Resources for Purpose-Led Brands
Explore a curated collection of tools, guides, and frameworks to help solopreneurs, freelancers, and small brands grow with purpose and impact. Everything here is aligned with ethical marketing, sustainable business practices, and strategic clarity.
SME Carbon Footprint Calculator
The SME Carbon Footprint Calculator by the Carbon Trust is a practical, user-friendly tool designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK measure their carbon emissions. Following the GHG Protocol Guidance, the calculator accounts for emissions from fuel use, electricity consumption, and air conditioning top-ups-providing businesses with a simple entry point to begin their sustainability journey.
Whether you’re looking to report emissions, improve your environmental performance, or start setting reduction targets, this tool provides the clarity and structure needed to get started.
Why use it?
• Free and easy to use
• Tailored for SMEs
• Based on trusted GHG accounting principles
• Helps identify key sources of emissions
Access the SME Carbon Footprint Calculator and Start tracking your impact today-and take one step closer to a more sustainable business:
MacKay Carbon Calculator: Explore Net Zero Pathways
The MacKay Carbon Calculator is a powerful, evidence-based tool developed by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). It enables individuals, educators, policymakers, and businesses to model different scenarios for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the UK-helping to explore credible pathways to net zero by 2050.
Named in honour of the late Sir David MacKay, a pioneering advocate for data-driven climate action, the calculator supports open dialogue and transparent planning for a low-carbon future.
What It Does?
The MacKay Carbon Calculator is a powerful, evidence-based tool developed by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). It enables individuals, educators, policymakers, and businesses to model different scenarios for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the UK-helping to explore credible pathways to net zero by 2050.
Named in honour of the late Sir David MacKay, a pioneering advocate for data-driven climate action, the calculator supports open dialogue and transparent planning for a low-carbon future.
The calculator models the UK energy system and allows users to test various combinations of actions-across energy supply, consumption, and behaviour-to assess how each decision impacts total carbon emissions. The tool expresses results in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), offering a clear view of potential emissions outcomes.
You can select your “level of ambition” for each decarbonisation action (from Level 1: minimal effort to Level 4: maximum effort), understanding how changes in infrastructure, technology, or behaviour affect the UK’s climate trajectory.
Two Versions Available
A simplified version ideal for beginners and educational settings (15 levers).
A more detailed tool for deeper analysis (45 levers), suitable for advanced users and professionals.
Both tools are built on scientific data and supported by downloadable resources, including a detailed Excel model, user guide, and teacher-specific materials.
WWF Guide to Greenwashing: How to Identify Misleading Sustainability Claims
What Is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is a deceptive marketing practice where companies falsely present themselves as environmentally friendly. In an era of growing demand for sustainable products and ethical business practices, it’s more important than ever to separate authentic eco-brands from those merely posing.
At Planet Wise Marketing, we help brands communicate real sustainability. This guide, based on the WWF’s Greenwashing Framework, outlines four critical areas consumers and marketers should focus on:
• Buzzwords
• Evidence
• Verification
• Sustainability
These criteria are essential for avoiding greenwashing and promoting real environmental impact.
1. Buzzwords: Are They Meaningful or Misleading?
Many companies use green marketing buzzwords to attract conscious consumers, but not all of them are based on truth or substance.
Common Greenwashing Buzzwords:
• Bio
• Biodegradable
• Carbon neutral
• Compostable
• Eco
• Environmentally friendly
• Green
• Net zero
• Ocean plastic
• Plastic free
• Plant-based
• Recycled
• Recyclable
• Sustainable
Questions to Ask:
• Are these terms legally defined or standardized?
• Is there an explanation or certification behind them?
• Do they reflect the full product lifecycle?
2. Evidence: Can the Brand Prove Its Claims?
Consumers should always look for proof of sustainability. This can include:
• Quantified data (e.g., CO₂ savings, recycled content)
• Third-party certifications (e.g., B Corp, Fair Trade, FSC)
• Transparent reporting or life cycle assessments
Without evidence, claims like “eco-conscious” or “planet friendly” are just marketing fluff.
3. Verification: Has a Third Party Reviewed It?
Third-party verification is key to credible sustainability marketing.
