It is evidently striking that there are many, many companies and services that offer a ‘green edge’. I personally am very sceptical about such arrangements…but should we be?

If a normally non-green service can donate money to a worthy cause or initiative then should we be backing them over ‘conventional’ services. The question I think we have to wrestle with is this….”WE KNOW that its (normally) just cynical PR to get us to buy their product/service over that of a rival company…rather than a real desire to help make the world a greener place”. So do we allow ourselves to get suckered in?

Well. I think the best advice is always read the small print. Try and check out who they are affiliated with (if you are not sure, you could always talk with the Ethical Research Association). You probably wouldn’t be too happy if you were buying green car insurance from a company backed by Exxon! However, in general I think it is a good idea to use their affiliation as a rule of thumb. If they are affiliated with say WWF, Rainforest Alliance, RSPB etc (or an organisation that is a real bona fide environmental organisation) then you should use that service over a similar no green affiliated service. Well known green charities do not lend their names to ’shady partners’! However, if the so called green service is offering glib claims, like British GS did, of how their service is carbon neutral or helping to save greenhouse gases etc…then beware!