A new bio & eco-friendly grocery store opened. The four people managing the shop were confused. They wanted to offer the most sustainable grocery experience—local and bio vegetables and fruits.

After a few weeks, the attendance at the shop was declining. The prices were competitive, and the vibe was good. The location was not too bad in a very hip-green neighbourhood….

So what was happening?

Clients were disappointed not to find what they expected. No avocadoes (from Mexico), no kiwis (from New Zealand), no bananas (from Latin America). Clients were not as “green” as the four shop owners. The shop owners wanted to offer the most pure, eco-friendly, retail experience, while clients expected more…

There are 50 shades of green behaviour and intentions.

Also at work..

At work, we face the same dilemmas. For the catering of events, we aim to minimize the footprint of the food (> beef & meat consumption). The sustainability team wants to offer only veggie options. A more moderate group wants to provide a blend of meat and meatless options. The third group doesn’t understand the dilemma. Meat it is.

The solution in compromise…

Navigating the 50 shades of green is always a sensitive discussion. The compromise is one of offering more options, with an emphasis on the most sustainable/green alternative.

Extreme green

However, in some situations, I can understand that a radical stance is needed to make cases move forward. Front-runners are needed to make the needle move and to have a real impact. Without green frontrunners, glyphosate would still massively be used in Europe (it’s still a bit). Fuel would still contain lead and cause elevated blood pressure and kidney damage. Particularly affecting children.

The green frontrunners are one way to counter the powerful lobbies of the most polluting industries. Almost 700 fossil fuel lobbyist had an accreditation at the COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh. Some lobbyists use all means – including corruption (also in Football…) – to delay decisions to protect our planet. They also use all means to discredit green frontrunners.