6 Types of Greenwashing Every Green-Tech Startup Should Avoid

In episode 2 of the Scaling Green-Tech podcast, Adopter co-founders Matt Jaworski and Katherine Keddie explore one of the biggest risks facing early-stage green-tech companies: greenwashing. As regulation tightens and investor scrutiny grows, being vague or overly optimistic about your impact can undermine your credibility and your ability to scale.

They break down the six types of greenwashing every climate tech company should know, from overhyping one green initiative (greenlighting) to avoiding talking about impact altogether (greenhushing). Along the way, they explain why being evidence-backed is now non-negotiable and how early choices around messaging and carbon accounting can create risk or resilience down the line.

Matt and Kat also share real-world examples of impact-washing, offer tips on how to communicate your sustainability story with clarity and confidence, and explain how to build trust with investors, partners, and customers from day one. If you’re building a green-tech business and want to avoid greenwashing without going silent, this one’s for you.

Access our Greenwashing Resource to learn more about the six types of greenwashing and use our greenwashing messaging checker: View the Resource.

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