Sinn Féin Senator Lynn Boylan has taken action against greenwashing by submitting complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI), regarding misleading claims of 100% renewable energy by SSE Airtricity and Pinergy.

Senator Boylan said:

“I have submitted complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland regarding two energy providers’ misleading claims of 100% renewable energy.

“Pinergy and SSE Airtricity both claimed to be selling electricity that is more sustainable than it really is – a textbook example of greenwashing.

“Pinergy’s online ad said ‘supplying 100% renewable energy to thousands of families and businesses throughout Ireland’, while SSE Airtricity’s ad said ‘choose a greener world every time you flip a switch’.

“You don’t just have to take my word for it. The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland made an adjudication against Energia for the exact same practice only a matter of a few weeks ago in April.

“The ASAI needs to act quickly, and not wait over a year to act. This is a test for the advertising authority. Do their decisions set a precedent? If so, they need to order SSE Airtricity and Pinergy to take down the ads immediately.

“It is simply unacceptable to expect the public to remain vigilant to the torrent of greenwashing. The ASAI must uphold its responsibilities by ensuring that all advertising adhere to its code and the new industry standard its decisions set.”