Metro introduces green masthead in EDF deal

kiki kendrick - 08 July 2009

The Great British Greenwash

We are facing the greatest greenwash Great Britain has ever witnessed. Electricite de France, the 85% French government-owned nuclear energie multinational is masquerading as British and green - to make matters worse, they have hi-jacked the Green Union Jack, a British renewable energy company's trademark, to do it. Electricite de France is French and nuclear. Not British. Not green.

So arrogant are these greenwashers that while their CEO is threatening to drop a nuclear reactor if the government doesn't fix the price of carbon, their media director, Andrew Brown \(Gordon's brother), is tickling the underbelly of the great and the good to persuade them to get into bed with this big green-eyed monster and Martin Stead, their Brand Director, is claiming he came up with Green Union Jack icon, that Ecotricity has been using across its communications, service fleet and the world land speed record breaking 'Greenbird' in a Green Britain campaign that kicked-off in Spring 2007.

We've been through fairwash and seen fair trade turn into a fog, authentic green organizations must not go the same way. Climate Change is too big an issue. We need transparency, accountability and massive investment in renewables to build a sustainable energy platform in Great Britain - nuclear is short term and, over the longer run, reactors are likely to require more fuel to build, run and decommission than they will produce.

On Wednesday Dale Vince from Ecotricity threatened legal action over the rip-off of his trademark. EDF's response was to invite Ecotricity to join them and when Ecotricity refused, EDF publicly say 'They are 'disappointed with Ecotricity's stance'. That's like stealing someone's house, offering them the sofa to sleep on and when they refuse, accuse them of being ungrateful.

EDF were fully aware Ecotricity has been using Green Britain as a positioning with the Green Union Jack as its icon since 2007; so, if they are genuine about their intention of working together, why didn't they ask if it would be okay to borrow them, instead of just going ahead, and using both regardless. This doesn't sound like working together [or decent business practice come to that].

Why do EDF feel the need to take a genuinely green, genuinely British renewable energy company's clothes? Is it because the EDF emperor has no genuine green clothes of his own? Are these the actions of a company that is genuine in its wish to work together with Ecotricity... Mmmmmmmmm?

Why aren't EDF being more upfront with the British public about the fact that they're a nuclear energy company, burn vast amounts of coal, or that they're 85%French government-owned and their connection to No.10? Doesn't sound like working together with the British Public as far as transparency and trust goes.

EDF [in it's guise of Team Green Britain] has no cause to be disappointed with Ecotricity. Ecotricity that has good reason to be disappointed with EDF. Very very disappointed...

If you care about an open and honest debate, subscribe to a sustainable future, know nuclear is not green, it's wrong to rip people off and don't believe it's right for the British public to be hoodwinked. Join http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106171060780&ref=ts

End the greenwash.