Avoid ‘Greenblushing’ with Five Good Reasons to Communicate

Responsible companies and watchdog groups have had their guard up against greenwashing for quite some time. It still happens, but the purveyors are often called out and they come to regret their over-hyped green claims. 

There is an opposite problem that remains rampant, however. It’s what I would call “greenblushing,” defined as “limited or no information disseminated by an organization so as to understate or ignore its commitment to and actions on environmental responsibility.” And it’s everywhere – especially among mid-size, middle-market, business-to-business companies that are addressing the Three Ps – People, Planet and Profit – but not communicating about it. These proactive, successful companies are “walking the walk,” but they’re too shy or unsure of themselves to talk the talk. 

Organizations resort to greenblushing out of concern about having their motives or level of success questioned – if, for example, energy efficiency efforts are helping them save on energy costs and improve the bottom line, then they worry about disclosing the self-serving benefits of such efforts. In fact, we ought to be celebrating situations that enrich all Three Ps!

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Gregg LaBar is a managing director of Dix & Eaton, a Cleveland-based integrated communications and public relations consultancy. He is responsible for leading the firm’s specialty in sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) communications and reporting. You can follow him on Twitter, @ThreePs.