How to Avoid Greenwashing: Credible Sustainability Communications in an Age of Mistrust
with Helen Neal, Founder of HN Communications
Key takeaways
- Greenwashing is usually a process problem, not bad intent. Claims get overstated when evidence and messaging travel separately.
- Greenhushing is the opposite risk. Saying nothing to avoid criticism carries its own cost.
- The language is shifting. ESG is giving way to resilience, supply chains and responsible business.
- Humility earns trust. Share what is working, what is not, and what comes next.
- AI can coach, but humans decide. Final review of sustainability claims should stay with a person.
Can companies communicate honestly about sustainability when regulation is rising and trust is falling? This episode of Tangelic Talks takes on that question.
Victoria Cornelio and TJ Omojomolo speak with Helen Neal, founder of HN Communications, a B Corp certified sustainability communications consultancy. Her career spans UK Parliament, government affairs and major corporations.
What Greenwashing Is, and Why Trust Is Low
Helen describes greenwashing as an organization overstating a claim, leaving out part of the picture, or failing to verify the data behind it. Over the past five to eight years, repeated missteps have raised public mistrust of brand claims.
Greenhushing: When Silence Feels Safer
Greenhushing follows greenwashing. Companies say little or nothing because criticism feels riskier than silence. Helen sees some large businesses quietly retreating from earlier statements as the political climate has shifted. Her view is more hopeful, though:
- Investment continues: most companies, she says, are maintaining their sustainability investment despite the headlines.
- Silence is not the answer: she argues companies should keep communicating.
ESG, the SDGs and a New Language for Sustainability
Helen believes the term ESG has been widely misused and will fade from corporate language. She also expects the SDGs to lose traction as 2030 approaches and most goals look out of reach. Her key point is that this is a reframing, not the end of sustainability:
- Boardroom framing: business resilience, supply chain responsibility, human rights, nature and resource management.
- Responsible business: the long-term language she expects to grow.
- Pragmatism: progress over perfection, with sustainability seen as a net positive rather than a cost.
For definitions of ESG and CSR, see our Explain to a Friend episode.
Why Smart Companies Still Get It Wrong
Helen sees a structural cause. Sustainability, communications, marketing and legal teams often work in silos.
- The handoff: sustainability teams pass raw data to communications teams.
- The mismatch: communicators write short, creative messages, while credible claims need supporting evidence on hand.
- The fix: treat sustainability communication differently from product marketing, with evidence built in from the start.
Communicating Before You Have Full Data
Victoria asks how a startup, such as one planning rural mini-grids, should speak when it only has theories. Helen’s answer:
- Be humble and honest: no one has all the answers.
- Show the journey: what worked, what did not, what is planned and how it will be tested.
- Keep it human: this earns more credibility than claiming everything is solved.
Knowing Who to Say No To
As a B Corp with a team of ten, HN Communications is selective about its clients. Helen says declining work has made the business clearer and more focused, and protects its credibility.
Building an AI Tool for Credible Claims
Helen built an AI review tool, starting with vibe coding during a family holiday and later bringing in specialist technical help.
- Framework: her IMPACT methodology: integrity, meaning, proof, action, consistency and transparency.
- Regulatory layer: global rules that can lead to fines for greenwashing claims.
- How it works: it reviews a website, memo or press release, scores the risk, flags relevant regulations and recommends improvements.
- Coaching, not rewriting: the tool does not write the copy, which she regards as a risk in sustainability content.
- Audit trail: each check is timestamped and records who ran it.
She tested six general-purpose AI models on green claims and found inconsistent answers, full rewrites that missed the mark, and citations of regulations that do not exist. Her advice is to use AI for lower-level work and keep human review for the final 20%, where expertise matters.
There is zero substitute for human to human connection and interaction.Helen Neal
Lessons from Parliament, Virgin Atlantic and Nissan
Helen studied War Studies, wrote to nearly 60 MPs for work experience, and got one yes. Each stage of her career left a lesson:
- Parliament: keep working to improve institutions, even when frustrated with them.
- Virgin Atlantic: bring your full personality to work.
- Nissan: rigor, detail and continuous improvement.
Working across cultures, she recommends a strong core strategy with room for local nuance.
Advice for a Young Climate Entrepreneur
Helen’s closing advice is to start with humility and radical honesty. She points to Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign as an example of leading with candor. For startups, she says, being the opposite of corporate polish is a superpower.
Watch the full conversation above, then read Helen’s answers to the audience questions below.
Thought-Provoking Q&A with Helen Neal
After the conversation, Helen Neal answered questions on pitching to investors, brand authenticity, and the continued importance of in-person climate events. Her answers are lightly edited for clarity.
Does radical humility work when pitching investors?
Helen has worked with big brands that run startup pitch programs. She suggests replacing wild claims with mature ones, such as “our tests have shown this, and we are working with these organizations to validate it.” Being able to measure what you say, and being transparent about where you are, sends credibility back to an investor.
What tells you a client might need help?
Claims like “we’re number one” or “we’re the best.” They repel rather than build trust, especially as trust in brands has fallen. Few companies talk about how they will improve or reach a target, and that psychology shapes how HN approaches each case.
What events does HN Communications run?
HN holds an event at Climate Week in New York every year and has worked with the NGO Climate Group for about nine years, convening heads of state and senior business leaders for honest discussions behind closed doors. HN also runs a growing community of about 400 people, with lunches and dinners in London, Amsterdam, Paris and New York.
Do physical events still matter after COVID?
Yes. NGOs and corporations rarely talk to each other outside these spaces, and the sides can seem at odds. In the room, Helen says, people find far more similarities than differences, united by a passion for improving the planet.
How does the landscape look now?
Helen calls herself an eternal optimist. She sees people 35 and under viewing the world very differently, and believes their demands will push business to go further.
Helen Neal
Founder, HN Communications
Helen Neal is an award-winning entrepreneur and an expert in reputation, credibility, and campaigns with over 25 years of experience. As the founder of the multi-award-winning consultancy HN Communications, she advises some of the world’s most respected brands and global NGOs on building successful climate campaigns, helping businesses change the world for good.
Prior to building HN over the past 8 years, Helen spent her career advising governments and global corporate leaders, including Virgin and Nissan, on building their public awareness and credibility. Named Professional of the Year by the Public Relations & Communications Association, her work focuses on partnering with business leaders to build a resilient, long-term legacy that can thrive in a rapidly changing world.
