Greenwashing
Etymology
Modeled on "whitewashing" (covering up faults), with "green" for environmental. Coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westerveld, who noticed hotels urging guests to reuse towels "to save the planet" while doing little else for the environment.
noun · /GREEN-wosh-ing/
Marketing that makes a product or company seem more environmentally friendly than it truly is.
What it names
A specific deception of the climate era — selling an image of sustainability in place of the real thing — equipping people to spot it.
Example
The oil company’s leafy new logo was pure greenwashing, since its actual investments in renewables barely moved.
Related idea
A domain-specific dog whistle of virtue: greenwashing signals eco-conscience to concerned buyers while masking business as usual.