The rise of the quiet environmentalists and what silence costs us

We used to talk about the “quiet conservatives” - a mysterious group of voters who held their cards close and delivered political upsets at the ballot box. Invisible in polling, unheard on panels, yet decisive on election day.

Now there is a new version: the quiet environmentalists. But this time, they are not lurking in swing states, they are sitting in corporate boardrooms.

These are the companies making real climate commitments - buying high-quality carbon removal credits, investing in durable solutions and paying a premium for permanence - without saying a word about it. No ESG fanfare, no glossy campaigns, not even a humble LinkedIn post. Just quiet, deliberate action.

This is called greenhushing, and it is quickly becoming one of the biggest hidden forces in corporate climate action.

A few weeks ago, I spoke to someone on the net zero team at one of the world’s largest asset managers. Publicly, the firm looked like it was rowing back - softening language, downplaying targets, stepping away from the spotlight. But privately? They were doubling the size of the team and increasing investment. 

This is the greenhushing paradox. After years of overstatement, companies are now pulling back. Not because they have lost ambition - but because they have lost patience. With scrutiny. With backlash. With the sense that any public statement will be torn apart before it’s even finished loading.

But all this silence comes with a risk.

First, it slows progress. Corporate climate action is often a confidence game - no one wants to be first, but everyone wants to be second. If companies don’t see others moving, they assume nothing is happening. Momentum stalls.

Second, it stifles learning. We’re in the early stages of carbon removal markets. There is no perfect playbook. But if companies keep what they are doing to themselves, we all spend longer reinventing the same wheel.

And third, greenhushing lets the laggards off the hook. When the serious actors stay silent, there is no contrast. The public can’t tell who is credible. The market becomes even harder to read.

So what is the way forward?

Companies don’t need to shout. But they do need to speak plainly. If you are backing carbon removals, say so. If you are paying a premium for better tonnes, explain why. No need for a campaign - just a clear signal. 

We also need to celebrate substance over style. Leadership doesn’t always come in the form of a keynote speech or a cinematic video. Sometimes it looks like a difficult procurement decision. A CFO signing off on a more expensive but more credible solution. That is the sort of action that should be recognised - not buried.

And finally, we need to make it easier to speak together. Buyers’ clubs, joint declarations, shared frameworks - all of these give companies a sense of cover. And in a market like this, cover helps. Also, collective action is a powerful way for businesses to address negative externalities like climate change, achieving far greater impact together than they could alone.

The quiet environmentalists are already shaping the future of corporate climate action. But if they stay silent, we lose the momentum we need.

Now is not the time for whispering.

illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.