The minute
- Greenhushing is scaling back or stopping ESG disclosure, while still working toward the target
- The most common driver is fear of scrutiny: better not to announce than to announce and be held to it
- Industry surveys point to a rising share of companies with a climate target that no longer report progress publicly
Why it matters: Going quiet does not remove the legal risk of a missed target, and it also cuts the company off from the reputational benefit the target could bring.
Why it is rising
After years of greenwashing scrutiny, some companies decided the safer path is to communicate less, not more. This is especially common among companies with carbon-neutral targets set before today’s requirement for a reduction plan (ISO 14068-1:2023, replaced in September 2026 by ISO 14068:2026).
The risk silence does not solve
A public target set in an earlier report, contract or prospectus still stands even without new disclosure. Stopping communication does not cancel the commitment, it just lowers its visibility until someone asks.
The middle ground
Reporting what was measured, alongside what is still unresolved, tends to protect more than either full silence or an overstated promise. It is the same anti-greenwashing test, applied in reverse.
Frequently asked questions
Is greenhushing illegal?
Not by itself. The risk is not staying quiet, it is failing to meet a commitment already made public before.
Does this affect Brazilian companies?
Yes, particularly companies with an international target set in an investor report, even without a reporting requirement in Brazil yet.
What is the difference from greenwashing?
Greenwashing overstates what was done; greenhushing hides what was already committed to.
Read next: what greenwashing is.
Read next: how to write the sustainability report.
Primary sources: ISO 14068:2026 Climate change management, Carbon neutrality (ISO, 2026); ISO 14068-1:2023, now withdrawn and replaced by ISO 14068:2026 (ISO, 2023); IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB, 2023).
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