Glossary term
Greenhushing
Subject: Sustainability and ESG, ESG Frameworks, Standards and Disclosure
Greenhushing is when a company deliberately plays down or keeps quiet about its climate targets and progress, usually to avoid scrutiny, criticism or legal risk, even though it has real plans in place.
Explanation
The word mirrors greenwashing: where greenwashing overstates, greenhushing understates. Companies tend to hush after seeing others criticised for claims that were later challenged, or when new rules on green marketing or political resistance make public targets a liability. The behaviour shows up as a target set internally but never published, a company leaving a net zero alliance without comment, or sustainability pages that are quietly trimmed. The downside is that investors, customers and employees lose information, and good practice goes unseen by others who could copy it. It is also hard to prove, because a firm may simply have chosen not to speak. Practitioners meet it in disclosure reviews and stakeholder dialogue. The practical cost shows up when investors or staff ask why a once-visible target disappeared, and the silence itself draws questions.
Example
A European engineering firm has set an internal target to halve emissions by 2035 and has funded the first projects. After a competitor is fined over misleading climate advertising, the legal team advises removing the target from the website and annual report. Investors later notice the change and ask the board why progress is no longer reported.
Not to be confused with
- Greenwashing
- Greenwashing overstates environmental credentials. Greenhushing hides real ones.