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Q30 (IAS/2022) Environment & Ecology › Pollution & Conservation › Circular economy concepts Official Key

Which one of the following best describes the term "greenwashing" ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1. Greenwashing is a deceptive marketing strategy used to portray an organization’s products, aims, or policies as environmentally friendly when, in reality, they do not meet basic environmental standards. It involves using "green" PR and misleading labels to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for sustainable products.

Reasoning for Option 1:

  • It accurately describes the core intent of greenwashing: creating a false impression of environmental responsibility to gain a competitive advantage.
  • It highlights the gap between a company's marketing claims and its actual environmental impact.

Why other options are incorrect:

  • Option 2: Refers to a lack of green accounting, not deceptive marketing.
  • Option 3: Describes environmental negligence or poor Impact Assessment.
  • Option 4: Refers to positive fiscal measures or environmental budgeting, which is the opposite of greenwashing.
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Which one of the following best describes the term "greenwashing" ? [A] Conveying a false impression that a company's products are eco-f…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 7.5/10
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This is a classic 'Term of the Year' question. It sits directly in standard texts (Shankar IAS, Ch 29) and was a buzzword in COP discussions. Strategy: Maintain a specific 'Glossary of Buzzwords' for Environment—UPSC asks one definition question (e.g., Social Cost of Carbon, Greenwashing) almost every year.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is the term "greenwashing" defined as conveying a false impression that a company's products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > 29.3.4. Greeenwashing > p. 418
Presence: 5/5
“r Greenwashing refers to a range of activities that companies or even countries indulge in to present misleading or dubious claims about their climate action. • Also known as, green sheen, greenwashing is an attempt to capitalize on the growing demand for environment-friendly products. • Greenwashing helps in boosting the image of the entity and help them garner benefits for things they do nothing against climate change. • Prevalence of greenwashing: Greenwashing in the context of net-zero targets is being pursued by many corporations and sub-national governments. &&'ssss'”
Why this source?
  • Provides an explicit definition linking greenwashing to presenting misleading or dubious claims about climate action.
  • States greenwashing is an attempt to capitalize on demand for environment-friendly products by creating a false eco-friendly image.
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 11: Industries > Definitional Problems of Eco-tourism > p. 101
Presence: 4/5
“For this reason, environmentalists, special interest groups and governments define eco-tourism differently. Environmental organisations have generally insisted that eco-tourism is naturebased, sustainably-managed, conservation-supporting, and environmentally-educated. The tourist industry and governments, however, focus more on the product aspect, treating eco-tourism as equivalent to any sort of tourism based in nature. As a further complication, many terms are used under the rubric of eco-tourism, and others have been used in literature and marketing. Although they are not necessary synonymous with eco-tourism. The problems associated with defining eco-tourism have led to confusion among tourists and academics alike. Definitional problems are also subject of considerable public controversy, a trend towards the commercialisation of tourism schemes disguised as sustainable, nature-based, and environmentally-friendly eco-tourism.”
Why this source?
  • Describes commercialization disguised as sustainable and environmentally-friendly, reflecting marketing that creates a false eco-friendly impression.
  • Highlights definitional confusion and use of marketing terms to present products as environmentally friendly when they may not be.
Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: CONSUMER RIGHTS > THE CONSUMER IN THE MARKETPLACE > p. 76
Presence: 3/5
“the world as the most scientific product claiming this to be better than mother's milk. It took years of struggle before the company was forced to accept that it had been making false claims. Similarly, a long battle had to be fought with court cases to make cigarettemanufacturing companies accept that their product could cause cancer. Hence, there is a need for rules and regulations to ensure protection for consumers. EVERYONE KNOWS TOBACCO KILLS PEOPLE, BUT WHO CAN SAY THAT TOBACCO COMPANIES SHOULD NOT BE FREE TO SELL TOBACCO?”
Why this source?
  • Gives examples of companies making false product claims and the ensuing need for consumer protection.
  • Illustrates the broader pattern of deceptive corporate claims that greenwashing is a part of.
Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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