Not Everything Is Greenwashing: Limitations of Automatic Analysis of Sustainability Reports, and a Proposal

Abstract

Sustainability reports (SRs) are essential for holding companies accountable, and they are required by law. They also serve as a key communication tool through which companies shape their image and disclose non-financial information. However, the rapid growth of these reports, their lack of standardisation, and the frequent use of strategically ambiguous language make it difficult for stakeholders to evaluate whether sustainability claims are genuine or deceptive. Previous work has focused on extracting misleading climate-related content and identifying greenwashing. We argue that this is not enough, because deception does not only appear in overtly false or misleading green claims, and it often emerges through a variety of subtle linguistic strategies. We therefore propose the development of a framework based on deception theories to examine how deceptive language operates in SRs, and we outline the challenges that should be seen as an invitation for future research. Keywords: Deception, Deceptive Language, Sustainability Reports, Greenwashing

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