greenwashing

plural greenwashings

1. uncountableusuallyThe practice by people, organizations and states of presenting themselves as environmentally-friendly and progressive in order to disguise or divert attention away from their actual environmentally damaging behavior.

   It's not greenwashing - it makes sense for a whole load of reasons. It demonstrates that we are not just accepting that we have to use diesel for years to come.

   2023 August 9, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Chiltern services powered by vegetable oil”, in RAIL, number 989, page 13

   2 more examples

   Fossil fuel lobbyists are trying to water down planned EU rules to stop “investment greenwashing’ by setting science-based criteria for any investment which lays claim to being environmentally sustainable.

   2019 December 2, Jillian Ambrose, “Fossil fuel lobbyists push to dilute EU anti-greenwash plan”, in The Guardian

   In fact, no legal definition for “nontoxic” or “ceramic” exists, and the marketing has drawn greenwashing accusations exacerbated by the companies concealing their pans’ ingredients.

   2025 June 9, Tom Perkins, “Toxic truth? The cookware craze redefining ‘ceramic’ and ‘nontoxic’”, in The Guardian, Guardian Media Group, retrieved 09 Jun 2025

   Synonyms: greenwash

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of greenwash