This article explains that greenwashing, a term coined in 1986, is a communication strategy that allows companies to project a false sense of environmental awareness, concealing their real impacts behind misleading marketing. Since the famous case of hotel towels, it has expanded to encompass various corporate maneuvers aimed at disguising their ecological and social footprint without implementing genuine structural changes. The most common practices include diluting responsibility within industry coalitions, shifting blame onto consumers through campaigns promoting individual efficiency, and using ambiguous labels or shifting commitments that make verification impossible. Furthermore, hypocrisy is exposed in discourses on human rights or diversity, where companies contradict their public statements with political donations or internal inequalities, revealing a disconnect between their brand image and operational reality. The relevance of this issue lies in the growing regulatory and social pressure that has transformed greenwashing into a serious legal and reputational risk. Consumer protection agencies and advertising authorities are sanctioning unverifiable or misleading claims, while investors and consumers demand proven transparency. This context forces organizations to abandon skepticism and adopt honest communications, as public distrust and severe fines effectively punish manipulative messaging on sustainability.
Source:Published on 2024-06-12