Greenwashing is a concept that describes the use of false or misleading claims to give the impression that a company or organisation is committed to environmental protection. While environmental groups often use this term to criticise the 'optics' strategies of organisations seeking to improve their image without changing their practices, it has been largely ignored in Geography and related disciplines. This paper argues that greenwashing needs to be taken seriously as it is central to the functioning of contemporary capitalism. It develops a broad concept of greenwashing, suggesting that the processes of obscuring social and ecological relations through greenwashing are key to the (dis)functioning of capitalism. A critical theory of greenwashing is not just about challenging 'bad actors', but is an essential part of a wider critique of 'green' capitalism and Sustainable Development. Greenwashing involves a range of tactics, including misleading claims, token gestures, the use of green buzzwords, misleading certification labels, lack of evidence, offsetting, and outright lying. It is often compared to other forms of 'washing', such as whitewashing and pinkwashing, which have been more critically examined. These forms of 'washing' involve processes that obscure responsibility, protect powerful actors, and maintain the status quo. The paper also explores the concept of green fetishism, which is related to Marx's idea of commodity fetishism, where the social and ecological relations of commodities become obscured through greenwashing. The paper introduces the idea of a greenwash spectrum, distinguishing between cynical and misleading forms of greenwashing, honest but misguided forms, and semi-conscious fetishizations. It argues that greenwashing is a form of deliberate fetishization and that it is essential to understand it as a collective form of doublethink, where the contradiction of 'market environmentalism' is accepted. The paper also discusses the role of geography in understanding greenwashing, highlighting the importance of scalar dimensions and the politics of scale. It argues that geographers should lead the debate on greenwashing, as they are concerned with the relationships between materiality and discourse, nature/society relations, governance and power, and the politics of scale. The paper concludes that sustainable development has become central to the framing and sustaining of contemporary capitalism, and that greenwashing plays a role in maintaining this. It argues that the processes of greenwashing are essential to the continued legitimisation and (dis)functioning of market capitalism. The paper calls for a broader understanding of greenwashing that incorporates a wider critique of ethical consumerism, green capitalism, and Sustainable Development. It also highlights the need for stronger government regulation to ensure that sustainability advertising is accurate and reliable.Greenwashing is a concept that describes the use of false or misleading claims to give the impression that a company or organisation is committed to environmental protection. While environmental groups often use this term to criticise the 'optics' strategies of organisations seeking to improve their image without changing their practices, it has been largely ignored in Geography and related disciplines. This paper argues that greenwashing needs to be taken seriously as it is central to the functioning of contemporary capitalism. It develops a broad concept of greenwashing, suggesting that the processes of obscuring social and ecological relations through greenwashing are key to the (dis)functioning of capitalism. A critical theory of greenwashing is not just about challenging 'bad actors', but is an essential part of a wider critique of 'green' capitalism and Sustainable Development. Greenwashing involves a range of tactics, including misleading claims, token gestures, the use of green buzzwords, misleading certification labels, lack of evidence, offsetting, and outright lying. It is often compared to other forms of 'washing', such as whitewashing and pinkwashing, which have been more critically examined. These forms of 'washing' involve processes that obscure responsibility, protect powerful actors, and maintain the status quo. The paper also explores the concept of green fetishism, which is related to Marx's idea of commodity fetishism, where the social and ecological relations of commodities become obscured through greenwashing. The paper introduces the idea of a greenwash spectrum, distinguishing between cynical and misleading forms of greenwashing, honest but misguided forms, and semi-conscious fetishizations. It argues that greenwashing is a form of deliberate fetishization and that it is essential to understand it as a collective form of doublethink, where the contradiction of 'market environmentalism' is accepted. The paper also discusses the role of geography in understanding greenwashing, highlighting the importance of scalar dimensions and the politics of scale. It argues that geographers should lead the debate on greenwashing, as they are concerned with the relationships between materiality and discourse, nature/society relations, governance and power, and the politics of scale. The paper concludes that sustainable development has become central to the framing and sustaining of contemporary capitalism, and that greenwashing plays a role in maintaining this. It argues that the processes of greenwashing are essential to the continued legitimisation and (dis)functioning of market capitalism. The paper calls for a broader understanding of greenwashing that incorporates a wider critique of ethical consumerism, green capitalism, and Sustainable Development. It also highlights the need for stronger government regulation to ensure that sustainability advertising is accurate and reliable.