120 - Corporate backlash

Greenhushing

Author

The Climate Mentor
March 21st, 2025 ā€¢ Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Backtracking on climate promieses šŸ”„ 

Major U.S. companiesā€”including Walmart, Kraft Heinz, and American Airlinesā€”are quietly scaling back their public climate commitments.

This trend, known as "greenhushing," reflects a growing reluctance to disclose environmental targets, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in corporate sustainability.

But why are companies stepping back now?

A 2x2 matrix showing the relationship between environmental performance and communication about environmental performance. The x-axis represents environmental performance (bad to good), and the y-axis represents communication levels (limited to extensive). The quadrants are labeled as: Top left: Greenwashing firms (extensive communication, poor environmental performance) Top right: Vocal green firms (extensive communication, good environmental performance) Bottom left: Silent brown firms (limited communication, poor environmental performance) Bottom right: Greenhushing: silent green firms (limited communication, good environmental performance)

Greenhushing vs. Greenwashing: the corporate sustainability matrix

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