Greenwashing vs Green Hushing: Navigating These Terms in Business ft. Lauren Scott (The Resilience Report)

Hi everyone, 

Welcome to another solo episode of the Resilience Report. 

Today, we're going to talk about two words that we hear quite often in the business space, especially when we start talking about environmental responsibility. And the reason I'm bringing them up on The Resilience Report is that these are actually two important considerations that businesses and leaders need to keep in mind as they really pave the way for more sustainable solutions. 

So, the first is that of greenwashing and the 2nd is newer and it's called green hushing. 

To begin, let's look at greenwashing. 

Probably most people are quite comfortable with this term. It's typically when organization spend more money and time talking about how green they are than actually applying those practices internally. So, you might see certain things: there are a lot of issues around what words we can and cannot use, but you might see some terms such as “natural” or “recycled content” or “sustainable”. And, to date, there has been somewhat of a grey zone as to what we can and cannot say. And this can be really frustrating for consumers, because, when you're trying to do the right thing, you are looking for these organizations to clearly communicate what they are doing so that you can make an informed decision as to what you wish to purchase in terms of a good or a service. 

And I don't always think it's intentional that companies have been doing these greenwashing initiatives. I think sometimes we (and I'm in marketing) I think sometimes we really want to tell the potential of what we're talking about. And so, what happens is that, occasionally, companies in talking about their products and services can maybe hype up what they're doing a little bit more than what is the reality. Governments and regulating bodies are definitely recognizing this issue: that there is a bit of ambiguity. What we're starting to see now is that, by putting in regulations and coming out with guidelines and clear descriptions as to what one can and cannot say (and, if you can say it, what kind of backing or proof points do you need to have behind it) is really going to help everybody. If you are a company or a leader and you're trying to figure out how you can responsibly talk about your product and services and how they help reduce the environmental impact, then these guidelines are actually quite welcome. 

And then at the end of the day, these new greenwashing guidelines - we just saw this come out of the European Union with new regulations come out talking about the potential penalties if you are caught greenwashing and we're seeing the Federal Trade Commission over here in the United States also revising their Green Guides. So, with these legislative changes and our governments getting involved in some of those standards and best practices, it does ultimately allow those companies who are doing well to outshine those that are maybe just spending more time and money on the messaging than actually looking internally and making sure that they are taking the necessary steps to reduce their environmental impact. 

So that's on the greenwashing side. At the end of the day, I would just say I think the new regulations coming in / what is being worked on will really help everybody. Yes, it's going to be a little bit more challenging at times when we're trying to navigate, especially as marketers, what we can and cannot say. However, at the end of the day, it's going to help those businesses who are truly making an impact rise up and stand out, and it's also going to help us as consumers make educated, wise decisions as to where we are spending our money. 

So, greenwashing on one side and then I talked about some other concepts called green hushing. 

This is relatively new, at least to me, and when I read it the other day I thought that's actually a great description because of point 1 (this concept of greenwashing), we're actually seeing the flip side right now, and that is where, as companies and as leaders, we're actually a little bit reluctant to share what we are doing from the environmental side even if we are seeing good progress, because we're scared that it is going to be labeled as greenwashing. We are seeing this certainly with some of the larger organizations - if you are very visible, whether that's to consumers or investors, you're probably already very mindful as to what you can and cannot say. 

The green hushing really kicks in when you are taking those right steps and instead of helping share and promote and celebrate and potentially even inspire others, you actually just view it as safer not saying anything. And I don't think that's the right solution either. 

So, my real hope is that with these new anti-greenwashing regulations coming in, that we will all get greater clarity. I often joke that, when it comes to sustainability, we're at the phase of the Wild, Wild West right now, where we're all trying to navigate it, even those of us with the best intents. So, by having some guidelines, basic practices, some just normalized terminology so that we're all speaking the same language is really going to help those of us who are trying to have a positive impact tell the story in a meaningful and trustworthy way. 

For those of us who are perhaps feeling like we do have to engage in a certain degree of green hushing so as to avoid greenwashing, I think this is a very normal experience. But I do see light at the end of the tunnel with some of the greater clarity that is coming on an international scale as to how we can effectively talk about our environmental impact. 

So again, this is just a quick little solo episode to tackle 2 terms that are certainly everywhere for those ecopreneurs and lighthouse leaders trying to navigate how we can and cannot talk about our environmental impacts. I hope this was helpful. 

If you would like me to discuss any other terms that are quite common in our industry and our business practices, just let me know and I would be happy to dive right in. 

I'll see you on the next episode of The Resilience Report!