UK guidance warns businesses over greenwashing risks in sustainability communication
Businesses are being urged to make sustainability and corporate social responsibility claims more evidence-led as regulators and stakeholders pay closer attention to greenwashing risks.
Tunley Environmental and CSR Accreditation have released a new whitepaper titled Evidence Over Claims: Safeguarding Corporate Social Responsibility, which examines how organisations can communicate environmental and social responsibility activity more credibly.
The guidance focuses on the growing pressure companies face when making sustainability claims. It also looks at the opposite challenge of green hushing, where organisations avoid discussing genuine progress because they are unsure how their claims will be judged.
According to the release, many businesses are trying to communicate positive environmental and social impact while navigating changing rules, complex reporting frameworks and uncertainty around what can be claimed under standards such as the UK's Green Claims Code and broader reporting requirements including the CSRD.
The whitepaper argues that broad sustainability statements need to be supported by stronger evidence, structured reporting and independent verification. It points to scientific assessments and accreditation as practical tools for building stakeholder trust.
The paper highlights several areas that can support more responsible communication, including Life Cycle Assessments, Business Carbon Assessments, biodiversity footprinting, impact reporting, accreditation and third-party verification.
Ellis Clark, Head of Marketing at Tunley Environmental, said, “Many organisations genuinely want to do the right thing, but sustainability communication has become increasingly difficult to navigate. This whitepaper is about helping businesses communicate their progress responsibly and with confidence. The goal is not to discourage organisations from talking about positive initiatives, but to help ensure those claims are supported by evidence.”
Richard Collins, Founder of CSR Accreditation, said, “Responsible business is not only about data and reporting. It is also about recognising the positive impact organisations create for employees, communities and the wider environment. Good storytelling is important, but it must be evidenced up by real action. This whitepaper helps organisations understand how to achieve that balance.”
The guidance also underlines the role of accreditation in CSR reporting. CSR Accreditation's four-pillar framework focuses on environment, workplace, community and philanthropy, giving organisations a structured way to benchmark responsible business activity and communicate it more transparently.
For businesses, the message is clear: sustainability communication is moving away from broad promises and towards proof, measurement and verified impact. As greenwashing scrutiny grows, companies that can connect claims to evidence are likely to be better placed to maintain trust with customers, investors, employees and regulators.
The whitepaper is available through Tunley Environmental.
Source: Press release shared by Tunley Environmental and CSR Accreditation with Newz9.
