Date of Award

Spring 2023

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Advisor(s)

Peter Johnson

Abstract

As ESG-related initiatives continue to make sweeping changes to the business world, and as consumers are looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprint, companies are under more pressure than ever to meet these demands and operate more sustainably. A large piece of doing so is communicating sustainability efforts to consumers in order to maintain a favorable image in the eyes of those who want to see companies make an environmentally-conscious effort to do their part. However, as a result of this consumer demand, what has also emerged is a form of marketing communication called “greenwashing”. Depending on the criteria or content at hand, greenwashing can have a slew of definitions but is best defined as “companies providing irrelevant, exaggerated or false information regarding a product’s sustainable qualities” (Pattanayak, 2020). As a result of companies increasingly doing this, the United States Federal Trade Commission recently announced that they are updating their guidance on marketing regulations for companies with the intent of cracking down on greenwashing (Joselow, 2023). Greenwashing is essentially a shortcut, and in some cases, it can be successful. However, if consumers had an easy-to-access and easy-to-understand tool that provided unbiased, fact-based information on a company’s sustainability record that is also designed specifically for consumers, would consumer attitude toward a brand that engages in greenwashing change? Furthermore, would consumers prefer to get sustainability information through this type of source instead of trusting what companies have to say about their own sustainability record?

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