How NGOs Can Hold Their Ground Against Corporate Greenwashing

Recently, the news that delivery platforms have softened their stance and pledged to cover social security contributions for riders has sparked heated debate. Only time will tell how many couriers will actually stand to benefit, and whether this will genuinely improve their working conditions.

In the latest episode of Foodthink’s podcast, *Food Talk*, we examine the environmental consequences of food delivery—specifically, the staggering volumes of single-use plastic waste. We discuss in earnest the challenges and difficult choices that arise when environmental NGOs and corporations engage with one another.

This episode was prompted by a striking development: Meituan, responsible for generating vast quantities of single-use delivery plastic, has begun funding environmental NGOs that focus on plastic reduction.

●SEE Zero Waste Planet – Qingshan Charity Clean Nature Initiative | Phase 1 Partner List Announcement.

● SEE Zero Waste Planet – Qingshan Charity Clean Nature Initiative | Phase 2 Partner List Announcement. Click to enlarge to view the list of funded organisations.

We cannot help but wonder whether this might compromise the independence and operational approach of environmental organisations advocating for waste reduction and opposing single-use plastics. We also hope to approach this from the food and agriculture sector, using it as a lens to examine the complex relationships between companies that generate various environmental and social issues, the non-profits attempting to address them, and their interactions with government, media, and the public.

With this in mind, we invited two veteran environmental advocates—Sun Shan and Ma Tianjie—to discuss:

Why do polluting companies fund environmental organisations?

What strategies can non-profits employ to protect the environment and uphold social justice? What role does government play, and how should the public understand these roles?

Beyond funding aimed at co-opting NGOs, what other tactics do companies use to influence them?

What other public relations and government lobbying tactics do they deploy?

As environmental issues grow increasingly complex, how should non-profits navigate this landscape? When (potential) funding ties exist, how should conflicts of interest be managed?

Is there an ethical framework to non-profit fundraising? What discussions, case studies, and principles exist around this both domestically and internationally?

How can non-profits and the media help the public grasp the complexities of the food and agriculture sector, see through corporate greenwashing, and make informed choices?

THIS/EPISODE’S/GUESTS

Sun Shan

Ecological practitioner and co-founder of the Shanshui Conservation Centre. In 2015, she began farming to experience the land, agriculture, food, ecology, and a self-sufficient (homesteading) lifestyle. She now lives in Canada, where she runs the ‘Chi Garden Ecological Farm and Fermentation Kitchen’. In 2024 and 2022, she attended the 16th and 15th Conferences of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Colombia and Montreal respectively.

Ma Tianjie

Freelance writer covering environmental issues. He has worked in environmental advocacy since 2004 and previously served as head of an international environmental organisation. He has long focused on China’s environmental governance and writes analysis and commentary for various media outlets. His new book, *In Search of Green China*, will be published shortly.

THIS/EPISODE’S/HOST

Tianle

Founding editor of Foodthink, and convener of the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market.

TIMESTAMP/S

00:54 Sun Shan and Tian Jie share their professional experiences in the environmental sector02:22 Major corporations like Meituan are beginning to fund environmental NGOs. Sounds like a positive step, but what deeper issues lie beneath?

06:29 How are corporations beginning to shape discourse to protect their own interests, and how should NGOs respond?

08:18 The rise of “false solutions”

09:07 Over 3,000 companies attend the Global Biodiversity Framework Summit. What does this signify?

13:44 Should environmental NGOs maintain their backbone? Why are we seeing NGOs living off corporate handouts and accepting tainted funds?

15:13 Have food delivery platforms’ “green options” genuinely reduced plastic use?

17:00 The Appletree Group environmental controversy 20 years ago and the evolution of grassroots environmental NGOs since then

22:28 NGOs “dancing with wolves”: who sets the pace?

26:12 The mismatch between the growth of civil society organisations and China’s socioeconomic development

28:53 The elephant in the room

30:01 How NGOs and corporations navigate their power dynamics on the international stage

32:09 Who truly represents the public interest?

34:22 Greenwashing produces 50 shades of green

35:52 Whose side should NGOs stand on?

37:23 AI and algorithms

39:07 The role of the media: Southern Weekly’s greenwatch list and the ubiquity of advertorials

41:40 The Nestlé infant formula scandal

45:44 What are the Filipinos suing their government over Golden Rice actually defending?

48:00 Corporate-NGO dynamics in fair trade, organic certification, and the core mission of NGOs

57:20 Sneak peek: Tian Jie’s new book, In Search of Green China

– Content mentioned in this discussion –

► 770 Mount Everests of takeaway containers in a single day: who bears the social cost of waste worth 2 billion yuan annually?

► Should China’s environmental NGOs say no to the Ford Motor Company Environmental Excellence Award?https://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.org.cn/news/detail/10216.html

► The Appletree Group controversy: Earth Village founder announces withdrawal from the Chinese Foundation for Environmental Education:

https://finance.sina.cn/sa/2007-05-01/detail-ikftssap0931851.d.html

► The Nestlé milk powder scandal: uncovering the dark truth behind infant formula

► What are the Filipinos suing their government over Golden Rice actually defending?

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