Throughout the year, we have explored what good ESG looks like in practice. This article turns to the more uncomfortable side of ESG and asks a simple question: what happens when ESG language gets ahead of the evidence? From greenwashing and social washing to bluewashing and greenhushing, it examines how sustainability claims can create impressions that the underlying evidence may not support—and why businesses should start with what they can prove.

By Carole Ayugi