ESG and Business: Going Green or Going Silent?
The push for companies to prioritize sustainable and environmental action has gained momentum in recent years, emphasizing “eco-friendly” and “sustainable,” but some companies are now opting for silence instead of transparency. Below, we explore the emerging trend of greenhushing and its impact on businesses and the environment.
Not to be confused with greenwashing, which is when a company presents itself as more sustainable than it actually is, greenhushing occurs when companies intentionally keep quiet about their sustainability efforts, whether they are successful or not. This silence is driven by the fear of backlash, the inability to achieve goals, or the desire to cover up greenwashing practices.
As customers hold companies accountable for greenwashing and ESG has become hotly politicized, greenhushing has emerged as a new trend. Instead of being transparent, some organizations choose silence for fear of being called out. In doing so, they actively hide their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, despite these themes being an attractive quality to consumers, stakeholders, and team members.
As reported by Fast Company, “a report found that while 71% of S&P 500 companies report their greenhouse gas emissions, only 28% of smaller companies do so. And only 15% of S&P 500 companies disclose information on biodiversity and deforestation, and 12% on water risks.”
Fortunately, several companies are taking action. According to a recent study conducted by the Global Business Transportation Association (GBTA), 68% of North American travel companies prioritize sustainability within their organization, whether it be for reputation management or genuine willingness. Some of their efforts include creating sustainability teams, emission tracking and reduction, ensuring buyers and sellers are integrating these initiatives, communicating sustainable choices with employees, combining trips, encouraging lower emission options, and more. Customers and clients are urging companies they associate with to take more sustainable routes.
Altair’s Commitment to Sustainability Begins at Home-Base
Altair Global has been committed to sustainable environmental practices since 2013. We hold ourselves accountable for our impact on the world, along with our team members, supplier partners, and clients. Sustainability remains a top priority as our values include being approachable, accountable, and authentic in how we work and who we partner with to ensure we are doing the right thing.
In environmental practices, we choose to take care of the planet by taking the greener path, starting with our offices, which are environmentally friendly themselves. All Altair offices are continuing sustainability practices from using LED lights to recycling and much more. We promote paperless operations and prioritize electronic reports, real-time data, and limited paper waste, urging team members to “think before they print.” Because of this, we rely heavily on electronic hardware and electricity such as our Dell Laptop PCs that use 50% less energy than past machines.
Our Path to Net Zero
Within our Altair community, we have established two ESG initiatives to enhance environmental awareness. Our CATALYST program was created to inspire action among our team members, reduce our environmental impact, and give back to our local communities. Additionally, our Team Member Resource Group, LIFE (Lean in For the Environment), brings awareness to team members and inspires action for positive environmental decisions. Our Environmental Sub-committee within our ESG initiatives gathers greenhouse gas emissions for Scopes 1, 2, and 3, creates environmental requirements for third-party supplier partners, and gathers environmental reporting to be used as part of Altair’s annual ESG Plan.
Altair received a Management Level score (B-) from CDP, a global disclosure system for environmental impacts. Additionally, Altair received stellar scores at the Leadership level (A) specifically in the categories of Financial Planning, Scenario Analysis, and Governance & Business Strategy. Environmental disclosures are submitted to the CDP by corporations around the globe to measure their actions to cut emissions and mitigate climate change risks. Altair is now ranked among the top 33% of organizations that reached the Management level, as well as above average compared to others in its activity group of Specialized Professional Services.
Altair also maintains certification based on our EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rating through participation in their program. EcoVadis is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) analysis system, covering 21 criteria across four themes of environment, fair labor practices, ethics/fair business practices, and supply chain. Since 2013, Altair has been awarded silver recognition level. Our score places Altair among the top 20% of all performers.
“I am proud to speak with our clients and community about all the different ways Altair has implemented sustainability within our organization and how we are able to deliver on our results. It’s reassuring to know Altair will never be a part of the greenhushing trend.” – Tammy Clower, Client Services Project Manager
Sustainability Works Better Together
Partnerships are a great way we can give back to the community while helping our clients. Altair is proud to be an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Partner, where our goal is to work with household goods movers within the program while encouraging others to join. The partnership also allows Altair to explore the possibility of allowing clients to view carbon reduction metrics provided by movers that are a part of the EPA program.
Another company we are proud to partner with is Move For Hunger to help eliminate food waste through each relocation. Similarly, Home Sweet Home provides different programs we have been able to implement such as Discard and Donate, allowing employees to discard, sell, and/or donate items before their move, and Save a Tree, Plant a Tree, where for every tree an employee “saves” by utilizing fewer packing materials, three trees are planted by the U.S. Forest Service. We also further invest in our planet with initiatives such as partnering with OneTreePlanted, Ecologi, and Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity where our supplier partners make donations to the forestry for every service order they receive from Altair. As of July 2023, we have planted over 10,000 trees since this partnership began.
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In one year, an adult tree can absorb around 48 pounds of carbon or 21.77 kg of carbon. Taking the 10,000 trees we’ve planted, that’s 480,000 pounds of carbon!
Embracing Transparency and Sustainable Practices
At Altair, we refuse to stay silent when it comes to environmental movements because we recognize our responsibility and influence in the world, and we are dedicated to driving positive change. We continually develop sustainable initiatives wherever possible, both in the corporate relocation industry, as well as in the day-to-day manners in which we conduct our business internally. We strive to enhance sustainability in every facet of global mobility, and we invite others to join us, share their practices, and work together toward a greener future.
