The new greenlash: from greenwashing and sustainability inflation to the sustainability backlash—and how to tackle it
Additional information
Authors
Type
Journal Article
Year
2025
Language
English
Abstract
The current backlash against sustainability policies, known as greenlash, has among its causes an inflation of the sustain-
ability debate that has been fuelled by important shifts in mode, scope, and state of greenwashing. Responding to calls
for novel approaches to this crisis, this Perspective first conceptualises sustainability debate inflation as the difference
between the growth of the sustainability ‘talk’ (statements, pledges, and commitments) and the increase in the sustain-
ability ‘walk’ (substantive, long-lasting, sustainability-related actions). Then, drawing an analogy with macroeconomic
models of inflation, it proposes transposing the monetary and fiscal contractionary policies devised to curb inflation to
address sustainability debate inflation. Specifically, a form of sustainability debate austerity that temporarily ‘freezes’ the
debate, thus curbing inflationary pressures, is suggested. As in classic macroeconomics responses, this change is expected
to trigger an increase in the supply and, after a series of readjustments, the lost output would be regained, and a new
equilibrium—where the talk matches the walk—would be met: a harsh but necessary measure to save sustainability
from the consequences of its own success.
Keywords
Greenwashing · Greenhushing · Greenwashing truthers · Sustainability · Inflation · Policy
Journal
Discover Sustainability
Volume
6
Number ( Month )
296 ( April )
Pages (or article number)
1-7
