greenwashing
English
Etymology
Blend of green + whitewashing (or green + -wash + -ing).
Noun
greenwashing (usually uncountable, plural greenwashings)
- The practice by people, organizations and states of presenting themselves as environmentally-friendly and progressive to downplay their actual destructive behavior.
- 2019 December 2, Jillian Ambrose, “Fossil fuel lobbyists push to dilute EU anti-greenwash plan”, in The Guardian:
- 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.
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Verb
greenwashing
- present participle of greenwash
Related terms
- purplewashing
- pinkwashing
- redwashing