The claims by corporations and companies the world over to meet net-zero targets by 2030 have been well-heard over the past few years, but what about those companies that claim they are aiming for those targets but never show the actual detail about how they are going to meet them? Modern consumers are not as likely to forget and forgive if big brands don’t do what they say they are doing, especially when it comes to environmental targets. This is why understanding greenhushing as a concept and partnering with companies that you can trust is so important to businesses and brands.
Defining Greenhushing
Greenhushing is a term used to describe companies that make a deliberate point of not mentioning the efforts they are making to meet sustainability and climate targets. It is also used to describe companies that do mention these targets but do not provide any clear evidence of the processes and measures introduced to meet those targets. If a company does not mention what it is doing to combat climate change, it probably doesn’t want you to know what it is doing/or not doing.
Why Companies Engage in Greenhushing
There are different reasons why companies might engage in greenhushing, but overall, it will be because no targets are being met to help reduce the carbon footprint of the company and to reach long-term net-zero targets. Some companies might claim carbon neutrality because it makes them stand out from competitors and to take a ‘moral’ standpoint in a cynical way to appeal to modern consumers. If a company is not actually completing the steps to achieve targets it can cause reputational damage, so to say nothing is a tactic. In some industries, failure to comply with decarbonisation can lead to fines, which in turn hit shareholder profits, and potential legal action. In some cases, a company might be using ‘green’ initiatives but worry about the perception of some consumers that this lowers the quality of product or service on offer (think about the reluctance of consumers to switch to electric vehicles at first when the technology was not readily available everywhere).
How to Identify Greenhushing in Companies
There are a few ways in which you can identify greenhushing in companies:
- The major one is if you can’t find anything at all about commitments to work in a more sustainable way and to help the environment. It is obviously much harder to question the commitment of a company if the information doesn’t exist.
- The company’s website might lack reports, assessments, certificates, and independently assessed accreditations relating to environmental practices, which is a big red flag.
- If a company is vague about their environmental processes and makes big statements such as ‘all of your waste will be recycled’ without explaining how they will achieve this.
Best Practices for Companies to Avoid Greenhushing
It is important for a company that is genuine about environmental processes and sustainability that it can demonstrate how and why it will achieve its aims. A confidential shredding service for instance, will set out how and why it aims to recycle your confidential waste, providing certificates of destruction and a clear outline of the location of the shredding (if it is off-site and not on-site shredding). A good company with clear environmental intentions will show the journey for the customer, where it aims to be in a set time and how it will achieve that target.
Conclusion
Greenhushing is a dangerous game to play for companies and big brands. Modern consumers are more inclined to choose a company that is genuinely green. If a company cannot prove the processes that it is claiming, it can lead to distrust and a loss of custom, and in some industries, fines and reputational damage in a legal sense.
