Joshua Aspiring Journalist

Greenhushing was first coined in 2008 by Jerry Stifelman and Sami Grover in a blog post for treehugger.com, a company self-described as ‘the only modern sustainability site that offers advice, clarity, and inspiration for both the eco-savvy and the green-living novice.’ Green hushing is a term describing the practice of companies withholding their eco-friendly aims, fearing that they may be seen as greenwashed or could be confronted for failing to meet their declared goals.

Greenhushing is a by-product of the new EU law that ‘empowers consumers against corporate greenwashing’. As this law emerged in January 2024, companies started to keep quiet about trying to be eco-friendly to avoid backlash and accusations of greenwashing. This hiding of information stems from the fear that, despite actual efforts, their sustainable aims might be scrutinised by the public. Because of this, businesses are reluctant to release their green aims, fearing the potential damage to their reputation, if they do not reach their ambitious pledges.

There are plenty of examples of greenhushing in our current world. A common example of greenhushing could be a company that notably decreases the number of greenhouse gases it produces or uses more renewable energy but decides not to publish these advancements. By keeping quiet about their advancements, the companies miss the opportunity to set an industry standard or inspire smaller enterprises to use similar techniques. The keeping of this information puts the brakes on the collective progress towards stopping climate change.

Greenhushing can have bad environmental consequences since refusing to discuss eco-friendly aims may limit climate progress. This is particularly true for large companies that may persuade others to join them in their climate progress by releasing their aims and strategies to achieve said aims. The spreading of eco-friendly strategies relies on sharing knowledge. This creates a stunted growth in the movement towards a more sustainable future, as smaller companies and consumers may need more clarification about effective measures and achievable objectives.

Greenhushing is growing, and with it growing, it becomes harder and harder to recognize. It hides the actual efforts made by corporations to tackle environmental issues. To fight this trend, there is a need for the media, and consumers to support a culture where environmental progress is encouraged. This progress can only come to life through transparency and communication. 

While greenhushing may keep companies from backlash, it still counteracts the efforts required to address the growing climate crisis. A change towards transparency, and less backlash for actual eco-friendly efforts, can create a place where companies feel happy to share their ecological efforts, thereby making a world of growing improvement and responsibility for our planet’s wellbeing.