Greenhushing
Greenhushing, at its core, refers to the practice where businesses understate or deliberately keep quiet about their environmental efforts.
It’s a counterpoint to ‘greenwashing‘, where companies exaggerate their environmental contributions.
Origins of Greenhushing
The term ‘Greenhushing’ emerged as a response to the increasing scrutiny of businesses’ environmental claims, often leading to accusations of greenwashing.
As a result, some companies started to understate their environmental efforts, which was then named Greenhushing. Businesses can see this as a strategic move to avoid the negative publicity associated with greenwashing. By keeping their sustainability efforts under wraps, these companies aim to sidestep the potential backlash from overstating their green credentials.
Greenhushing vs Greenwashing
Greenhushing and greenwashing are two sides of the same coin, both relating to how businesses communicate their environmental efforts. While greenwashing refers to the practice of overstating or falsely advertising a company’s environmental friendliness, Greenhushing is the act of understating or not publicizing these efforts at all.
Both practices can be seen as manipulative and unethical, as they distort the true picture of a company’s environmental impact. However, they represent different strategies that companies may adopt in response to the increasing demand for corporate sustainability.
Why businesses greenhush
In an era where consumers are more environmentally conscious, businesses are under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. However, this can lead to exaggerated claims and, subsequently, accusations of greenwashing.
Another reason for Greenhushing is the fear of highlighting the company’s environmental impact. Even if a company makes genuine efforts towards sustainability, it might still have a significant environmental footprint. By keeping quiet about their green initiatives, businesses can avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Implications of greenhushing
Impact on corporate reputation
For businesses, Greenhushing can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can help them avoid the negative publicity associated with greenwashing. On the other hand, it can lead to missed opportunities to enhance their reputation and engage with environmentally conscious consumers.
If a company’s sustainability efforts are discovered by third parties and seen as genuine, it can be seen as a sign of humility and authenticity, suggesting that the company is committed to sustainability for its own sake rather than for publicity.
Impact on consumer trust
For consumers, Greenhushing can make it more difficult to make informed choices about the products and services they use. Without accurate information about a company’s environmental efforts, consumers cannot reward businesses genuinely committed to sustainability.
Greenhushing can enhance consumer trust if consumers discover a company’s unpublicized sustainability efforts, they may perceive the company as more authentic and trustworthy.
Greenhushing in practice
These include not mentioning sustainability efforts in marketing materials, not publishing sustainability reports, and not seeking third-party certification for their green initiatives.
Examples: Patagonia and Ikea
One notable example is the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. Despite being widely recognized for its commitment to sustainability, Patagonia has often chosen to understate its environmental efforts. This has been seen as a strategic move to avoid accusations of greenwashing and to maintain its authenticity.
Another example is the Swedish furniture giant IKEA. While IKEA has made significant strides in sustainability, it has often kept these efforts quiet. This aligns with the company’s broader strategy of ‘doing rather than saying’, which aims to build trust through actions rather than words.
Addressing greenhushing
Role of Businesses
Businesses have a crucial role to play in addressing Greenhushing. They need to be more transparent about their environmental efforts and communicate them in an accurate and honest way. This involves avoiding greenwashing and greenhushing and instead striving for a balanced approach that accurately reflects their environmental impact.
Businesses can also take proactive steps to address Greenhushing. This includes seeking third-party certification for their green initiatives, publishing comprehensive sustainability reports, and engaging in open dialogue with consumers about their environmental efforts.
Role of Consumers
Consumers also have a significant role to play in addressing Greenhushing. By demanding transparency and holding businesses accountable for their environmental claims, consumers can discourage greenwashing and Greenhushing. This involves being critical of businesses’ information and seeking out independent sources of information about their environmental efforts.
Consumers can also reward businesses that are transparent about their environmental efforts. By supporting these businesses, consumers can create a market incentive for transparency and honesty in corporate sustainability.