Greenwashing vs. Green Trust: A Review Study of Consumer Perceptions and Responses to Sustainability Claims in Marketing

Greenwashing—the practice of misleading or exaggerating environmental claims—has become pervasive in marketing, often eroding green trust, or consumers’ confidence in genuine sustainability efforts. This review synthesizes recent literature on how consumers perceive greenwashing versus authentic green marketing and how their trust and behaviors respond. We draw on key empirical and theoretical studies (2013–2025) to delineate definitions of greenwashing and green trust, examine psychological and contextual mediators (e.g., consumer skepticism, confusion, perceived risk, corporate reputation), and assess impacts on purchase intentions and brand equity. The consistent findings show that perceived greenwashing increases consumer confusion and perceived risk, which undermines trust and brand attitudes. Greenwashing detection triggers skepticism and negative word-of-mouth. Conversely, strong environmental knowledge, transparent communication and third-party certifications can bolster green trust. This review also outlines key strategies for rebuilding trust after greenwashing, such as apology campaigns and transparent, data-backed green claims. Regulatory developments like the EU Green Claims Directive are also shaping corporate accountability. Across sectors, greenwashing consistently weakens consumer trust and loyalty, reinforcing the need for genuine and credible sustainability communication.