ as “an exercise in self-interest masquerading as morality”. 

What is ‘magical thinking’ and how does it apply to greenwashing?

All human beings are a little bit prone to magical thinking, but politicians and business leaders maybe most of all. It’s partly a product of our optimistic human nature, but more cynically, it’s a political people-pleasing move. Politicians might use magical thinking to paint a rosy picture of the future, to try to dissuade anyone from asking awkward questions about what’s happening right now. One of my research colleagues coined the lovely word “hopium” to describe this; leaders feed the public with a drug of optimism for a brighter future to keep them loyal and supportive, when actually it’s all an illusion. 

Why is leaking becoming the new form of ‘whistleblowing’ within some organisations? 

A current study by New York University’s Ethics Unit notes that “younger employees no longer regard ‘official channels’ of complaint as the first recourse [for registering social concern]; we might say that for younger employees in particular, whistleblowing channels don’t appeal as a way to fix ethical misconduct problems; instead, ‘leaking is the new whistleblowing’”. 

 

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Roger Miles

Roger Miles

Roger researches behavioural risks in organisations, and advises senior leaders on how best to communicate risk and conduct matters. Previously, Roger ran risk communication programmes for professional bodies and the British Government. He now runs industry-level Academies for Conduct and Culture, and produces workshops with financial firms.

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