Greenwashing in Switzerland: increasing numbers despite the global decline!

Greenwashing in Switzerland: increasing numbers despite the global decline!

A current study by the Reprisk company shows a remarkable trend in the world of greenwashing, the misleading representation of environmental services by companies. Compared to the previous year, the number of companies associated with Greenwashing fell by 12 %. This has been the first decline of this kind for six years and could indicate increased awareness of companies for the dangers of this practice.

Despite the global decline in greenwashing cases, there are also worrying aspects. In Switzerland, for example, the reported cases increased by 17 %, which Switzerland identifies as a worrying point in an international comparison. Of the 61 companies that were associated with Greenwashing in Switzerland in 2024, the serious incidents stand out, which rose by 50 % in the same period. This shows that despite the decline in other markets, the situation in Switzerland remains critical.

regulation and stakeholder consciousness

dr. Philipp Aeby, CEO and co -founder of Reprisk, largely attributes the decline in cases to increasing regulatory measures. Companies are apparently afraid of negative reactions from consumers, investors and regulatory authorities, which caused them to rethink their communication strategies. Aeby emphasizes: "The stakeholders are more aware of the Greenwashing risk than ever." This changed perception could make companies become more transparent in their environmental promises.

The regulatory measures in the European Union have also contributed to this decline. Here, a decline of 20 % was triggered by laws that oblige companies to demonstrate their environmental promises. In comparison, the situation in the United States remains more complex, where the number of reported Greenwashing cases after a climax in 2022 fell from 503 cases, but showed a moderate increase in 2024. In some cases, this is interpreted in response to increasing political pressure, which could prevent companies from exaggerating environmentally friendly claims.

The study by Reprisk also shows a clear gap between the reactions of the companies in the different regions of the world. While in Europe and Great Britain the decline in incidents indicates a positive development, the increase in Switzerland and sporadically remains questionable in the USA. This could mean that without further regulatory measures and transparent data, the serious green waterhing cases will continue to increase.

The complete idea of the study offers a deep insight into the Greenwashing phenomenon and the challenges that both companies and the supervisory authorities have to deal with. However, one fact is clear: the pressure for more transparency and responsibility in corporate communication is growing, and companies can no longer hide behind misleading claims. More information can be found in this topic a current report on www.presseportal.de.