Greenwashing in Sustainability Reports. Which indications of greenwashing can be found in the sustainability reports of the energy and grocery industries, and how do they compare?

Abstract

As the environmental issue has gained prominence in the public discourse, companies have increased visibility into their efforts on this issue. Just as sustainability reporting has increased, so has greenwashing. This thesis investigates whether there are indications of greenwashing in sustainability reports of Equinor, Shell, TotalEnergies, Rema 1000, Norgesgruppen and Coop Norge. This thesis also compares the findings of the companies in the energy and grocery industry. The thesis focuses on how the report is written (readability, visual and structural aspects). This is done through a mix of the qualitative and quantitative methods, where we used two impression management strategies, reading ease analysis and visual and structural analysis. Through stakeholder theory, sustainability reporting requirements, impression management and the drivers of greenwashing, we analyzed the findings.The findings indicate a varied degree of use of greenwashing in the sustainability reports. The indications pertain to the weak readability of the reports, the strategic use of colors and images, and the emphasis on positive news.

As the environmental issue has gained prominence in the public discourse, companies have increased visibility into their efforts on this issue. Just as sustainability reporting has increased, so has greenwashing. This thesis investigates whether there are indications of greenwashing in sustainability reports of Equinor, Shell, TotalEnergies, Rema 1000, Norgesgruppen and Coop Norge. This thesis also compares the findings of the companies in the energy and grocery industry. The thesis focuses on how the report is written (readability, visual and structural aspects). This is done through a mix of the qualitative and quantitative methods, where we used two impression management strategies, reading ease analysis and visual and structural analysis. Through stakeholder theory, sustainability reporting requirements, impression management and the drivers of greenwashing, we analyzed the findings.The findings indicate a varied degree of use of greenwashing in the sustainability reports. The indications pertain to the weak readability of the reports, the strategic use of colors and images, and the emphasis on positive news.