Government launches free green ad workshops

The government will this month join forces with the advertising industry to host a series of free green advertising workshops designed to help firms shape the forthcoming green ad guidelines and ensure their environmental claims are accurate.

Defra, the Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), and advertising trade group the ISBA are to host four events in London from 12 May with a fifth event taking place in Manchester on 20 May.

The government said the workshops will cover all aspects of green advertising and marketing, including packaging claims, company web sites, promotions and merchandising.

It added that the day-long workshops would provide firms with expert advice on how to ensure environmental claims are "truthful and transparent" and will also allow attendees to voice their opinion on the planned update to the official green claims code, which is currently being worked on by an industry steering committee formed by the government earlier this year.

Hamish Pringle, director general at the IPA, urged advertising agencies to attend the workshops if they wanted their views on the updated code to be considered.

"Agencies often complain about not having a place at the 'top table' – well here's a free invitation to participate in a government-sponsored workshop on a topic that's right at the very top of the corporate agenda," he said. "This is an ideal opportunity for senior agency managers and their clients to make their views known in a forum where they will be heard, and acted upon."

The workshops were also welcomed by Ian Twinn, director of public affairs at the ISBA, who argued that they provided evidence that the debate surrounding green advertising is moving from accusing firms of "greenwashing" to providing practical advice on how best to promote green products.

"Misleading green claims help no one, but we need to move from accusing people to helping them get it right," he said. "I believe the sessions will help to do that and deserve the support of all who use, or might use, green claims in marketing."