Walk into any supermarket aisle or scroll through your favourite feed and you’ll see it: a kaleidoscope of “eco-friendly”, “carbon-neutral”, and “green” claims vying for attention. Sustainability has moved from the CSR page to the headline of the ad. The question for marketers is no longer whether to engage with the green economy, but how to do it credibly, profitably and in a way that actually shifts behaviour.
Globally, consumers are signalling readiness. PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer found people are willing to pay a 9.7 per cent premium for goods produced sustainably, even amid cost-of-living pressures. That’s real money on the table for brands that deliver proof as well as promise.
At the same time, regulators are clamping down. The EU’s 2024 rules on empowering consumers for the green transition ban vague claims that lack substantiation. In the UK, updated guidance from the ASA requires absolute terms like “green” or “eco-friendly” to be backed by evidence across the full life cycle. Marketers who keep it vague risk takedowns and reputational damage.
For T&T, this convergence of demand and discipline is a runway, not a roadblock. We are an energy nation in transition, a manufacturing hub for the Southern Caribbean and a culture of early adopters.
Green marketing here isn’t about imported virtue; it’s about commercial opportunity with sharper creativity, compliance and truthful storytelling.
Below is a pragmatic playbook, grounded in global data and tuned to local realities, to help marketers, agencies and media owners turn sustainability from slogan into competitive edge.
1) Start with the substance, not the slogan
Marketing can’t solve an operations problem. Claims must be anchored in verifiable improvements: less energy, less waste, more reuse, supported by credible data.
Global advertisers are reorganising around this principle. Programmes like Ad Net Zero set five action points: fix operations, cut production emissions, reduce media footprints, decarbonise events and use creativity to drive sustainable behaviour. These are measurable actions, not slogans.
For local teams, “substance before slogan” means asking:
What environmental improvements can we evidence this quarter?
Which standards or certifications will we cite?
How will we ensure claims cover the full life cycle?
Treat this as pre-creative R&D. You’ll protect the brand and uncover differentiators competitors can’t copy.
2) Learn the new rules of the road
Two regulatory shifts matter:
EU Empowering Consumers Directive (2024): From 2026, generic green terms will be banned unless substantiated and durability information must be clear. Even if you don’t sell to Europe, platforms and partners are aligning to these standards.
UK ASA guidance: Phrases like “zero-emissions” or “100 per cent sustainable” require robust evidence and context.
If you’re exporting goods, courting investors, or advertising globally, these rules apply. Build a green claims checklist: define the claim precisely, show the data, state the scope and provide accessible proof.
The EU’s Green Claims Directive may have stalled, but existing consumer empowerment rules are live. The trend is toward more rigour, not less.
3) Recognise the consumer paradox
Consumers say they care, but wallets hesitate. Yet access to sustainable options is improving. Deloitte’s 2025 analysis shows climate concerns are durable, not a fad.
In T&T, the paradox shows up in our carts and bins. When brands make sustainable options frictionless and visibly valuable, behaviour shifts. Deposit systems, refill stations, repair services, and smart prompts matter as much as the message.
4) Build for the T&T context
A credible green story here should feel home-grown and practical. Three anchors:
a) Energy transition: The bp/Shell solar project, expected to deliver 112 MW, signals a shift. Brands can reference this direction in communications, while avoiding over-claims.
b) Waste and recycling: Consumers remember tangible wins. Massy’s 2018 50-cent bag charge cut single-use bag use by 80–90% in a year. Pair policy, product and communication to move behaviour at scale.
c) National programmes: The EMA’s iCARE initiative has built a recycling network. Instead of isolated drives, plug into this infrastructure and publish your outcomes.
Also, align with T&T’s Paris Agreement commitments, especially in public transport, power and industry. Position your brand as a partner in national outcomes, not just a “green” cheerleader.
5) Decarbonise how you market, not just what you market
Green marketing isn’t only about products, it’s also about the footprint of marketing itself.
Production: Cut emissions from shoots and events using local crews, renewable power and efficient travel.
Media: Optimise for lower-carbon media plans. Tools from Ad Net Zero allow buyers to compare channels by emissions as well as ROI.
Digital craft: Compressed assets, efficient code, lighter pages—small choices at scale matter.
Local publishers have an opportunity: emissions reporting will soon be required by multinationals. Offer it credibly and you’ll climb the pitch list.
6) Make creative that changes habits
The best sustainability campaigns don’t preach; they enable. Borrow from behavioural science:
Defaults: Make greener choices the default.
Salience: Show immediate impact on pack or app.
Commitment devices: Loyalty rewards for reuse outperform awareness ads.
Social proof: Normalise participation with local stats.
Tell stories rooted here: a Couva manufacturer redesigning packaging, a Tobago eco-tourism operator restoring mangroves, a food brand reducing fertiliser. Concrete change reduces greenwashing risks.
7) Avoid the five common pitfalls
i) Vagueness: “eco-friendly” means nothing without specifics.
ii) Cherry-picking: Don’t spotlight a recyclable cap while ignoring a non-recyclable bottle.
iii) Absolutes: “Carbon-neutral company” invites scrutiny if neutrality relies on offsets.
iv) Silence on trade-offs: If greener choices cost more, explain why.
v) Mismatched media: Avoid running green messages in wasteful or carbon-heavy formats.
8) Measure what matters
Put these four metrics on your dashboard:
Outcome: Tonnes avoided, kWh reduced, verified emissions.
Behaviour: Adoption rates of greener options, not just awareness.
Trust: Do consumers understand and believe the claim?
Media footprint: CO2e per 1,000 impressions and total CO2e per campaign.
9) Partnership is the new media buy
Green marketing rewards coalition builders. Three types of partnerships to pursue:
Infrastructure partners: EMA’s iCARE, municipal coordinators, scrap and reprocessing firms.
Energy partners: As solar projects grow, explore PPAs or workplace charging schemes to build B2B and employer-brand stories.
Industry peers: Collaborate pre-competitively on return logistics or packaging standards. Legitimacy is the reward.
10) The creative opportunity: from virtue to value
The strongest green campaigns of 2025 will speak the language of value, not virtue. They’ll connect sustainability to reliability, savings, resilience, pride, taste and beauty.
Use humour, music and storytelling to make greener choices feel aspirational and inevitable. And always keep receipts: a QR code to a clear methodology beats unread jargon.
The moment and the mandate
Globally, regulators are tightening standards and consumers are rewarding authenticity. Greenwashing is under scrutiny, but brands that get ahead will gain trust and share. Good marketing is once again good business.
T&T has the ingredients to lead regionally: an energy transition story, a retail sector that can shift behaviour, national programmes ready for partnership and a creative community skilled at turning constraints into standout work.
The brands that win the next decade won’t be the ones shouting “green” the loudest. They’ll be the ones that prove it, measure it and make it irresistible.
The opportunity is here. Let’s make sustainable choices the most convenient, compelling, and Caribbean thing to do.
