Geography DME - Attitudes towards Environmental Sustainability

TNCs often stress their envirnomental policies and efficiency, but are sometimes accused of 'greenwashing' and 'tokenism' by environmentalists - using slick marketing and public relations to appear more environmentally freindly than they really are.

Many NGOs that work in the developing world emphasise the need to use small-scale, intermediate technology such as water hand-pumps, solar panels and rainwater harvesting. They focus on using renewable resources.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) focuses on the eco-footprint concept. This suggests that humans are already 'living beyond their means' in terms of using natural resources.

Pressure groups such as Greenpeace focus on pollution and waste, such as the damge done to the environment by industry, energy consumption and the 'throw-away' society.