Colin Hunt: ‘We’ve seen greenwashing. The new phenomenon is greenhushing’
Colin Hunt: ‘We’ve seen greenwashing. The new phenomenon is greenhushing’
The article highlights AIB’s transition from a state-dependent entity to a market-driven bank, noting a strategic shift from opaque green finance rhetoric to a practice of "greenhushing." This phenomenon, where organizations continue investing in sustainability without publicizing it, serves as a nuanced counterpoint to traditional greenwashing by prioritizing actual capital deployment over marketing claims. Despite this operational maturity, the bank’s retail mortgage portfolio reveals potential greenwashing risks, with nearly 60% of recent loans designated as "green" based on energy ratings. This broad categorization raises questions about the specificity and rigor of their environmental criteria, illustrating how financial institutions may expand the definition of sustainable finance to capture market share. This case is relevant to greenwashing discourse as it demonstrates the industry’s evolution from blatant exaggeration to subtler forms of obfuscation. It underscores the need for transparent, verifiable standards in sustainable banking, distinguishing between genuine ecological impact and the strategic management of a bank’s public environmental narrative.
Source: irishtimes.comPublished on 2026-01-09