The word “green” is everywhere-green hydrogen, green ammonia, and even green-tagged technologies like electric vehicles (EVs)-but does every “green” label truly reflect environmental benefit?. Just like a shimmering mirage on a hot road, these labels may appear promising at first glance, but a closer look often reveals a different picture, the hidden ecological costs.
Green Tech Isn’t Always Clean Tech
Take green hydrogen and green ammonia, two fuels often celebrated for their role in the clean energy transition. While they hold potential, producing them requires massive amounts of energy. Unless that energy is sourced from renewables like solar or wind, the environmental benefits become questionable. In some cases, these “green” solutions still rely on fossil-fuel-heavy grids, defeating their very purpose.
Similarly, electric vehicles (EVs) have taken center stage in the move toward sustainable transport. Yes, they reduce tailpipe emissions, but what about the environmental toll of mining lithium, cobalt, and other rare-earth metals for their batteries? What about the lack of efficient recycling systems for those batteries at end-of-life? When we consider the entire lifecycle, the “green” sheen begins to fade.
This trend reflects a growing issue of greenwashing-where environmental claims are exaggerated or misleading. Real sustainability must go beyond surface-level branding. We need lifecycle analysis, circular economy principles, and systems thinking to assess the true impact of technologies.
Time to Redefine “Green”
It’s time we stopped equating the color green with environmental virtue. Labels are easy. Real sustainability is hard. It requires transparency, evidence-based assessments, and a willingness to look beyond appearances.
Let’s start asking the right questions:
- Where do the materials come from?
- How much energy is used—and what kind?
- What happens when the product reaches its end of life?
Only then can we make choices that are truly good for the planet.
Green’s not green unless it’s true—look past the label to see what’s due.
———Dr. Shuchi Sharma
