Literature review of greenwashing research: State of the art

Abstract

The article presents the state of research on the greenwashing. Greenwashing is a popular research trend; recently (especially, 2020–2023), more and more systematic reviews have been published. However, unlike other reviews, the article presents the broadest possible research perspective, without highlighting any research trends. The original approach is expressed in the article as a review of literature reviews. As a result of the research conducted using correspondence analysis in the years 2007–2023, 112 publications were isolated and grouped into six clusters presenting publications according to groups of enterprises, the geographical context of the study, entity that can use the research results, and factors negatively correlated with greenwashing. The obtained results show that greenwashing is an increasingly popular research trend; various stakeholders, including governments and financial institutions, can use research results. Articles related to Africa have their characteristics and constitute a separate research motive.