Silence isn’t a strategy: Why “greenshouting” matters for business growth

A chill has come over the United States. Too many American companies have shoved their environment, sustainability, and governance (ESG) initiatives to the back of the metaphorical freezer – still there, but out of sight, out of mind, and, worst-case scenario, left to amass freezer burn until dumped in the trash. 

Despite a summer of wildfires, extreme heat and flood-inducing weather events,  many companies are noticeably less outspoken about how they’re doing their part to mitigate the damage of climate change. This reflects a broader shift in the political and regulatory environment since January 2025.

When socially and environmentally responsible companies go silent, bad actors, misinformation and harmful business-as-usual practices fill the void.

Corporate disclosures and public-facing communications from businesses increasingly avoid terms such as “ESG,” “climate change,” and “decarbonization,” even when underlying sustainability initiatives remain in place. Research cited by The Conference Board found a sharp decline in the use of “ESG” in S&P 100 sustainability report titles, and major financial firms have scaled back their participation in climate-focused coalitions amid heightened political scrutiny. 

At the same time, the federal government has actively removed references to “climate change” from public websites and communications, including directives at agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture to archive or unpublish climate-related content. This broader retreat from climate language has contributed to a corporate environment in which companies are increasingly reframing environmental commitments in less politically charged terms or omitting climate-related terminology altogether.

As climate-related risks intensify and public discourse grows more polarized, corporate silence creates a vacuum that can undermine years of progress and weaken public confidence in sustainability efforts.

Now is the moment for companies committed to environmental progress to speak more loudly, not less. 

People are encountering the effects of climate change every day. Extreme temperatures, chronic or recurring droughts, more frequent and devastating natural disasters. Poor air quality and increased risk of disease. Higher electricity bills, higher insurance rates, and greater likelihood of property damage.

Businesses have long played a critical role in advancing renewable energy, reducing emissions, improving resource efficiency, and driving innovation that governments alone cannot deliver. Retreating from public commitments may offer short-term political cover, but it also risks signaling that environmental action is optional rather than essential. Companies that continue to communicate transparently about their goals, challenges and progress can help maintain momentum, demonstrate accountability and reinforce the reality that climate risks – and their dangerous repercussions - remain even if we choose not to acknowledge them. In an era when references to climate change are increasingly being erased from public conversation, corporate leaders have an opportunity—and arguably a responsibility—to ensure that the facts, the science, and the urgency of the challenge remain visible.

Knowing the following terms is a good starting point. 

• Greenwashing – Making untrue, misleading, or unsubstantiated environmental claims
• Greenhushing – Deliberately withholding information about sustainability practices from customers and stakeholders
• Greenshouting – Communicating sustainability efforts openly, accurately, and courageously, grounding claims in evidence, acknowledging challenges, and strengthening a transparent information ecosystem

Greenshouting isn’t easy, but it’s an opportunity worth investing in.

Across the pond in Europe, businesses are already preparing for a transparent and accountable future. The Empowering Consumers Directive, also known as EmpCo, goes into effect this month and could eventually cause worldwide ripples in supply chain transparency. 

EmpCo aims to protect consumers from misleading environmental claims and labels. It bans companies from making unsubstantiated environmental claims, prohibits "carbon neutral” and “climate neutral” claims that rely only on offsetting, and requires independent verification for sustainability labels. This Directive will play an important role in supporting trustworthy labels, ensuring a level playing field, and ultimately enabling consumers to more easily support products and businesses that drive environmental and social change. 

For shoppers across Europe, this will help reduce greenwashing and make it easier to identify products that genuinely align with their values. For businesses, both in Europe and here in the US, it’s an opportunity to build greater trust with shoppers. Rather than shrink from scrutiny, innovative and growth-oriented companies should leverage this framework for responsible sustainability communication to strengthen their actual impact and its power to build loyalty to their brand.

The climate crisis is not pausing for political cycles, changing terminology, or corporate discomfort. Every year of delayed action and diminished transparency makes the challenge more expensive, disruptive, and difficult to solve. Companies that are genuinely investing in resilience and building more sustainable business models – through independently certified ethical sourcing or partnership with farming communities - should not allow those efforts to disappear in silence. 

Greenshouting is about accountability, education and leadership. Consumers, investors, employees, and policymakers need credible examples of what meaningful climate action looks like. If responsible companies retreat from the conversation, they create more space for greenwashers, climate skeptics, and those who unfairly benefit from the status quo. The businesses that continue to speak openly about their impact-oriented social and environmental commitments today will protect their reputations while helping to shape the norms and fuel the real momentum needed to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. The moment calls not for quieter voices, but for clearer, braver, and more persistent ones.