The practice of greenwashing in the context of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility

Abstract

In the knowledge society, practically all organizational activities are carried out with the massive use of the internet. In this sense, information is shared at an ever-increasing speed. Depending on what is shared, the reputation of people and companies can be defamed, especially when what is shared is false. The study's general objective is to elucidate the practice of greenwashing in the context of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. The term greenwashing refers to those companies that make a point of propagating to society that they value the preservation of the environment but whose practices demonstrate the opposite of this context. Thus, the risk of having the image of a socially and environmentally responsible organization can be undone at any time. The method used was the conceptual bibliography, a set of research techniques formed by four phases: a) definition of research questions, b) data collection, c) organization and analysis of data, and d) generation of responses. This method made it possible to verify that greenwashing is a risky strategy, to say the least, and not recommended for any company, as the price to pay when discovering the false identity of an environmentally friendly organization is greater than the effort made to maintain appearances, before society and other interested parties. The conclusion asserts that the most recommended thing is that companies seek to be sustainable in their daily lives, but in a planned way, incorporating this into their values, practices, and organizational culture.