Fear vs Opportunity

New research out this week stopped me in my tracks.

85% of large UK organisations have deliberately cut back on their sustainability communications. Not because they lack progress to share. But because they're scared — of greenwashing accusations, regulatory scrutiny, and public backlash.

Here's what makes that number even more striking: 98% of those same organisations have lost business or been excluded from contracts because they couldn't back up their sustainability credentials.

Let that sink in.

Companies are going quiet on sustainability precisely when being credible about it could win them business.

This is the greenhushing trap. And it is costing organisations real money.

New research cited in Reuters this week also found that 89% of respondents are concerned their sustainability claims could be challenged by regulators or the public. And yet 93% believe their customers would pay a premium for a genuinely sustainable product or service.

The opportunity is there. The fear is getting in the way.

What's the answer? The research points to something I've been saying for a while — breaking down the silos between sustainability, finance, compliance, and communications teams. Making sure the data, the disclosures, and the public narrative are all telling the same story.

That's not a communications problem. It's a strategic alignment problem. And it requires someone who understands both the rigour of the new reporting environment and the art of building credible narratives for sophisticated audiences.

We are in the investor era now. Silence is not a strategy. But neither is polished purpose-led storytelling that can't withstand scrutiny.

The companies that will win are the ones that build communications grounded in what they actually disclose — and find the confidence to say it clearly.