Disclosure: ‘Green Hushing' Climate Targets

South Pole, a Swiss carbon finance consultancy, has published a report which suggests that one in four companies around the globe have decided not to publicize details of their climate targets. This development has been described as "green hushing" and appears to be a response by some companies to fears of greenwashing allegations and non-compliance with legislation. South Pole surveyed 1,200 companies across 12 countries and found that "nearly a quarter of those surveyed . . . will not be publicizing their achievements and milestones beyond the bare minimum or as required by, for example, the Science Based Targets initiative." Despite the trend for non-disclosure by a minority of the companies surveyed, it is also important to note that 72% of responding companies have set or committed to a science-based target (SBT) to reduce emissions; with a further 18% planning to implement targets in the next 12 months, and 67% having both a net-zero target and an SBT. A common