Transparency to Counter Greenwashing

The sustainable consumption service Ostavastuullisesti.fi and the corporate sustainability community service The Planet Company are launching a collaboration to support consumers in recognizing sustainable choices and businesses.

The goal is to bring more transparency to a situation where consumers find it difficult to trust companies, and sustainability often feels like a complex topic:

“We want to help and encourage companies to communicate their sustainability efforts in a way that is clear and factual for consumers – making sustainable consumption easier and more accessible. Every responsible action, big or small, is a step towards a better tomorrow,” summarizes Matti Miettinen, COO of The Planet Company.
Both services are built on the concept of verified sustainability and collaboration with the scientific community: Ostavastuullisesti.fi showcases sustainable products and services curated by an independent Sustainability Panel, and The Planet Company also relies on experts to evaluate the “Planet Acts” published by companies in their profiles.

There is currently a lot happening around the theme of sustainability, and rather than competing, it’s beneficial to form alliances in this growing market. The collaboration is based on a shared desire to build trust and create visible change. All possible stakeholders, from consumers to companies, are needed to steer towards a sustainable future.

“If every consumer started making even slightly more sustainable choices, it would change the prevailing trend, which in turn would influence company practices,” explains Tiina Saukko, CEO and founder of the sustainability design agency Infine behind Ostavastuullisesti.fi.

“Studies have shown that only 3.5% of the population is needed to create a revolution – the same 3.5% is enough for a change in consumption behavior. The tipping point at which real, large-scale change begins is much earlier than often assumed. Companies follow the change, not the complete statistics.”