Evaluating Sources: Spotting Greenwashing and Sustainability Claims

This assignment is a source evaluation focusing on identifying greenwashing, where companies falsely present themselves as sustainable. It utilizes the CARP (Currency, Authority, Relevance, Purpose) template to assess an article from BBC News titled 'Climate change: Seven ways to spot businesses greenwashing.' The evaluation examines the article's currency, author's credibility (Beth Timmins, a BBC News business reporter), relevance to the topic of greenwashing, and the purpose of informing consumers. The assignment concludes that the source is reliable and recommended for its factual, unbiased information that helps customers identify greenwashing tactics used by businesses, contributing to a more sustainable and eco-friendly environment.

In the current time companies just show that they are sustainable and eco-friendly but in reality they are not.
So, greenwashing is the word used for describing this fact of companies. This source has data that makes
customers aware about the ways through which they can simply identifying greenwashing of brands and
companies. Hiding information, vague language, false claims are some of the examples.
A1 - CARP Template - Use this template to evaluate your source of information
Title: Climate change: Seven ways to spot businesses greenwashing
Is this journal newspaper book
Currency
When was the information published or
posted?
8th November
Has the information been revised or
updated? When?
No, the information gathered through this source
is not updated.
Does your topic require current
information, or will older sources work as
well?
The older sources can also be quite helpful for the
present topic.
Websites – are the links functional? Yes, the link is working.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59119693
Authority
Who is the author/creator? Beth Timmins is the author of the current
topic's article.
What are their credentials? Are they
qualified to write about this topic? Can
they be contacted?
Beth Timmins has completed education in writing
Dphil. This author is qualified in writing as the
author works as business reporter within BBC
News.
Yes, they can be approached by various social
media platforms.
Are they affiliated with any groups or
organizations?
Yes, they are with an organisation and the
organisation is known as BBC News.
Who is the publisher or sponsor? BBC News
Relevance & Reliability
Does the information relate to your topic
or help answer your question?
Yes
Is the information at the appropriate level
for your research?
Yes
Who is the intended audience? Customers
Where does the information come from?
Does the author provide references or
sources?
The writer has accumulated data from BBC news.
Has the information been reviewed or
refereed? By whom?
No
Do you feel comfortable using this source
in your research? Would your teacher
accept it?
Yes, I was comfortable while approaching this
source. Yes, it will be accepted by teacher.

Purpose/Point of View
What is the information meant to do to the
reader?
Inform, teach, sell, entertain,
persuade?
organisation (but what kind of
organisation are they?)
The current data is taken out this certain source
for making customers learn about the ways about
the methods for spotting businesses
greenwashing.
Does the author or sponsor clearly state
their intentions or purpose?
Yes, the author is clearly stated the intentions.
Is the information fact or opinion?
Propaganda?
The information is fact.
Does the point of view seem to be
objective and impartial?
Yes, it is not biased.
What biases might the author or sponsor
have?
Political, ideological, cultural,
religious, institutional, personal?
It can be personal.
Are there any ads? How do they relate to
the topic being covered?
No this sources does not have any ads.
Websites – what does the URL and/or
domain tell you about the purpose?
Examples: .com – commercial; .gov –
government; .org –organisation
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59119693
The URL and domain of the present article tells
that it is related to commercial.
Write some summarising statements here for your source of information to explain why you would (or would not)
recommend this source of information.
Currency The assembled information is published on 8th November and so it shows
that it is recently published. It is accurate as per the current time so this
source is recommended.
Authority Beth Timmins is the writer of existing selected source. The author is
competent and operate as one of the reporters of BBC News. This article is
suggested to collect data about greenwashing.
Relevance &
Reliability
The information is relevant as well as reliable. Customers could easily learn
and spot greenwashing in companies. The data is also verified because it
comes from BBC news.
Purpose/Point of
View
The main point of view of the report is to really make the environment
sustainable, pollution free and eco-friendly.