ASIA F-LIST 2023

The ASIA F-LIST 2023 report examines the role of advertising in sustaining fossil fuel consumption across selected Asian markets. It argues that companies use reward programs, prize giveaways, and 'purpose-washing' campaigns—such as rural development projects and environmental restoration—to distract from their contribution to the climate crisis. The report notes a gap between sustainable intent and action among Asian consumers, partly due to misleading marketing, and highlights a growing but inconsistent regulatory landscape for climate disclosure in the region.

• Asia's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions grew significantly from 22% in 1990 to 44% in 2019, a rate that exceeded the global average.
• Fossil fuel companies in Asia employ two primary marketing strategies: incentivizing increased fuel purchases through rewards and prizes, and 'purpose-washing' to create a false impression of positive social or environmental impact.
• Oil and gas companies build brand loyalty in Asia by partnering with banks to offer fuel credit cards and reward points, a practice particularly prevalent in India with providers like Hindustan Petroleum and IndianOil.
• The report identifies 'purpose-washing' tactics where companies fund small-scale positive projects to distract from large-scale pollution, such as Shell's 2018 Ahlin Yaung campaign in Myanmar which funded solar projects while the company spent $1.2 billion on offshore oil and gas exploration in the same country.
• There is a significant gap in Asia between consumers' stated willingness to pay for sustainable products (90%) and their actual purchasing behavior, with 15% citing a lack of information or trust in sustainable claims as a barrier.
• While climate disclosure is becoming mandatory in India, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore, regulatory consequences for greenwashing remain generally low, though South Korea introduced a law in January 2023 to fine companies up to $2300 for such practices.

APA

Dutta, N. (2023). ASIA F-LIST 2023. Clean Creatives. https://cleancreatives.org/asia-f-list

Chicago

Dutta, Nayantara. ASIA F-LIST 2023. Clean Creatives, 2023. https://cleancreatives.org/asia-f-list.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dutta |first1=Nayantara |title=ASIA F-LIST 2023 |publisher=Clean Creatives |date=2023 |url=https://cleancreatives.org/asia-f-list |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dutta2023asia, author = {Dutta, Nayantara}, title = {{ASIA F-LIST 2023}}, institution = {Clean Creatives}, year = {2023}, url = {https://cleancreatives.org/asia-f-list}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }