Linguistic features associated with greenwashing

The term ‘greenwashing’ is used as a label for spoken or written texts that contain fallacious or misleading claims about the environment-related processes and procedures of a given entity, such as a company or a national, regional or local government. At a time when the global environment is under serious threat from climate change, plastic pollution and other detrimental factors, it is more important than ever to identify examples of greenwashing and to challenge the relevant text producers. This paper asks whether such texts, in addition to deceptive claims, exhibit any linguistic features that might aid the critical reader in diagnosing them as instances of greenwashing. The paper focuses particularly on lexical choices, using Critical Discourse Analysis as a guide to analytical practices. By examining three texts that are attested or widely claimed examples of greenwashing, the paper highlights several linguistic features such as vague language, hedging of claims, and repeated virtue signalling, carried out through lexical items such as ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainable’. The paper concludes that, while misleading claims are the primary indicator of greenwashing, such linguistic features are secondary indicators.