Irresponsible marketing and the need to support pro-sustainable production and consumption

Globally, organisations and consumers face an array of economic, environmental, and social sustainability challenges. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) assist by providing guidance for appreciating and responding to these challenges. Marketers also have an important role to play in promoting positive sustainable attitudes and behaviour in both consumer and corporate contexts. Increasingly sophisticated marketing capabilities, combined with enhanced understanding of consumer psychology, mean that marketers have unprecedented ability to positively influence public opinion and promote positive social and environmental behaviours. However, this capability is frequently used irresponsibly in the pursuit of profit and political goals, with disregard for sustainable outcomes. Irresponsible marketing, including sustainability washing, misleads consumers and governments about the sustainability credentials of these organisations’ products or services. This undermines SDG 12 sustainable consumption and production, as well as the other SDGs. This paper discusses the need for marketers to be more proactive in promoting sustainability and informing irresponsible marketing regulation. Critical avenues for future research are also identified.