What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is the practice of making false or misleading environmental claims to deceive consumers into believing a company’s products or services are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Corporations, governments, and other organizations often use greenwashing to enhance their public image and gain customer loyalty without making genuine environmental improvements.
Deceptive green advertising can mislead consumers and shift customer loyalty based on unfounded claims and greenwashers employ various tactics to spread disinformation about their environmental efforts. Greenwashing is regulated by various national and international regulations such as the EU’s Green Claims Directive and the FTC’s Green Guides (Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims).
Definition of greenwashing
Why is greenwashing a problem?
Greenwashing is a problem because it undermines people's trust in genuine sustainability efforts, distracts from real environmental issues, and allows companies to keep using environmentally unfriendly business practices. When consumers are misled, it becomes harder for them to make informed decisions, weakening the overall push toward sustainability. Additionally, greenwashing can slow the adoption of truly sustainable practices by creating a false sense of progress, ultimately harming both the environment and society.