Deceptive Sustainability: The Impact Of Greenwashing On Consumer Protection And The Environment In India

Snehashree Pradhan; Khuku Milan Choudhury

doi:10.63363/aijfr.2025.v06i06.2554

Deceptive Sustainability: The Impact Of Greenwashing On Consumer Protection And The Environment In India

Author(s)	Ms. Snehashree Pradhan, Mr. Khuku Milan Choudhury
Country	India
Abstract	The global environmental movement has suffered greatly from the negative impacts of greenwashing, which is the act of misleadingly deceptively marketing and advertising environmental promises that a product, service, or company does not fulfil. India has started to gain increasing levels of green consumerism, but the concept greenwashing poses a double threat because it both creates an illusion of being environmentally friendly while side-lining the actual environmental protection efforts. The market is distorted because corporations that greenwash gain an unreasonable competitive edge while eroding customer trust and reducing the market sustainability economically friendly practices. This paper examines the impacts of greenwashing on Indians consumers by studying the environmental claims and their impact on purchasing and sustainability perception. As well as, analyzing how the legal Indian mechanisms such as the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, Competition Act of 2002, and SEBI ESG Disclosure Guidelines put forth by SEBI address greenwashing claims. Regardless of such regulations, many firms still take advantage of vague sustainability promises and face no consequences. This study exposes the marketing deception regulation loopholes that allow such practices while also determining the effectiveness of government bodies tasked with eliminating greenwashing. Examining international legal structures, such as the Federal Trade Commission Green Guides in the US and the EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, reveals how India could improve its policies to combat greenwashing. The research emphasizes the need for increased corporate responsibility alongside stronger systems of consumer protection, thus encouraging the adoption of a more holistic legal and regulatory framework. A comprehensive legal approach not only defends consumers from false environmental claims, but also fosters better sustainability. Increasing greenwashing regulation will guarantee that a commitment to the environment is maintained as a genuine corporate value and not a strategic marketing objective.
Keywords	Greenwashing, International Legal Structure, Deception, Marketing, Environment, Consumer, Policies, Legal, Sustainability
Published In	Volume 6, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-12-16
DOI	https://doi.org/10.63363/aijfr.2025.v06i06.2554
Short DOI	https://doi.org/hbf93t

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Deceptive Sustainability: The Impact Of Greenwashing On Consumer Protection And The Environment In India

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