Greenwashing in the digital age: transparency and sustainable corporate governance mechanisms

Purpose This study aims to address the fragmentation in research on greenwashing, transparency and digitalization by examining how these elements interact as governance mechanisms within sustainable corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach A PRISMA-based systematic literature review was conducted on 87 peer-reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2024 in Web of Science and Scopus. Explicit inclusion criteria were applied, and a theory-informed thematic synthesis identified governance mechanisms, institutional dynamics and digital accountability tools. Findings Substantive transparency reduces the prevalence and perception of greenwashing by strengthening accountability structures. Digitalization operates as an enabling but ambivalent governance infrastructure: technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and natural language processing enhance traceability and monitoring, yet may also enable more sophisticated symbolic practices when not embedded in robust regulatory and assurance systems. Greenwashing therefore emerges as a systemic governance challenge rather than merely a communication problem. Practical implications The findings provide guidance for boards, regulators and auditors in designing integrated transparency and oversight architecture. Originality/value Existing research treats these constructs in isolation, limiting explanatory integration and governance insight. The study advances theory by integrating transparency and digitalization into a unified governance framework, reconceptualizing greenwashing as a function of institutional design and monitoring capacity.