Shell's 'Drive Carbon Neutral' Ad Campaign Banned for Greenwashing

Summary

UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Shell's 'Drive Carbon Neutral' advertising campaign misled consumers and violated advertising standards.

Score Rationale

Shell's 'Drive Carbon Neutral' campaign represents textbook greenwashing: a fossil fuel major making bold carbon neutrality claims through widespread advertising while maintaining massive emissions footprint. G-score (78) reflects Shell's position as one of world's largest carbon emitters with inherent high emissions magnitude and trajectory. C-score (85) captures the campaign's extraordinary prominence - national advertising campaign with sweeping 'carbon neutral' promise lacking specificity or verification. ASA ruling confirms misleading nature. Intent score (13/15) indicates deliberate greenwashing: vague unmeasurable language, lacks third-party verification, follows pattern of fossil fuel industry greenwashing, uses misleading carbon offset claims. Classification 'C' appropriate as corporate claim prominence (85) exceeds environmental reality score (78) by 7 points, though both scores high enough to trigger is_wash=true for mixed greenwashing case. This is regulatory-confirmed greenwashing.

Source Quote

UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Shell's 'Drive Carbon Neutral' advertising campaign misled consumers and violated advertising standards