Political term, meaning a whitewash except over something ecological. A greenwash is when an environmentally
destructive corporation or institution gives itself a makeover to make itself look ecologically friendly, without really changing anything. For instance, it embraces green-sounding rhetoric and imagery, produces glossy PR about its supposed
environmental initiatives and makes a show of "listening" to opponents, but it doesn't actually abandon the practices which led to its being condemned as being anti-ecological in the first place.
BP's rebranding, including a new logo with a
yellow sun on a green
background and slogans about looking after
the planet, is a classic example of greenwash.