Common Greenwashing Tactics in the Market
- Rebranding without reform:
- Companies relaunch products with green labels, earth-tone packaging, or nature imagery, without changing the underlying materials or production methods.
- Example: A bottled water company highlighting “eco-conscious” branding while continuing to use single-use plastic without a recycling program.
- Token ESG efforts ("sustainability theater"):
- Launching a single, small-scale initiative (e.g., tree planting or carbon offset campaign) and over-promoting it to suggest comprehensive environmental reform.
- Carbon neutrality claims with flawed offsets:
- Declaring a product “carbon neutral” by purchasing cheap or unverifiable offsets instead of reducing emissions at the source.
- Note: Many carbon offset markets lack transparency, permanence, or additionality, undermining their legitimacy.
- Omitting scope 3 emissions:
- Highlighting reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions (from direct operations and purchased energy) while ignoring Scope 3 (supply chain, product use, and end-of-life).
- Selective disclosure ("Cherry-Picking"):
- Reporting only positive sustainability metrics while omitting poor performance areas (e.g., disclosing water savings while ignoring labor violations in supply chains).
Real-World Examples of Greenwashing
Volkswagen Dieselgate (2015)
VW marketed “clean diesel” vehicles while installing software to cheat emissions tests. This became a landmark greenwashing scandal resulting in billions in fines and massive reputational damage.
H&M’s “Conscious” Collection
Criticized for using vague sustainability claims and offering little transparency on production impacts. A 2022 Norwegian investigation found misleading marketing around garment sustainability.
Chevron’s “We Agree” Campaign
A high-budget ad campaign promoting environmental and social values, while the company faced lawsuits over oil spills and ongoing pollution.