The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Pulls No Punches with HSBC in Banning Ads for Misleading "Greenwashing"

Over the last 24 hours, news out from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s #advertising watchdog, demonstrates that ASA #leadership is not going to pull punches with any corporation it sees as running afoul of regulation in relation to misleading “#greenwashing.”

The ASA has just announced the banning of a series of HSBC #advertisements which were part of a media campaign in the lead up to last October's COP26 in Glasgow.

The watchdog viewed that the adverts, which indicated that HSBC had allocated $1tn in eco-biased initiatives were misleading in as much as they “failed to acknowledge HSBC’s own contribution to #emissions.”

Pivotally, the ASA announced that any #future campaigns which are run by HSBC “must disclose the bank’s contribution to the #climate crisis.”

To those #business leaders considering media programmes and marketing activity highlighting green credentials, pay heed! The #government regulators and the public are increasingly taking notice. Congruence in messages and action is what is being celebrated.  Consider wisely how you can lever that.

#betterbusiness #sustainability