Greenwashing: the capitalist corruption of reflexivity

Abstract

This critical review looks at the process of ‘greenwashing’ and applying theories of contemporary society. Greenwashing is defined as a tactic of public relations, involving a company presenting itself as more environmentally conscious than it is in practice. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly being incorporated into businesses ways of operating (de Freitas Netto et al., 2020). CSR refers to corporations taking into account social issues and the implications of their practices on society. I aim to examine to what extent the notion of CSR is authentic in relation to impact on climate and use examples of greenwashing practices to assess this and will focus primarily on practices of energy companies.