Greenwashing 101: Common Risks and Mitigation

The course will introduce the concept of greenwashing and the patchwork of state and federal laws that have been used to challenge greenwashing in the marketplace.  The course will identify the most common mistakes companies make when making claims about the environmental benefits of their company or products and how to avoid these mistakes.  The course will introduce some more advanced concepts in greenwashing such as "additionality" of carbon reductions and the boundaries that are being tested of what qualifies as greenwashing.  Lastly, the course will provide an overview of the current landscape of state and federal greenwashing litigation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define greenwashing in both legal terms and common parlance

2. Identify common mistakes and ways to overcome them

3. Discuss the latest theories underpinning greenwashing litigation