Green-Washing

Green-washing refers to disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. One important characteristic of green-washing is [Page 214]the suggestive and manipulative use of information. A poor record of environmental performance itself is not described as green-washing, only a false representation of a poor performance as environmentally friendly is. Green-washing is not just failing to report negative information, but a selective process of omitting information to display a different public image. This highlights another key factor of green-washing: intention. Any form of intentional misguidance, misrepresentation, or selective disclosure of information is called a green-wash if this practice intends to improve the overall perception of environmental performance. Green-wash practices can occur on multiple levels. One type of green-washing targets the ...