Research commissioned by environmental charity Earthwatch reveals increasing number of UK businesses have engaged in 'greenhushing' in the past year
Nearly a quarter of medium and large businesses in Great Britain have indulged in so-called 'greenhushing' in the past year, admitting they have under communicated their sustainability practices.
That is the concerning finding of new research commissioned by environmental charity Earthwatch Europe which saw YouGov survey of more than 1,000 senior decision makers from UK businesses.
The results showed that 23.6 per cent of those from medium and large companies felt that their business had - either deliberately or inadvertently - 'greenhushed' their achievements in the past year by under-communicating their sustainability initiatives or goals.
Earthwatch Europe said the findings highlight the increasing prevalence of greenhushing in corporate sustainability departments, as firms look to minimise the risk of being accused of greewashing or provoking further scrutiny.
"Business leaders must be open to receiving constructive criticism and must prioritise transparency in their sustainability reporting," said Steve Andrews, chief executive of Earthwatch Europe.
"Lack of transparency is a form of evading scrutiny, which poses risks not only to the business in question but also to the broader industry, economy and - crucially - the outlook for our planet."
Andrews urged companies to embrace transparency and actively engage with stakeholders on sustainability issues.
"Only by being honest and open about their environmental impact can companies build trust and credibility with consumers, investors, and other stakeholders," he added.
The survey also found that a challenge faced by both large and medium businesses is the need to balance both sustainability and financial objectives.
The report cited a warning made last month by the International Monetary Fund, which forecast that the UK would be the worst-performing of the G7 economies, and warned that during times of "severe economic stress, there's a danger that environmental commitments are being deprioritised".
The survey follows a whitepaper from Earthwatch published last month on greenhushing and the importance of transparency in sustainability reporting.
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