Which one of the following best describes the term “greenwashing”?

Answer: (a) Conveying a false impression that a company’s products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound

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.

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). · Report an error