V3I6P3

Research on Factors Affecting University Students’ Ability to Identify Greenwashing Practices in Hanoi 

Phùng Thị Thu Trà¹, Nguyễn Thị Thùy Giang¹, Nguyễn Phương Thảo¹, Nguyễn Ngọc Lan¹, Tran Cuong¹

Abstract

Greenwashing has become an increasingly important issue in the context of growing environmental awareness and sustainable consumption trends. This paper reviews the major factors affecting university students’ ability to identify greenwashing practices in Hanoi. Drawing upon previous studies and theoretical perspectives such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Signaling Theory, and the Affect–Reason–Involvement framework, the study examines the roles of environmental knowledge, environmental concern, consumer skepticism, and message characteristics in influencing greenwashing recognition. The paper adopts a conceptual review approach by synthesizing previous academic studies related to greenwashing, green marketing, and consumer behavior. The findings from the literature suggest that students with stronger environmental knowledge and higher levels of skepticism are generally more capable of critically evaluating environmental claims and identifying misleading green marketing practices. In contrast, vague claims, emotional appeals, and visual greenwashing strategies may reduce consumers’ ability to distinguish genuine sustainability efforts from deceptive environmental communication. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable consumption and green marketing by providing a conceptual framework explaining university students’ greenwashing recognition in the Vietnamese context. The paper also proposes several implications for educational institutions, policymakers, and businesses to improve environmental literacy, strengthen advertising transparency, and promote sustainable communication practices.

Keywords:

Greenwashing, green marketing, university students, consumer skepticism, sustainable consumption