“Decoding the Shift: The Surging Trend of Brands Opting to Keep Their Sustainability Goals Private”

Navigating the realm of sustainable fashion, major brands are finding themselves in a dichotomy devoid of middle ground. While the recent past saw the reproach of “greenwashing,” a strategic messaging ploy employed by companies to feign sustainability—often cloaked in eco-friendly packaging—presently, a new paradigm is taking shape: “greenhushing.” This phenomenon entails a deliberate omission of any mention of a brand’s ecological impacts and aspirations. A growing trend, akin to its predecessor, greenwashing, greenhushing is a trajectory that warrants careful avoidance.

As governments increasingly direct their focus towards eco-advertising, crafting legislation to counteract misleading marketing claims, and as a wave of eco-influencers and transparency assessments expose untruthful green practices, brands are resorting to a strategic retreat. They opt for silence on subjects that, although discomfiting, persistently remain in the spotlight.

South Pole’s 2022 Net Zero report unveils a telling insight: a mounting number of companies are wholeheartedly adopting tangible objectives to enhance their sustainable practices. Curiously, within the pool of 1,200 surveyed organizations, a quarter abstain from communicating these endeavors. The report encapsulates this shift succinctly: “Embarking on the green journey, only to shroud in obscurity thereafter.”

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The term “greenhushing,” although gaining prominence this year, has been in existence since 2008. Coined by brand strategist Jerry Stifelman and environmental author Sami Grover on the esteemed platform Treehugger.com, this practice predates the emergence of greenwashing. In recent times, its prevalence has grown, partly propelled by the amplified media attention showered on the latter phenomenon. As an increasing number of brands face allegations of disingenuous sustainability claims and suspicions of misleading customers concerning circularity and recycling initiatives, greenhushing offers companies a means to evade environmental accountability through calculated omission, thereby sidestepping rigorous scrutiny.

Fashion Revolution’s latest report underscores an alarming trend: the escalation of brands that shirk their participation in the annual Fashion Transparency Index. This rise is indicative of a broader industry issue. While greenhushing might be deemed less detrimental than its counterpart, greenwashing, it remains a matter of international concern.

During the Global Fashion Summit held last June, Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, cast light on this phenomenon, elucidating the potential future risks it carries. She emphasized the urgency of bolstering those enterprises that embrace change and sustainability initiatives, preventing the trajectory of greenhushing from spiraling further. Marchionni urged support for those companies that refrain from sustainability efforts due to apprehensions of stringent audits. Her words echoed a profound sentiment: “We must thwart the intensification of greenhushing, while accentuating the worth of sustainability by spotlighting those champions of positive change.”