6 Reasons Companies Greenhush (And Why You Shouldn’t)

As the adage goes, “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Some companies are adopting this approach in their sustainability communications strategy through a practice known as “greenhushing.”

Greenhushing is when organizations keep quiet about environmental sustainability to avoid attention, even when they have strategies and efforts underway. At first glance, this may seem like a cautious — even logical — approach to mitigate reputational risk, but as a sustainability communications practice, it has significant drawbacks.

While businesses have valid reasons for greenhushing, just because companies can justify it, doesn’t necessarily mean they should. Here’s why the arguments for greenhushing — though understandable — are easily refutable.

1. Fears of being labelled greenwashers

Companies are hesitant to open themselves up to scrutiny, particularly if they’ve had a run of inadvertent greenwashing. There’s a certain leap of faith required from brands to spotlight their efforts and celebrate their successes. The inclination to accentuate the positive in sustainability communications has, in many cases, given way to skepticism of the veracity the company’s own efforts for fear that it may be positioned the wrong way or prove untrue due to an overlooked nuance. Considering this, greenhushing has an understandable allure.

But greenhushing is not the solution to greenwashing that it might seem. In fact, they’re just two sides of the same counterfeit coin in the sense that both are detrimental to brand reputation and corporate environmental action.

Just because greenwashing is typically inadvertent doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. How you communicate is in your control. If you know what you’re doing, are certain you’re not making false claims and can back them up with clear unimpeachable facts, your greenwashing risk is minimal. Do the work and investigation to gain this level of confidence. And remember: consumers are on a journey, too. If you’re intentional and authentic, they’ll be in your corner.

2. Concerns over consumer and stakeholder backlash

Much is made in the media about climate change denial and the deniers are doubling down on tactics that create headwinds for society’s progress toward net zero.

Even though the distrust of climate science is arguably most focused in the US, 54 percent of adults view climate change as a major threat. In Europe’s two largest economies, France and Germany, it’s 81 percent and 73 percent, respectively. You can be sure that the numbers are on your side. And as firsthand evidence of the climate crisis mounts, the odds of that trend reversing are low, especially as impacts are increasingly felt on an individual level. Further, if business leaders are seen as taking sustainability seriously, it will go a long way to normalizing it.

3. Lack of understanding and communication skills

Unless a company has put measures in place to communicate from a place of knowledge, the risk of miscommunicating remains high. Interpreting data and outcomes from sustainability initiatives does take a level of skill gained from hiring talent with the right expertise, training current employees or enlisting outside help. It’s true, sustainability isn’t an area where you want to be talking off the cuff. So, don’t do it.

Implement an upskilling program for your internal and external communications functions to support their subject-matter expertise on sustainability and key communications watchouts to consider. Ensure that your sustainability efforts and what they are meant to achieve are well-understood. Create governance mechanisms to sense-check what you put out there. Partner with organizations that have spent decades operating at the intersection of communications and sustainability science that can help you navigate the nuances of this ever-changing world

4. Worries about not doing enough

What if you’re not doing enough? This concern isn’t unfounded, since most companies still aren’t. It’s certainly true there’s brand risk to being perceived as taking inadequate sustainability action. In that sense, the fear of being exposed as not doing enough is understandable. But it does beg the question: Given the seriousness of the challenge facing humanity right now, what’s quantified as enough?

Rather than treating this apprehension as an excuse to greenhush, treat it as motivation to do more. Communicate your ongoing efforts and future goals authentically and transparently. Consumers understand that sustainability is a journey and appreciate brands that are honest about their progress and challenges.

5. Competitive concerns

It’s understandable that broadcasting internal initiatives to the competition in most cases is ill-advised. Anything you say could be used against you either through counter-communications or by setting a higher standard to surpass.

Don’t let competitive concerns cloud your competitive advantage. Transparency about your company’s sustainability efforts is more likely to enhance your competitive advantage than undermine it. Consumers want to feel good about their choices, even long after they’ve made them. How many brands have a customer base that can also be described as a fan base? Moreover, it’s important not to lose sight of why you’re embarking on a sustainable transformation in the first place. Dare your competitors to rise to the challenge. The planet and your brand will be better for it.

6. Regulatory risks

Many companies could be taking a wait-and-see approach to ensure their communications pass regulatory muster or avoid having to report certain topics altogether. Between regulations such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the United States Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides and various others, there's a real risk that making certain claims could lead to liability if they cannot be fully substantiated or if they inadvertently mislead consumers.

While it’s near-certain there will be regulatory considerations with sustainability communications, for the most part these initiatives are shaped by best practices already in use, like the Science Based Targets Initiative and Science Based Targets for Nature. Far from exacerbating legal and regulatory risks, proactive communication about sustainability efforts positions companies to better navigate the regulatory landscape, ensuring compliance and safeguarding against potential legal challenges. In other words, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

On some level, the upside to greenhushing is that companies are recognizing these risks and exercising more caution about what they say. Nonetheless, it would be short-sighted to welcome it. Talking about sustainability in an accurate and frank manner needs to be standard operating procedure across industries.

Yes, today’s consumer is far more critical and skeptical, but it’s important to consider how they got that way. It’s also important not to lose sight of what’s at stake. While a robust sustainability program might help brands win in the market, healthy markets can’t exist without a healthy planet.

Amid this skepticism, the consumer is more likely to misinterpret greenhushing as having something to hide, building distrust whether conscious or unconscious, rather than creating it. The news may not always be good, but looking good should be a byproduct of your efforts, not the aim. The aim is addressing an existential threat to your business and the consumers’ communities.

Consumers have high expectations and directing them to make sustainable choices is not enough, your brand has to be the sustainable choice. When you ultimately get there, you’re not only going to want customers to know it, you’ll want them to believe you.