Green Shy?: Understanding Green Hushing in the 21st Century

The second decade of the 21st century has proven to be “interesting” for the climate movement to say the least. We have gone from witnessing explicit climate denial by certain actors, to now seeing those very same actors employ creative ways to delay climate action, including through the use of several greenwashing techniques [1] [2]. 

It now feels like we are in this weird stage, where we are witnessing the symptoms of climate denial and delayism simultaneously [3]. Add to that, there is a more nuanced phenomenon called “the green hushing phenomenon” [4]. This phenomenon has not received quite the same recognition as other buzzwords, despite the significant implications that it could have [5]. In this article, I will attempt to demystify the term green hushing. To do that, I will clarify what it means, explain why it is gaining traction and look at the actors driving the strategy. Finally, I will present some examples that show how we can combat it across various governance levels. 

Green Hushing Broken Down: Who, What, Why?

Green hushing can be defined as the act of “under-communicating or not publicising undertaken sustainability efforts” [5][6][7]. Most reasons for green hushing are grounded in fear: 

1. Fear of being the “Environmental Kill Joy”: This is especially present in the tourism sector where there is a perception that tourists, when travelling, are seeking convenience and escapism. Accordingly, they do not want to engage in any political or social issues [8][9]. We find the hospitality sector, especially, more reluctant to overtly announce or adopt sustainable practices, such as power saving, reduced plastic consumption and/or cleaning services and garments change [8][9]. 
2. Fear of losing consumers due to stigma around green products: Among many consumers, green purchases and behaviours have negative connotations [8] [10]. In a 2025 study, consumers openly described green products as reserved for the ‘Hippy, nutcases, elitists, extremists’ and the list goes on [8]. 
3. Fear of being called out as a greenwasher: Several companies are now very sceptical about promoting any green initiative they have adopted for fear of being labelled as green washers [5][7].
4. Fear of being scrutinised: According to a recent study,  a company that has cut its emissions by 30% “might decide not to publicly disclose these achievements to avoid increased scrutiny or further third-party verification” [10].

Is Green Hushing All that Bad?: A Personal Perspective

When I first started to write this article, I found myself a bit torn as to my position on green hushing. As a Muslim, one of the lessons we are taught as we grow up is to do good deeds in private [11]. This got me thinking that maybe green hushing is ok – after all, it is just a way for companies to do good deeds without boasting about them. 

But then, after reflecting, I came to the conclusion that there is a difference between the Islamic virtue of doing good deeds from the heart and not bragging about them, and what green hushers are doing. The latter are ultimately driven by fear, which leads them to conceal their actions and, in doing so, discourages the adoption of more ambitious measures while eroding consumer trust [5]. However, green hushers are not the only ones at fault. As outlined below, there is an important role to be played by governments, CSOs and consumers to overcome this hushing behaviour.

Multilevel Actions to Combat Green Hushing

1. Incentives for green processes and products (the carrot): Sustainable actions should be rewarded. Green certification and training programmes, such as the Green Star Initiative in Egypt for hotels could encourage businesses to be more open and ambitious about their actions [14]. Businesses also have the responsibility to incentivise ethical and sustainable consumption among their consumers [8]. In this way, the pressure surrounding the disclosure of their actions may be reduced, allowing green targets to be developed in collaboration with consumers.
2. Sustainability reporting (the stick): Examples of sustainability reporting include the controversial EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Among other things, these regulations require companies over a certain revenue and employee threshold to monitor and disclose their value chain emissions as well as other environmental and human rights metrics [12] [13].
3. Activists and the broader role of consumers: Activists and consumers need to create safer spaces for businesses. While calling out greenwashing is important from an accountability lens, it should be coupled with the celebration of companies that are actively taking steps to embed greener and more sustainable practices.