THE GRAMMAR OF GREENWASHING: LINGUISTIC DECEPTION IN CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOURSE
Abstract
As environmental concerns migrate from the fringes of social activism to the core of corporate branding, a new linguistic phenomenon has emerged: "greenwashing." This study investigates the grammatical and semantic strategies employed by multinational corporations to construct an eco-friendly persona without substantive policy changes. Using a corpus-based critical discourse analysis (CDA) of 2024–2025 sustainability reports, this paper identifies three primary linguistic deceptions: the strategic use of nominalization, the "agentless" passive voice, and the proliferation of "empty" adjectives. The findings suggest that greenwashing is not merely a matter of dishonest vocabulary but is embedded in the very syntax of corporate communication, designed to obscure accountability and soften the environmental impact of industrial activities.
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