In contrast to the last newsletter that focused on greenwashing, the article in the url below notes that the phenomenon of greenhushing continues to spread:
"Greenhushing is the inverse of greenwashing: Companies are devoted to combating climate change yet reluctant to publicize their climate efforts. This phenomenon is emerging on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, driven by different factors."
Looking on the bright side, this does not necessarily mean corporations are pulling back from their resource and risk-related commitments, but just that they are not advertising what they are doing:
"In response to the changing political landscape, many executives in corporate America are dropping the mention of 'climate change' in meetings. Instead, they start to highlight non-climate benefits of their work, such as job creation and economic growth."
The contrast in patterns of behavior with Europe is interesting. There, corporations are also minimizing their public statements on sustainability related issues, but for a very different reason:
"In Europe, where climate change hasn't completely fallen off governments' agendas, companies are also keeping their climate actions away from public sight due to the risk of being seen as greenwashing. Overstating green claims cause reputational damage that is hard to repair."
As a result:
"In 2024, 63 out of the 100 largest publicly listed firms in the UK under-promoted their work on environmental protection, according to an analysis by market research firm Connected Impact. … When it came to US companies, the desire for staying unnoticed was even greater — as many as 67 major public and private firms resorted to greenhushing."
I have long understood that low-cost strategy companies like Walmart do not advertise to customers their progressive work on sustainability in their supply chain, but that is due to the danger of misperception around the price being charged (people believe that 'green' products are more expensive; see Strategic CSR – Greenhushing). In this case, it is a different stakeholder (the government) that seems to be driving greenhushing, with uncertain implications:
"Some worry the silence risks damaging consumers' trust and weakening peer pressure needed for motivating more companies to go green. While others say it is a wise business decision in difficult times."
Take care
David
David Chandler
© Sage Publications, 2023
Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/
The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/
The sound of greenhushing
By Coco Liu
March 4, 2025
Bloomberg
