Greenwashing in marketing: a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis

Antonios Persakis (), Theodoros Nikolopoulos (), Ioannis C. Negkakis () and Athanasios Pavlopoulos ()
Additional contact information
Antonios Persakis: University of Thessaly, Department of Accounting and Finance
Theodoros Nikolopoulos: University of Thessaly, Department of Accounting and Finance
Ioannis C. Negkakis: University of Plymouth, Plymouth Business School
Athanasios Pavlopoulos: University of Thessaly, Department of Accounting and Finance

International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 2025, vol. 22, issue 4, No 7, 957-992

Abstract: Abstract The rising demand for environmental accountability has led to the proliferation of green claims in marketing, but also to widespread concerns about greenwashing—the practice of making deceptive or exaggerated environmental claims. This study presents a comprehensive examination of greenwashing in marketing through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. By analyzing 419 peer-reviewed articles published between 2004 and 2024, we identify key themes, influential publications, and emerging trends within the literature. Our findings reveal how greenwashing strategies affect consumer trust, brand perception, and corporate transparency. We highlight the pervasive effects of greenwashing on marketing ethics and consumer skepticism, while also outlining opportunities for future research to develop more effective regulatory and ethical marketing practices. This work provides valuable insights for marketers, policymakers, and researchers, emphasizing the need for transparency and authenticity in environmental communications to rebuild consumer trust and promote genuine sustainability efforts.

Keywords: Greenwashing; Marketing; Systematic literature review; Bibliometric analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12208-025-00452-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:irpnmk:v:22:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s12208-025-00452-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/business/journal/12208

DOI: 10.1007/s12208-025-00452-x

Access Statistics for this article

International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing is currently edited by Helena Maria Alves

More articles in International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing from Springer, International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().