greenwashing

1 of 2

noun

green·​wash·​ing ˈgrēn-ˌwȯ-shiŋ 

-ˌwä-

: the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is

The practice of greenwashing appears more common as firms attempt to better position themselves in a global marketplace growing more concerned with corporate sustainability.

—Timothy W. Aurand et al.

Not only is greenwashing bad for the environment, but it's misleading to consumers who want to invest in products that aren't harmful to the planet.

—Jennifer Manfrin

The greenwashing allegation … adds to efforts to heap pressure on some of the world's biggest polluting companies as regulators take an increasing interest in climate change.

—William Mathis and Austin Weinstein Bloomberg

A lack of rigorous measurement means that greenwashing is rife and bogus claims go uncontested.

—The Economist

greenwashing

2 of 2

present participle of greenwash

Examples of greenwashing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meanwhile, companies falsely claiming to lead on the transition—greenwashing, in other words—will have their deception revealed. —Justin Worland, Time, 5 Oct. 2023

Advertisement While intended to prevent greenwashing, these rules could actually encourage greenhushing among U.S.-headquartered companies that want to sell products in Europe, said Xavier Font, a professor of sustainability marketing at the University of Surrey in England. —Maxine Joselow, Washington Post, 13 July 2023

To avoid dubious methods, corner-cutting and greenwashing, carbon storage will have to be held to high standards. —Klaus Lackner, The Conversation, 16 May 2023

Otherwise, claims of greenwashing and corporate waste may be legitimate. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023

And a lot of the time that's kind of cutting back on some of the greenwashing and making sure that the changes are actually real. —Abc News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2023

Perhaps the bigger issue is that there’s some evidence that companies in ESG funds do not actually have better environmental practices: There’s a lot of greenwashing going on. —Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2023

So is the likelihood that you’ll—rightly—be accused of greenwashing. —Peter Vanham, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2023

Here’s how greenwashing is misleading consumers about how sustainable products and services are. —Amrith Ramkumar, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

greenwash entry 1 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1990, in the meaning defined above