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.