Green Hushing: Unveiling the deceptive silence beyond greenwashing

In an era where environmental consciousness is on the rise, businesses are increasingly seeking ways to showcase their sustainability efforts. However, a concept known as "green hushing" has emerged, casting doubt on the transparency of these eco-friendly claims. 

Green hushing refers to the intentional silence or omission of important environmental information by companies. This deceptive practice sets it apart from greenwashing, which involves exaggerating or misleading consumers about environmental initiatives. In this article, we will explore the insidious nature of green hushing, its implications, and how it differs from greenwashing.

Understanding Green Hushing

Green hushing is a strategy employed by companies to withhold or downplay negative environmental aspects associated with their products or practices. While greenwashing aims to create a positive image by exaggerating eco-friendliness, green hushing seeks to maintain a neutral stance by avoiding any mention of the environmental impact entirely. This silence prevents consumers from making informed choices and inhibits their ability to hold companies accountable for their actions.

A 2022 survey compiled by South Pole revealed that one in four companies surveyed have set science-based emission reduction targets, but they do not plan to publicise them. If a side effect of setting a goal is that a bunch of people are yelling at companies from the outside for not getting there fast enough, that creates an incentive to be a little quieter. Increased scrutiny by the media, NGOs, the public, and consumer and market authorities may have made companies more wary than ever about communicating their targets.

France is one of the few countries that has explicit regulation in place on corporate climate claims. In contrast, Singapore-based companies were the most open to publicising their reduction targets. Among big, publicly traded companies in the US and Europe, well-established sustainability norms would dull the impact of. green hushing. But among smaller businesses in these places, and for bigger firms in other regions, those norms are less established; in that sense green hushing could be a problem, if it slows the expansion of the norms into that new terrain.

Green hushing often manifests in various ways. For instance, a company might market a product as "green" without disclosing the materials used or the manufacturing processes involved. Another example could be a business withholding information about its waste management practices or pollution levels. By selectively sharing information, companies create an illusion of sustainability without addressing their true environmental impact.

Implications of Green Hushing

Green hushing has several detrimental effects on both consumers and the environment. Firstly, it erodes trust and transparency between businesses and their customers. Consumers who genuinely care about the environment rely on accurate information to make responsible purchasing decisions. When companies engage in green hushing, they undermine this trust, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish genuine eco-friendly products from those making false claims.

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Moreover, green hushing perpetuates the status quo of unsustainable practices. By silencing information about harmful production methods or their ecological footprint, companies avoid the scrutiny and pressure to improve their environmental performance. This obstructs progress toward a more sustainable future and inhibits the development of innovative solutions to address environmental challenges.

Additionally, green hushing can hinder regulatory efforts to enforce environmental standards. When companies obscure or fail to disclose critical environmental information, it becomes challenging for regulatory bodies to assess compliance and hold businesses accountable. This lack of transparency undermines regulatory efforts, ultimately weakening the effectiveness of environmental protection measures.

Distinguishing Green Hushing from Greenwashing

Although green hushing and greenwashing share similarities, they differ in their approach and intent. Greenwashing involves making exaggerated or misleading claims about a product's environmental benefits. It is a deliberate marketing strategy designed to attract environmentally conscious consumers. On the other hand, green hushing is characterised by the omission or concealment of crucial environmental information, preventing consumers from fully understanding the true impact of a product or company.

While greenwashing misleads consumers by creating a false perception of environmental responsibility, green hushing keeps consumers in the dark altogether. Greenwashing attempts to capitalise on the demand for sustainability, while green hushing aims to maintain a veneer of neutrality and avoid scrutiny.

A fear of being called out

It remains to be seen if green hushing will have the same sort of staying power as its antithesis greenwashing. That term was coined nearly 40 years ago to describe the way companies exaggerate about their environmental credentials and has become so commonplace it was recently added to the dictionary. One assessment of greenwashing in the European Union last year found that nearly half of the “green online claims” being made by companies were exaggerated, deceptive, or false. 

Glaring data points like this have triggered legal crackdowns; Australia’s competition watchdog recently made greenwashing an enforcement priority , and new EU Directive could prohibit environmental performance claims that can’t be backed up. Heightened sensitivity to such scrutiny might speak to the idea of not speaking at all.

There are other practical reasons for green hushing. One is a perception that green products will require undesirable trade-offs: If I tell you I’m buying a green cleaning product for my house, you might not expect it to get mildew off the shower tiles.There’s also a perception issue related to timing. If I’m the first company to go net-zero then I get more press for it, if I’m the 347th company to go net-zero, nobody cares and if I’m the 1,500th company then I’m actually seen as a laggard.

Accountability has to be fostered

Green hushing represents a troubling trend in the corporate world, as it stifles transparency and hampers progress toward sustainability. By intentionally withholding environmental information, companies impede consumer choice and hinder efforts. to address pressing ecological challenges. It is crucial for businesses to embrace genuine transparency, providing accurate and comprehensive information about their environmental practices.

As consumers, we have the responsibility to remain vigilant and demand transparency from the companies we support. By fostering a culture of accountability and encouraging open dialogue, we can help dismantle the deceptive practices of green hushing and foster a truly sustainable future.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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