Look for:
• External audits or assessments
• Recognised certification bodies
• Transparency about the verification process
Avoid brands that self-certify or use unregulated green labels.
4. Sustainability: Is It Truly Holistic?
True sustainability encompasses three pillars:
• Environmental (resource use, emissions, pollution)
• Social (worker rights, community impact)
• Economic (ethical business practices, long-term value)
A truly sustainable brand considers its entire supply chain and business model—not just its packaging or marketing.
What to Look For:
• Commitment to social and economic justice
• Impact reports
• Circular economy models
Brands that ignore these elements may be engaging in partial greenwashing, focusing on optics over substance.
Why This Matters for Ethical Brands
If you’re building a sustainable brand, avoiding greenwashing isn’t just ethical-it’s a strategic advantage.
How to Avoid Greenwashing in Your Own Marketing:
• Clarify your claims with specific language.
• Back up statements with data and certifications.
• Seek third-party verification to build trust.
• Communicate holistically, covering all areas of sustainability.
Search engines are increasingly prioritising authentic content and ethical business practices. Clear, honest sustainability messaging helps you build brand trust and rank higher.
ICC Framework for Responsible Environmental Marketing: What Every Ethical Brand Should Know
Why Responsible Environmental Marketing Matters More Than Ever
As demand for sustainable products and planet-friendly business practices continues to rise, so does the pressure on brands to market themselves as “green.” But without clear rules, this can easily lead to greenwashing-misleading consumers about a product’s true environmental impact.
To help combat this, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) developed a robust framework of 27 key questions that guide truthful, transparent, and responsible environmental marketing communications.
Here’s a breakdown of the ICC’s most important environmental claim criteria—and why they matter to you.
Top Principles from the ICC Framework: A Marketer’s Guide
1. Is the Claim Relevant and Accurate?
• Claims must be relevant to the audience and not suggest benefits that don’t exist.
• Avoid implying your product has a unique environmental benefit when similar items share the same trait.
Tip: Never exaggerate what your product can do-clarity builds trust.
2. Are You Considering the Whole Product Life Cycle?
• If you mention sustainability, are you addressing raw materials, production, transport, usage, and disposal?
• Most misleading claims fail to consider the entire life cycle.
SEO Idea: Write a product story explaining your supply chain and lifecycle impacts.
3. Are You Making Claims About Health or Safety?
• Words like “non-toxic,” “safe,” or “organic” must be scientifically backed.
• You need a reasonable basis, like research or regulatory support, for such claims.
4. Renewable & Recycled Content Claims Must Be Clear
• Recycled or recyclable? State clearly what applies to the product, packaging, or both.
• If you claim renewable materials, it must be 100% (except for trace exceptions).
• Prove your data: recycled content must be measurable and traceable.
5. Compostable or Degradable? Back It Up
• Compostability must match real-world conditions (e.g. industrial composting).
• Degradability claims should never encourage littering and must be scientifically proven.
6. Refillable, Reusable, and Recyclable-Can the Consumer Really Do It?
• If you claim your product is reusable, it must be practically usable by the consumer.
• Ensure recycling access is available locally-don’t assume all consumers can recycle it.
7. Make Fair Comparisons and Avoid Vague Promises
• Are your claims comparative (e.g., “30% greener than before”)? Then the basis must be transparent and measurable.
• Avoid making aspirational claims unless you have a real plan and timeline to back them.
8. Consumer Perception Is Everything
• Even a technically true statement can be misleading if it implies a broader benefit than exists.
• Conduct or simulate consumer perception testing to understand how your claim will land.
9. Logos, Seals & Labels-Don’t Mislead
• Avoid using self-made environmental logos unless clearly explained.
• If you use third-party seals, make sure the certifier follows transparent and fair standards.
10. Clarity, Reassessment, and Team Training
• Keep qualifiers close to your claim (e.g. not hidden in footnotes or links).
• Reassess claims regularly based on market or product changes.
• Ensure your team and agencies are trained in sustainability communication and legal compliance.
• Don’t claim “expert opinion” unless those experts have real credentials.