Facts, not fiction

3 Key Steps to Choose Credible Partners and Avoid Greenwashing

Choosing the right partners – big or small – is essential for your company’s reputation, environmental goals and building a greener supply chain. But in a world where sustainability seems to be on everyone’s lips, how do you differentiate fact from fiction?

Here are three steps to help your business avoid 'greenwashing' and make informed, responsible choices.

1. Evaluate Alignment with Climate Science.

Ask potential partners about their sustainability guidance. Do they have external certifications or validations to back their claims?

A key validation to look for is the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard, a globally recognised benchmark for serious emission reduction commitments. Search the SBTi Dashboard for companies with a verified net-zero target.

Sustainability leaders worldwide, including dbramante1928, have joined the SBTi to demonstrate their dedication to impactful and measurable climate action. With guidance from WWF Denmark, we have developed action plans that provide a clear pathway to net zero. These plans have been independently validated by the SBTi, ensuring they align with the most up-to-date climate science.

2. Insist on Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)

Understanding a product’s environmental impact is critical. The PEF methodology, developed by the European Commission, provides a clear and standardised assessment of a product's lifecycle impact.

Why PEF?

• It is more rigorous than a standard Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
• It ensures comparability within product categories.
• It complies with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) laws, making it the go-to method for ESG reporting from 2025 onwards.
• PEF is part of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), making it easier for businesses to collect data and make responsible choices.

At dbramante1928, we provide PEF numbers for all our products, ensuring full transparency and credibility regarding their environmental footprints.

3. Verify Recycled Material Claims

It’s vital to ensure claims about recycled materials are backed by documentation.

When evaluating potential partners, request:

• Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Certification for their production facilities.
• Verification that materials (e.g., recycled plastics) come from GRS-certified factories.
• Transaction Certificates (TCs) from reputable labs like Intertek to confirm recycled content in finished products.

At dbramante1928, we uphold these best practices, maintaining GRS certifications for all relevant factories and providing TCs for every product that includes recycled materials. This ensures full transparency and confidence in the materials we use, eliminating any uncertainty.

 

Conclusions

Sustainability is about action, not just promises. By following the above steps, your company can confidently choose partners who align with your values and back their claims with evidence. Reliable third-party assessments and standardised methods are key to ensuring that sustainability commitments are credible and actionable. 

These validations and methods help differentiate real actions from empty promises and have become increasingly important in light of emerging regulations like the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Green Claims Directive (GCD).

For more insights or assistance in making your sustainability journey more impactful, reach out to Kristian Gunvald, our Chief Sustainability Officer, at kg@dbramante1928.com.

Together, we can build a more sustainable future!