Greenwashing and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Welcome to this second breakfast seminar of 2022 hosted by UiB's strategic area Climate and energy transition.

The doors open at 08:30 and there will be time for some mingling and light refreshments before the seminar start at 09:00.

The program consists of two presentations from subject matter experts, followed by a Q&A. 

The seminar is open to all, and we particularly encourage student to attend – so bring a friend and start the day in ‘Egget’!

Presenting today are:

Professor Grete Rusten, Department of geography will talk about ‘The act of corporate greenwashing - strategies, allegations, and regulations’

BIO
Grete Rusten is professor of Economic Geography at University of Bergen, Norway. Her research focuses on the green economy, firm strategies, industrial and regional development. Recent publications include green business strategies, green certification services and standards, social innovation, as well cross sector collaboration in education between school and industry.

Abstract
For many companies, a green economy is translated into a business opportunity or just being an image that sells. For others it is merely a way of paying back to society. The problem is that a corporate may exaggerate a favorable environmental performance and not fully disclose the negative and even positive aspects of environmental performance. It can also be an inconsistency between a company’s intention of promoting itself as green, and how this message is perceived by others. Greenwashing can in some cases be a characteristic that comes from others that are viewing a business performance with a critical eye. The presentation addresses these issues in some more details with illustrative examples.

Postdoc, Camilla Løhre, Department of Chemistry, will take us through ‘Minimizing our CO₂-footprint by sustainability- and life-cycle-assessment'

BIO
Camilla Løhre is a postdoc in the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at UiB. The core of her research lies within the transition from fossil resources to green energy and materials, focusing on sustainable processes with a minimal environmental footprint. Recent publications include biomass conversion into biooils, biofuels and value-added chemicals and upscaling of biorefinery production processes.

Abstract
We need to keep in mind that sustainability is the property of a system. Working towards meeting the UN’s sustainable development goals – targeting energy access, climate change and responsible consumption and innovations – life cycle assessment methodology has provided scientific- and industrial milieus with invaluable hands-on-tools to evaluate the sustainability prospects of new developments and processes. The presentation will give an introduction to the holistic approach of life cycle assessment guidelines and principles.

- Wecome!