I'm not going to sugarcoat it: The past few years have been tough for sustainability. Sustainability regulations have been scaled back in many regions, and, in some cases, company targets related to sustainability have been watered down. Despite these setbacks, however, the situation is far less dismal than some would have us believe.
In this issue, we explore how sustainability marketing is evolving – when it works, when it backfires and why claims that sustainability is “dead” miss a more important transformation: Sustainability is not disappearing; it is changing in meaningful and consequential ways. Our goal is not to defend sustainability at all costs, but to be honest about what works, what doesn't and what is changing.
Whoever thinks that sustainability still matters should keep speaking up. There is a critical downside of greenhushing. When companies stop talking about sustainability altogether, silence itself sends a signal. The emerging social norm becomes: No one is doing anything – and neither should we. Just as social norms impact consumers, they can also impact businesses.
Progress depends not only on action, but on visibility. We need to keep talking, share credible progress and signal that meaningful work is underway. Sustainability does not advance through silence. It advances when action is paired with transparency and when we refuse to pretend the work isn't happening.
Let's find ways to have continued conversations about sustainability and share our actions in ways that help us move forward. We've got this!