Greenwashing and schools

Sir, – Catherine Cleary raised an important issue in her article on greenwashing ("Fuel for the fire: Why we shouldn't believe the greenwashing hype", Magazine, February 12th). An Irish petrol service station company has launched a very cleverly constructed campaign to, as she puts it, "get their marketing material home in the schoolbags of Irish primary school children".

The company campaign claims that it “aims to help support biodiversity education in primary school across Ireland by providing educational support and resources”.

The idea that a petrol supply company is committed to educating young people in the importance of conserving and promoting biodiversity defies belief.

It is a cynical exercise in counter-education.

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Furthermore, a prize-fund of €10,000 is offered as a prize to the “winning” school. Aside from this being a pathetically low figure for a company the size of the one in question to offer, it gives an insight into the thinking that informs the campaign – that Irish primary school survive on shoestring budgets and that they will do almost anything to increase their budget so as to increase the opportunities they can make available to their students.

I hope that all schools around the country will continue to manage on their limited budget rather than fumbling at the greasy till promoted by this misleading campaign. – Is mise,

AODH O’CONNOR,

Principal,

Scoil Damian,

Dublin 12.