The Paradox of Greenwashing – Misleading or a Catalyst for Sustainability?

Résumé

Greenwashing refers to the practice of companies exaggerating or misrepresenting their environmental efforts, often using impression management strategies to manipulate audiences’ perceptions of their environmental responsibility. Essentially, greenwashing involves the decoupling of sustainability talk from action. Although often condemned for its deceptive nature, greenwashing can also have unintended positive outcomes, and its implications extend beyond misleading environmental claims to encompass broader social and ethical dimensions. We take an interdisciplinary approach to unpacking the complexities of greenwashing. We present models that examine its drivers and impacts with a particular emphasis on corporate transparency, stakeholder trust, and the reporting of sustainability performance. Moving beyond critique, we investigate the conditions under which greenwashing might inadvertently benefit society—potentially acting as a catalyst for global sustainability and industry-wide innovation.

Présentation des conférenciers

Patrick Haack is Professor of Strategy and Responsible Management in the Department of Strategy, Globalization and Society at HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne. He serves as the Director of the HEC Research Center for Grand Challenges and is an International Research Fellow at the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation.

Gaia Melloni is Associate Professor of Accounting in the Department of Accounting and Control at HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne. She also serves as the Vice-Academic Director of the HEC Executive MBA program and as member of the Stakeholder Reporting Committee of the European Accounting Association. In addition, she contributes her expertise as a board member and advisor to companies.