Greenwashing is exactly what it sounds like. Coal, gas, and fuel companies have been largely known for their excessive use of misleading images(green landscapes, green color) and phrases(“eco-friendly”). 

These false claims are made by the companies to shed an angelic light on their efforts to lower their carbon footprints. Neither the claims nor the efforts made are of the magnitude that they are portrayed to be. 

The environmental and health advocates have taken it upon them to throw light on the true picture. Recent times have seen a surge in lawsuits against such claims. The number of lawsuits has risen from a shy of 900 to more than 1550 cases in 3 years. 

In the case of Massachusetts v. ExxonMobil Corp( May 2022), it was held that Exonn led clients to falsely believe that the company was taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint, thereby affecting consumer behavior. 

Such lawsuits have been fairly common. A while ago, a similar case was filed against an oil and gas company that made misleading claims about climate change. The company fought back filing a  pre-litigation suit in a Texas Court claiming that its rights according to the First Amendment were being violated. 

The Court denied jurisdiction over California(Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 202), the place where the lawsuit was originally filed. The case could no longer be maintained. 

With time more and more consumers seem to develop an awareness of the products and false marketing strategies that they are subject to. The upcoming laws should also make sure that big companies have data to support their claims to avoid legal trouble.

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