A negative word that derives from the term "whitewashing", "greenwashing" was originally coined in 1986 by New York environmentalist Jay Westervelt and was added to the Oxford Dictionary in 1999. The term was originally used only to describe examples of misleading advertising, but as advertising has become increasingly diverse, the definition of greenwashing has also changed. It is now used to describe efforts that companies make to present themselves as more environmentally friendly than they actually are, which include, but are not limited to, event sponsorship, environmental reporting, creating a façade or the distribution of educational materials. For most companies, however, the main goal of greenwashing is to give consumers the impression that they are taking steps to reduce, or manage, their carbon footprint, without having to sacrifice profits. In this essay I will explain and discuss greenwashing, focusing on how public relations and corporate social responsibility are influential factors in driving a company to greenwash, while proving that the above statements regarding greenwashing are valid. Ford Motor Company announced the launch of the Escape hybrid SUV in a National Geographic magazine in 2004, by reading an ad; “Eco-friendly vehicles. Cleaner factories. It's the right path for our company and we're in a good place." They continued to try to persuade readers of their commitment to the environment with the renovation of their River Rouge factory, but they failed to mention that only 20,000 of these promised hybrid SUVs would be produced each year, or that they would continue to commission nearly as many 80,000. F-series trucks per month. Furthermore, shortly before the advertisement was released, the Envir...... middle of paper ......consumers want companies to be socially responsible, but because companies are driven by profits, many do not see the long-term goal of becoming more environmentally responsible, opting for short-term solutions, such as greenwashing with their public relations portraying a green image that is not necessarily a representation of the facts. Numerous companies have now committed to producing annual social reports, which can be seen as a step towards the inevitable movement towards greater transience and transparency within companies. NGOs, however, have largely dismissed them as “PR exercises” and “greenwashing”, but the fact that companies are starting to accept being held accountable for their wider impact on society is a noteworthy step. Until the triple bottom line is introduced globally, however, companies will have no incentive to stop the practice of greenwashing.