The term greenwishing is used when a deception regarding a company's commitment to sustainability is unintentional, i.e. not deliberate. In most cases, the desire for greater sustainability on the part of a company is genuine and therefore initially positive. However, due to a lack of knowledge or insufficient testing, sustainability measures are often presented as having a greater effect than is actually the case. Or the desired changes fail to be implemented for other reasons. Driven by the pressure to set ambitious sustainability targets, companies can, for example, commit to targets that they cannot realistically achieve. Reasons for failure can be financial, technological or organizational constraints. The mere desire for sustainability is therefore not enough to act in a truly sustainable manner. On the contrary: such empty promises can be deceptive and cause problems similar to greenwashing.
Source: Myclimate, 2025, https://www.myclimate.org/de-at/informieren/faq/faq-detail/greenwashing-greenwishing-greenhushing-bluewashing/