Greenwashing has emerged as a significant challenge to consumer protection in the context of sustainable marketing, often misleading consumers through exaggerated or false environmental claims. While existing studies primarily examine greenwashing from a business ethics or marketing perspective, limited empirical research integrates consumer perceptions with the enforceability of legal remedies under consumer protection frameworks in developing countries. This study seeks to bridge this gap by empirically examining the awareness, trust, and behavioral responses of university students towards green marketing claims, alongside a legal analysis of consumer protection mechanisms in India. The study adopts a quantitative research design based on a questionnaire survey conducted among 53 university students in Lucknow city, Uttar Pradesh. Descriptive statistics and reliability analysis were employed to assess levels of awareness, trust in eco-labels, and perceived adequacy of legal remedies against greenwashing practices. The findings reveal moderate awareness of greenwashing concepts, low trust in environmental claims made by corporations, and limited knowledge regarding legal recourse under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The study highlights a significant gap between consumer awareness and the practical enforceability of consumer rights, underscoring the need for stronger regulatory oversight, consumer education, and clearer sustainability disclosure standards. By integrating empirical evidence with legal analysis, this research contributes to the emerging discourse on greenwashing regulation in India and offers policy-relevant insights for strengthening consumer protection in the sustainability domain. This study does not treat consumer rights as an independent theme but examines consumer protection mechanisms only insofar as they address misleading environmental claims arising from greenwashing practices.
Prashant Kumar Varun (Thu,) studied this question.
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