A Critical Perspective on Greenwashing Under the Roof of Corporate Environmentalism

Abstract

Greenwashing occurs when companies give the wrong impression that their products are environmentally friendly, even though they are not. In this literature-based conceptual chapter, greenwashing practices carried out by transnational corporations are analysed from a critical perspective within the scope of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept. The emergence of greenwashing is based on environmental conditions like climate change and the rise of environmental movements targeting companies that harm the environment. The increase in environmental movements targeting environmental problems has increased the awareness of consumers towards the environment. Consumers were willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly products. Thus, companies that were aware of that demand, found it profitable to invest in CSR. What makes the greenwashing concept suitable for a comprehensive and critical discussion is that most companies allocate much larger budgets to CSR campaigns than they do for the good of the environment. In this chapter, the relationship between the CSR and greenwashing is conceptualised as a political-economic approach, addressing the dimensions of the relations between international organisations, transnational corporations, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the context of their lobbying activities for profit. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.