Eco-taxi firm reprimanded for greenwash

A New-Zealand based taxi firm has been reprimanded following a misleading promotion of its environmental credentials.

Wellington Combined Taxis was issued with an offical warning by the Commerce Comission for providing customers with false information about the fuel efficiency of its taxi fleet.

The taxi company’s website claimed that its fleet of LPG taxis cut the carbon footprint of the firm by up to 25%.

However, when the Commerce Commission asked the company to provide evidence in support of the claim, they were only able to give information suggesting at maximum a 20% reduction.

Greenwashing in this way constitutes a breach of the Fair Trading Act.

Kevin Braid, manager of Wellington Combined Taxis, has accepted the commission’s ruling and said that the company’s processes are being put under review.