No Time for ‘Green Hushing’: Champion Green Loudly and Proudly

Coined as ‘green hushing,’ some industries and organisations are now opting to avoid talking about their environmental strategies altogether. Companies have become so concerned about being called out for misleading or false environmental claims, commonly termed as ‘greenwashing,’ that they’ve adopted the flipside of this instead.

This ‘green hushing’ trend is highlighted in findings from the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s recent ‘Sustainability Skills Gap Report’. Their research found that regulatory changes, while positive for the environment, have had a negative impact on marketing professionals’ attitudes towards sustainability campaigns. Nearly half (49%) of those surveyed say they are wary of working on them, due to fears for their company or clients being accused of greenwashing.

Be Bold

Champion green loudly and proudly. It’s important that environmental goals are heard and acted upon to help combat climate change – saying nothing won’t save the planet! Impactful campaigns with clear, concise messaging based on facts are essential for decisive action.

This comes at a time when much bolder steps on climate change and biodiversity are being called for. Following this year’s COP29 Climate Conference, stronger national climate plans are due from all countries in 2025. Plans must cover all greenhouse gases and all sectors, to tackle global warming. This will require greater collaboration from us all to ensure that targets can be met.

Be Transparent

Businesses need to be open and authentic about their sustainability measures. This promotes environmental best practice and helps customers make informed choices. A good point of reference is the Green Claims Code, from the Competition and Markets Authority, designed to help businesses and protect consumers from misleading green claims. They recently added specific guidance for fashion businesses, which they indicated was also relevant for any business which manufactures or distributes products.

Reporting on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is fast becoming the norm. Sustainability reporting standards and frameworks are evolving to help companies enhance transparency and communicate sustainability information. Currently, mandatory environmental disclosures generally affect the largest companies, but the direction of travel is towards extending the scope. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) published global standards on sustainability disclosure which took effect this year, with the UK expected to broadly adopt these as a framework in 2025.

Be Heard

Effective communication of ESG efforts and sustainability achievements is key to engaging stakeholders and building support. This should incorporate a mix of ongoing activity, including an ESG policy communicated internally to staff and to external stakeholders. Your environmental communication can include sustainability reports, regularly updated information on your corporate website, blogs, press relations activity, award entries, social media and digital activity as a catalyst for change.

If you’d like our support in your strategic sustainability storytelling, please get in touch.