greenwashing

thumb|right|250px|Solar power|Solar-powered petrol station in [[Budapest, Hungary]] thumb|right|250px|A Volkswagen [[Golf TDI in 2010, featuring the phrase "clean diesel" (a type of fuel, also known as ultra-low-sulfur diesel). The company later faced scrutiny and conviction due to an emissions scandal.]]

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 lapses or those of their suppliers. Firms engage in greenwashing for two primary reasons: to appear legitimate and to project an image of environmental responsibility to the wider public. Since there is no harmonized and international definition of greenwashing, its determination in a given instance can be a subjective challenge for consumers and regulatory bodies.