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MENTAL MODEL · M0396

Greenwashing

Greenwashing
BusinessHigh supportMarketing
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewashing"), also called green sheen, is a form of advertising or marketing spin that deceptively uses green PR and green marketing to persuade the public that an organization's products, goals, or policies are environmentally friendly. Companies that intentionally adopt greenwashing communication strategies often do so to distance themselves from their environmental liabilities or to improve their public image without making substantive changes.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewashing"), also called green sheen, is a form of advertising or marketing spin that deceptively uses green PR and green marketing to persuade the public that an organization's products, goals, or policies are environmentally friendly.

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Companies or organizations use exaggerated, false, or misleading environmental claims to polish their image, while their actual behaviors do not correspondingly reduce emissions or improve practices, exploiting public environmental preferences for profit without incurring costs.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GreenwashingZH · Explicit
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