From Hushed to Heard: How Reporting Can Bridge the U.S. ESG Credibility Gap

The numbers are clear: 87% of U.S. executives in Clarity’s Responsible Business Outlook for Communicators report rank ESG among their top business priorities, and over half (52%) see it as a long-term corporate value driver—the strongest conviction of any market studied.

Yet a striking gap remains and executives are choosing not to talk about it. Only 39% have increased their sustainability reporting and communications, and nearly a third (31%) cite “greenhushing” (the deliberate downplaying or withholding of ESG progress) as a top concern.

While many U.S. businesses continue to make significant ESG stride, especially businesses with global operations, political headwinds have led many brands to report less, and, in some cases, do less. The result? A silence gap in the U.S. that leaves genuine achievements buried in the corporate shadows.

Contrast this with Australia, where 58% of companies are raising their ambition, or the U.K., where 57% of businesses are communicating updates more frequently. In the Netherlands, nearly half of firms (47%) link sustainability directly to financial upside, compared with just 26% in the U.S. 

In a climate of skepticism and scrutiny, robust and transparent reporting is the bridge between ambition and accountability. 

Why the retreat?

The hesitation isn’t without reason. While some global markets set a clear path, the U.S. political and regulatory space has become increasingly fragmented and uncertain. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s long-proposed climate-disclosure rule is still stuck in legal limbo, while more than thirty states now have anti-ESG bills either enacted or pending.

At the same time, outside Washington, the bar keeps rising: the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has been in force since January 2023 and Australia’s Sustainability Reporting Standards cleared its Parliament last year. And, even at the U.S. state level, California’s Climate Accountability Act will start collecting data for filings due in 2026.

Fragmented U.S. regulations aside, any multinational already has climate data on hand—markets like the EU require it.

Five Lessons for Better Reporting and Communication

Here’s how global brands can break the silence and lead with confidence:

1. Put a Dollar Sign on Impact

Stakeholders glaze over at abstract “tons” and “gallons”—but not at ROI. In its 2024 Growth & Impact Report, Ecolab tied water stewardship to $9.1 billion in customer value (with 226 billion gallons saved and 4.6 million metric tonnes of carbon-dioxide avoided). Clear math + clear mission = an ESG story investors can price.

2. Turn the Data Into a Story People Want to Watch

Spreadsheets rarely go viral, but storytelling can. Apple’s “Mother Nature” sketch with Octavia Spencer grilling Tim Cook, folded all the key metrics into a three-minute boardroom satire. Result: well over 30 million views across YouTube, X and TikTok plus coverage from CNBC to Vanity Fair. 

3. Own the Bad News, Then Show the Fix

Silence invites suspicion; honesty breeds trust. Microsoft went public with a 23% emissions spike tied to AI-driven energy use, then published a revised decarbonization roadmap. The candid admission generated short-term headlines and then long-term credibility.

4. Make Progress Tangible and Verifiable

Big-picture pledges land better when paired with product-level wins. Illumina cut packaging 80% since 2019, runs on 100% renewable electricity and audits every core facility—facts that earned spots on TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies list and the Dow Jones World Index.

5. Demand Audit-Grade Transparency

A third-party stamp turns numbers into capital-M Material information. Bank of America subjects its entire emissions inventory to external assurance and weaves climate into all seven of its enterprise risk types. That rigor is why its report gets quoted on analyst calls, not buried in footnotes.

Silence Is No Longer Neutral

The NOAA estimates U.S. climate-related losses reached a staggering $1.1 trillion over the past decade. Investors, employees, and regulators aren’t seeking perfection from corporations. They want proof of progress and a credible plan.

Our research shows the ambition and the data are already in-house. The brands that pair rigorous reporting with confident, creative communication will seize the trust dividend now, while the greenhushers watch from the sidelines.

Ready to Lead with Confidence? Download Clarity’s Responsible Business Outlook for Communicators report to get the latest insights, and talk to us about how Clarity can help your brand turn sustainability progress into a reputational advantage.

Image provided by Unsplash, credit to Augustin Diaz Garguilo