The term "greenwashing" was coined back in 1983 by environmentalist Jay Westerfeld while surfing in Fiji. He later published an essay in 1986 titled "It All Comes Out in the Greenwash," highlighting how companies were making misleading claims about their environmental practices. Fast forward to today, greenwashing has become a sophisticated art form and big business, with some of the world's largest corporations caught in the act.
Whether through misleading marketing in examples like Volkswagen, BP, Nestle, and Fiji Water, or in financial manipulation used by hedge funds and inconsistency among ratings agencies, it’s clear the line between genuine sustainability and greenwashing can often be blurred.
One bright spot in the haze is the emergence of modern building efficiency standards that are re-imagining actual sustainability goals.
Standards like LEED, BREEAM, Net Zero Energy Building, and the Living Building Challenge set rigorous criteria for energy efficiency, water conservation, and overall environmental impact.
These standards all contribute to a major challenge for sustainability: last-mile power.
"Last mile power" refers to the final stage of the electricity delivery process from the power distribution network to the end user, such as homes, businesses, and other facilities. This term is borrowed from telecommunications, where "last mile" describes the final leg of the network that delivers services to customers. In the context of power delivery, it involves the infrastructure and technologies that ensure electricity reaches its final destination efficiently and reliably.
Greenfield construction projects benefit from these new standards where everything can be designed from scratch, but what about brownfield solutions for the last mile?
That’s where modern technology solutions like power-over-ethernet, or PoE, can make a real impact on efficiency and reliability without resorting to manipulation to achieve sustainability targets. Where simple modifications using existing infrastructure can make a big impact.
How can Microchip Technology prevent greenwashing through real, tangible sustainability solutions?
Links from the episode:
https://www.thesinclairhotel.com/technology
Guests:
Alan Jay Zwiren
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