निम्नलिखित में कौन-सा एक, “ग्रीनवाशिंग” शब्द का सर्वोत्तम वर्णन है ?
Read this question in English
Which one of the following best describes the term “greenwashing”?
(a) Conveying a false impression that a company’s products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound · (b) Non-inclusion of ecological/environmental costs in the Annual Financial Statements of a country · (c) Ignoring the disastrous ecological consequences while undertaking infrastructure development · (d) Making mandatory provisions for environmental costs in a government project/programme
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (a) मिथ्या रूप से यह प्रभाव व्यक्त करना कि कंपनी के उत्पाद पारिस्थितिक-अनुकूली (ईको-फ्रेंडली) और पर्यावरणीय रूप से उपयुक्त हैं
Greenwashing means misleading people into believing that a company or other entity is doing more for the environment than it really is. Option (a) says exactly this, in terms of a company's products.
- ✓ (a) It is a deceptive claim of environmental friendliness, for example labelling a product 'green' or 'eco-friendly' without real proof. The UN treats it as an obstacle to climate action because it promotes false solutions.
- ✗ (b) Leaving environmental costs out of a country's accounts is a gap in national accounting (green accounting), not greenwashing.
- ✗ (c) Ignoring ecological damage during infrastructure building is environmental negligence, not a false green claim.
- ✗ (d) Making provision for environmental costs in a project is a genuine safeguard, the opposite of misleading claims.
Remember · Greenwashing: a false or exaggerated claim that a company, product or policy is environmentally friendly; it misleads consumers and delays real climate action.
Sources
- United Nations, Greenwashing: the deceptive tactics behind environmental claims ↗ “By misleading the public to believe that a company or other entity is doing more to protect the environment than it is”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·