Explainer
Greenwashing is the use of misleading language, statistics and narratives to attract sustainable conscious consumers. The use of terms such as "eco- conscious or "made with recycled textiles," despite limited transformational actions in the industry, can be termed as greenwashing. In the fashion industry, for example, the clothing and fashion store H&M has been accused of greenwashing through claiming products were better for the environment than they actually were.
Greenwashing has also been associated with developing renewable energy such as wind and solar, especially in cases where it interferes with the social and cultural norms, values, rights and livelihoods of communities. For example, renewable energy farms without the consent and regard for indigenous and local communities, such as the case of the Sahrawi people, have been dubbed a “greenwashing occupation.”