If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a bottle of shampoo labelled “eco-friendly” with a picture of a leaf on it, wondering exactly what part of it was environmentally friendly: the bottle, the label or the font? then congratulations, you’ve had a brush with greenwashing. Today, on World Environment Day 2025, it feels like half the planet is donning a sustainable halo. Ads are awash in pastel greens, logos sport proud little recycling arrows, and press releases gush about “net-zero ambitions.” But much of it may not be real.

What is Greenwashing?

To put it simply, greenwashing is when companies pretend to be greener than they actually are. It's the corporate version of telling your date you love hiking when the closest you’ve been to nature is a potted plant in your office lobby. According to a 2021 European Commission study, over 42% of green claims made by companies were found to be exaggerated, misleading, or entirely baseless. That's nearly one in two products selling you a fairytale with carbon-neutral packaging.

Says Anup Garg, Founder and Director at World of Circular Economy (WOCE), “Greenwashing is often the by-product of intention without action. It’s easy to declare commitment on paper, but unless your sustainability claims are backed by data, measurement, and transparency, you're just participating in a climate-themed fashion parade.”

Greenwashing thrives in that murky space between aspiration and accountability. A company might slap a ‘green’ label on their product, highlight a tree-planting weekend, or launch a recyclable packaging campaign... all while their primary business operations quietly belch out emissions. Writes author John Pabon in his book The Great Greenwashing, “If we look at the most alarming examples of greenwashing, there are more than a few to choose from.

The one that probably wasn’t as much of a surprise as the others, but still equally alarming, is greenwashing coming from petro-states. The most egregious example is from Saudi Arabia and some of the projects they have which are being positioned as green cities of the future. This is alarming for me because we see that advertisements for these projects everywhere. We sort of laugh them off, not realizing just how dangerous they actually are.”

The Problem with Greenwashing:

The biggest danger of greenwashing isn’t just corporate hypocrisy, it’s that it distracts and delays real climate action. When companies project a false sense of progress, consumers relax. Policymakers are misled. And serious sustainability pioneers get drowned in the noise. As Garg notes, “The shift needs to be systemic. What we need are verifiable frameworks—integrated ESG platforms, life cycle analysis, third-party audits—that align a company’s climate claims with reality.

We must move beyond marketing to measurable impact.” This isn’t just about bad branding. In a time where the climate crisis is becoming existential, pretending to be part of the solution while continuing to fuel the problem is akin to throwing a bucket of water on a house fire.

Telltale Signs of Corporate Greenwashing:

Greenwashing doesn’t always come with villainous mustaches and capes. Here are some of the most common tactics:

Vague Labels and Fluffy Language:

Terms like “eco-safe”, “non-toxic”, or “planet-friendly” sound reassuring, but what do they actually mean? There’s no global watchdog defining these terms, which makes them ripe for creative reinterpretation. As environmental journalist Heather Rogers, author of Green Gone Wrong, once wrote, “Greenwashing thrives in the absence of regulation. Without standards, sustainability becomes more about storytelling than science.”

2. Irrelevant Green Claims:

This is when a company trumpets one environmentally positive attribute that’s entirely unrelated to the product’s larger impact. Like advertising that a pesticide is “CFC-free” (which is illegal anyway) or highlighting that their coal-fired power plant recycles paper in the admin office.

3. False Binaries:

Some companies suggest that buying their product is a choice between environmental ruin and salvation. “Buy this organic water bottle and save the polar bears.” While polar bears are wonderful, your hydration choice is unlikely to singlehandedly turn the tide.

4. Carbon Offsets Used as Decoration:

Carbon offsets are a legitimate tool when used responsibly. But many companies treat them as indulgences from the medieval church: pay for a few tree-planting projects in Peru, and you’re absolved of your jet-fuel sins. Says Garg, “Carbon offsetting should be the final step in a business’s decarbonisation journey, not the first. Reducing your actual footprint must come before you try to compensate for it.”

How to Spot Greenwashing:

Think of it like being a sustainability sleuth. Here’s how to separate the climate-conscious from the climate-cosmetic:

Look for Specificity: Are the claims backed with data, timelines, and measurable goals? "We aim to be net-zero by 2030" is much stronger than "We care about the planet."

Check for Third-Party Certifications: Reliable eco-labels like Cradle to Cradle, B Corp, Energy Star, or Fair Trade come with oversight.

Investigate the Core Business: If a fast fashion brand launches a “green” collection but produces millions of garments every week using fossil-fuel-based fabrics, it’s like a Big Mac with a lettuce leaf on top.

See the Whole Picture: One green product does not make a green company. Ask: What’s their supply chain like? What do they pay workers? Are they reducing emissions across the board?

What is the Antidote?

Greenwashing is a symptom of a larger issue: a linear, take-make-waste model of production that prioritizes profit over planet. Garg’s organisation, World of Circular Economy, advocates for a radically different approach. “The future lies in circularity,” says Garg. Circular economy thinking demands that products are made to be reused, remanufactured, or composted. It’s about long-term thinking, not seasonal marketing. On this World Environment Day, remember that sustainability isn’t about the colour green. It’s about truth, transparency, and transformation.

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