Karndean Designflooring ANZ has become the first company in Australia to sign The Anti-Greenwash Charter, reinforcing our commitment to clear, accurate, and responsible communication about our environmental efforts.
For Dan Lovell, Managing Director for Australia, this step goes beyond meeting regulations. It reflects a broader priority: building trust by ensuring that what we say about sustainability is honest, evidence-based, and aligned with the work we are doing as a business.
Why Trust Matters
With over 50 years of global history and a team of around 70 people across Australia.
Karndean's approach has always been centered on delivering on our commitments, but sustainability can be complex, and even well-intentioned communication can become unclear without the right structure behind it.
“Our sales teams are on the front line. If they do not have the right facts or confidence, even well-meaning people can share messages that are not quite right,” Dan explains.
The Charter offered the clarity and framework needed to support our teams and ensure consistency.
A Clear, Evidence-Based Commitment
2030 Karndean globally has validated near-term science-based targets through the Science Based Targets initiative, with a target to cut operational emissions by 42 percent by 2030 from a 2022 baseline. In ANZ, this is supported by our six-pillar Karndean Evolve. But Dan recognised that how we talk about these actions needed to be just as robust as the actions themselves.
“We were doing the work. The Charter helped us explain it properly and avoid over-promising.”
The Charter strengthens internal confidence by ensuring that sustainability claims across sales, marketing, and leadership are precise, verified, and communicated transparently.
Addressing Greenwashing in the Region
Greenwashing remains a challenge within the ANZ market, Dan notes examples of vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims, particularly around carbon offsetting or broad statements lacking data.
“We are not interested in gimmicks. If we are going to make a claim, we want to back it up with evidence.”
Signing the Charter signals demonstrates leadership and provides clients and partners with confidence in the accuracy of our communication.
Real Change Across the Business
Since signing, we have introduced greenwashing training for all staff. This has led to:
- Sales teams confidently validating claims rather than guessing
- Marketing teams understanding clear parameters around environmental messaging
- Senior leaders aligning on how progress is communicated internally and externally
“It has helped remove the grey areas. Everyone feels clearer, and that builds confidence,” says Dan.
Leading by Example in the Industry
Beyond Karndean, Dan has played an active role in raising standards across the flooring sector-as former President of the Australian Resilient Flooring Association, a member of its Executive Committee, and a Board member of the ResiLoop product stewardship organisation.
Signing The Anti-Greenwash Charter aligns with this broader ambition to improve communication standards industry-wide.
“We hope others follow. This is not about competition. It is about lifting the bar together.”
A Commitment to Transparency
We've joined the Charter because we believe in being held accountable to the claims we make. We took the first step rather than waiting for regulation to change.
“It is not about saying more. It is about saying things better,” Dan says.
Read Dan's full interview on The Anti-Greenwash Charter website.
