Green Hushing

“Greenwashing is disinformation designed to distract the public from the environmental impacts companies do not address. Green-hushing is a failure to tell people about the benefits you bring above and beyond the established and the obvious,”  writes Astrid Wynne in her recent piece featured on Data Centre Dynamics (DCD) website. But why would companies choose not to shout their green practices from the highest mountain? 

 Fears of Greenwashing

With increased awareness of environmental issues, consumers are more aware of Greenwashing - the act of making unsubstantiated claims that products are environmentally friendly or have a greater positive environmental impact than they actually do. Astrid cites moves made by both Microsoft (sequestering Ocean algae that could create future environmental problems) and Google (selling search ads to oil giants that allowed them to downplay their environmental impact) That have drawn criticism of greenwashing from the Public.

A recent example we have watched first hand is Amazon Web Services initiatives that were publicised in a fireside chat with Research and Sustainability Director Rich Kenny at Data Centre World. The AWS speaker gave information on the company’s work on green steel and concrete (which are in the AWS sustainability report) and on sea kelp farms, which have not previously been mentioned. 

Storytelling Versus Standards 

As Astrid writes: “Sustainability is moving from a marketing-related story-telling activity to something that is more stringent and standardized.” New standards such as ISOs that cover materials efficiency and circular economy standards have seen sustainability reporting move away from seemingly ‘fluffy’ marketing-related content to a much more scientific approach. This does not mean however that there is no place for narrative in sustainability practices “as long as it is guided by transparency and has an appreciation of where it fits into the bigger picture.”

Looking to the future

With the broadening scope of sustainability risk that companies will have to report on, the best way forward is to focus on what is important to your organisation and how what you are doing helps. Once successful projects have been completed, publicising these wins both passes on good ideas, and opens pathways to new solutions for smaller players.


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