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'Greenhushing': The silent sabotage of environmental progress
The regulator often acts as the "owner" of the area and you should never challenge it with facts or criticize it in forums, no matter how strong your arguments or how noble your goals.
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Protective plants: A man prepares mangrove seedlings to be planted along the coast near Tapulaga village in Konawe regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Oct. 12, 2023. The project was initiated by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) with the support of the provincial administration. (Antara/Jojon)
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n an age where the need for sustainability has never been more important, lurking beneath the thin surface is a pernicious phenomenon called “greenhushing”.
This term refers to the reluctance of groups or institutions to publicly communicate their achievements in the field of environmental and sustainability initiatives. Even when their achievements go beyond compliance, embracing innovation and implementing best practices, they opt to remain quiet.
As quoted by earth.org, last year's report from Swiss carbon finance firm South Pole revealed that the equivalent of 25 percent of surveyed heavy-emitting companies based in the United Kingdom are choosing to set sustainability targets but are still refusing to publicize them completely. Approximately 20 percent of companies surveyed worldwide are also choosing to keep quiet.
Companies refuse to publish anything about the sustainability of their products or services for fear of being open to criticism. An article in Fast Company said this reluctance stems from accusations of exaggeration, recent legal actions against brands like Dasani and Whole Foods, and the European Union's crackdown on misleading environmental claims.
There is also a new factor at play – the fear of an "anti-woke" backlash, particularly in the United States, where BlackRock faced divestments due to its strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus.
Initially attributed to companies, greenhushing can have a significant impact on nonprofit institutions such as environmental NGOs. The impact of greenhushing on environmental programs is profound and multifaceted, with far-reaching implications.
Although the causes of greenhushing may vary across institutions, several main reasons can be identified. The first reason is the fear of public scrutiny.
