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Öz

Environmental activism is widespread and growing today, and consumers are aware of environmental problems. This has led companies to influence conscious consumers to prefer their products, to conceal the environmental problems their products cause, to avoid a negative social reputation resulting from the problems they cause, and to practice greenwashing to give the impression that the risks they take are socially acceptable by using the means and tactics of green public relations. Thus, companies budget for green public relations, conduct sustainability and social responsibility projects, and give financial support to environmental groups or do projects with them. This study concerns the development of environmental activism movement and analyzes in depth the concept of greenwashing. It discusses the relation between public relations and greenwashing, and its critics, offering a theoretical approach to the issue

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Environmental activism, greenwash, public relations

Çevresel Aktivizm, Halkla İlişkiler ve Yeşil Aklama Üzerine Kuramsal Bir Bakış

Öz

Yükselen ve yaygınlaşan çevresel aktivizm hareketi ve tüketicide çevre konusunda oluşan bilinç nedeniyle şirketler çevresel duyarlılığa sahip tüketiciyi kendi ürün ve hizmetlerini tercih etmeleri yönünde etkilemek, ürün ve hizmetlerinden doğan çevresel olumsuzlukları örtbas etmek, yol açtıkları sorunlarla ilgili olarak toplumun gözünde negatif bir imaj yaratmaktan kaçınmak ya da neden oldukları riskleri toplum nezdinde daha kabul edilebilir kılmak amacıyla yeşil aklama olarak tanımlanan faaliyetleri kullanmakta, bu bağlamda da yeşil halkla ilişkiler araç ve taktiklerinden yararlanmaktadırlar. Bu amaçla yeşil halkla ilişkiler faaliyetlerine bütçe ayırmakta, sürdürülebilirlik, kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk projeleri yürütmekte, çevresel gruplara parasal destekte bulunmakta ya da birlikte projeler yürütmektedirler. Çalışmada çevresel aktivizm hareketlerinin gelişimine değinilerek, yeşil aklama kavramı etraflı bir biçimde irdelenmiş, halkla ilişkiler ve yeşil aklama ilişkisi tartışılarak, halkla ilişkilere yeşil aklama konusunda yöneltilen eleştirilere değinilerek kuramsal bir bakış açısı ortaya konmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• çevresel aktivizm, yeşil aklama, halkla ilişkiler

Kaynakça

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