The Chatsworth FOOTSIE 100 green survey quizzed journalists, sustainability experts and political groups to measure how successful large corporations are perceived to be in tackling green issues.
BA was seen by 10% of respondents as guilty of ‘greenwash’, behind only BP (38%) and Tesco (21%). The three culprits were in the same positions in the Top 5 FOOTSIE greenwashers table for 2007.
Comments about BA in the survey included: ‘Planes, T5 – say no more,’ and ‘Terminal 5 was going solar but they didn’t do it. Shame!’
The airline’s support for a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow was also cited.
The survey identified Marks and Spencer (51%) as the ‘green winner,’ followed by BSkyB (9%) and HSBC (7%).
It also found that half of respondents believe the current level of media coverage is contributing to ‘green fatigue’ amongst the general public
Nick Murray-Leslie, director at Chatsworth, said: ‘A massive majority of respondents believe that national governments are responsible for taking the lead on environmental issues.
‘The prevailing opinion is that some businesses will continue to do the bare minimum unless the government steps in with clear changes to legislation.
‘This survey makes it very clear that the public really does believe in fighting climate change, and so the brands that will emerge as the most respected during this time of economic change are those that commit themselves to real green action and honest communication.’
The surveys are carried out every six months.
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