Telling the Truth About Sustainability – How to Tell the Truth Without Burning Bridges
- Dec 31, 2025
- 7 min read
Written by Monserrat Menendez, Interior Designer
Monserrat is an entrepreneur, interior architect, and sustainability advocate, as well as the founder of Senom Design, a firm dedicated to merging innovative design with sustainable solutions. With over a decade of experience across residential, commercial, and international projects, she specializes in bringing clients’ visions to life through thoughtful, high-impact interiors.
I write about sustainability for a living. Climate innovation, sustainable design, environmental justice, it's my world. But here's the truth, I've spent more sleepless nights than I care to admit, wondering if I'm part of the solution or just adding to the noise.
Most sustainability writers and consultants walk a daily tightrope between meaningful impact and paying the bills. We're asked to make companies look green without demanding real change. We celebrate small wins while ignoring big failures. And somehow, we're supposed to keep our credibility intact.
The greenwashing epidemic isn't just about brands lying to consumers, it's about the communicators caught between speaking truth and keeping their jobs. This article is about that tension and how to navigate it without losing yourself.
The reality check: What the numbers say
The pressure is real and escalating fast:
Consumer trust is collapsing:
62% of consumers now believe companies are greenwashing, up from just 33% in 2023
In the UK, 90% of environmental professionals say greenwashing is prevalent in their sector
42% of consumers can identify when a company is greenwashing, and 55% would stop using brands that lack genuine commitment
Regulations have teeth:
The UK can now fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover for misleading green claims
Italy fined fast-fashion brand Shein €1 million for vague sustainability messaging
The EU's new Greenwashing Directive requires claims to be truthful, substantiated, and lifecycle-based
The hidden story: Behind every fined company are sustainability writers who drafted those claims. Professionals who knew the language was too broad, the targets too vague, the data too selective, but were told to soften concerns or risk being "difficult."
Five traps we fall into (and how to recognize them)
Trap 1: The "small steps" celebration
We write about LED bulbs while companies source from deforested regions. A hotel installs low-flow showerheads but won't address laundry practices. We're asked to write about the trees they plant, not the unsustainable timber they use.
Trap 2: The greenhushing excuse
New research shows companies now downplay sustainability efforts to avoid scrutiny. In hospitality, 53% of hotels barely mention their certifications on social media because they fear being called out. Result? A bizarre catch-22 where fear of greenwashing becomes an excuse for both silence and overclaiming.
Trap 3: The "these funds my real work" justification
Many of us rationalize questionable corporate work by pointing to the "real" impact we make elsewhere. But credibility doesn't compartmentalize. When you're known for greenwashing Brand X, your authentic work for Cause Y becomes suspect.
Trap 4: The transparency illusion
Companies love saying they're "transparent" while publishing reports full of data without context. Carbon reduction targets without baselines. "Support" for initiatives without disclosing how much or what outcomes. We're handed this data and asked to make it compelling, becoming experts in aspiration without accountability.
Trap 5: The blurred responsibility lines
Am I a journalist with a duty to investigate? A marketer with a duty to sell? An educator with a duty to inform accurately? Or a freelancer with a duty to deliver what the client requested? The lines blur constantly, and most sustainability writers can't afford to decline every ethically murky assignment.
Eight practical guidelines for maintaining integrity
These aren't perfect solutions, but they've helped me navigate the ethical minefield:
1. Draw your non-negotiable lines early
Mine: No "carbon neutral" without verified offset documentation
No "sustainable" for products with planned obsolescence
No "community benefit" without evidence from actual community members
No product comparisons without lifecycle analysis
Your lines might differ, just draw them clearly before you need them
2. Demand the full story upfront
When a client wants sustainability content, ask for:
Supply chain documentation across all tiers
Waste management and disposal data
Labor practices verification
Long-term targets with interim milestones
Most won't have it. That tells you everything you need to know.
3. Build specific, limited claims
Wrong: "This company is sustainable"
Right: "This facility reduced water consumption by 23% between 2023-2024 by installing closed-loop systems"
The second can be verified. It's less sweeping but honest. Specificity protects both you and your reader.
4. Always include context
Mention what percentage of operations your claim covers
Compare to industry standards when possible
Note whether reductions are absolute or per-unit-of-production
A 10% emissions reduction sounds great, unless production increased 30%
5. Separate education from promotion
Educational content equals expanding understanding of sustainability topics
Promotional content equals making claims about specific companies
Know which you're being paid for, and don't let them blur together
6. Document everything
Keep records of:
What data clients provided
What concerns you raised
What edits they requested
What sources you used
If greenwashing allegations arise, your defense is proving that you worked with the provided information and raised red flags.
7. Build financial independence
Ethical stances are easier when you can afford them. Diversify your income:
Multiple clients across sectors
Side projects or businesses
Work that reflects your actual values
No single client should control your ability to pay rent.
8. Create a public body of work that reflects your values
Write for platforms that let you explore topics that matter, such as environmental justice, indigenous knowledge, and genuine innovation. This work might pay less, but it establishes what you actually stand for and attracts clients seeking authentic voices.
When to walk away (non-negotiable red lines)
Some situations can't be salvaged. Walk away immediately when:
Clients ask you to make claims you know are false
You're pressured to hide or minimize significant negative impacts
The core business model directly contradicts sustainability messaging
You're asked to criticize competitors when your client is worse
Data is fabricated, cherry-picked without disclosure, or deliberately misleading
Walking away is expensive, I've done it twice and took financial hits both times. But I kept my credibility, which is the only currency that actually matters in this field.
The bigger picture: Systemic change we need
Individual ethics won't solve greenwashing, the problem is structural. Companies need sustainability content because consumers demand it, but don't want expensive operational changes. This creates a market for writers willing to bridge the gap.
Real solutions require:
Stronger regulations
The EU and UK are leading with substantiation requirements and major fines
Other jurisdictions need enforcement mechanisms with actual teeth
Professional standards
Industry organizations for sustainability communicators need clear ethical guidelines
Consequences for violations similar to journalism ethics or legal professional responsibility
Client education
Many companies genuinely don't understand the difference between progress and greenwashing
They need consultants who explain what real change looks like, not just prettier language
Economic models that reward honesty
Writers who push back on unsubstantiated claims should be valued, not sidelined
Thorough work costs more and takes longer, clients need to understand this
Mandatory third-party verification
Sustainability claims should require independent auditing before publication
Same standard as financial statements
A message for writers navigating this
If you're feeling called out, good, I'm calling myself out too. We're all figuring this out in real time, trying to make a living while keeping our integrity intact.
Here's what I know: the greenwashing problem won't be solved by individual writers alone. But it also won't be solved if none of us tries.
You can celebrate genuine progress while demanding more. You can work within imperfect systems while pushing for better ones. You can be honest about limitations while remaining hopeful about possibilities.
But you can't pretend that writing pretty lies about corporate sustainability is the same as doing sustainability work.
The world needs writers who understand environmental issues, who make complex topics accessible, and who inspire better choices. But it needs us as educators and truth-tellers, not marketers and apologists.
Conclusion: Choosing your side
I still write about sustainability. I still work with corporate clients. But I'm increasingly selective about what I'll write and for whom. I'm building systems that let me say no when necessary. I'm being transparent about uncertainties and limitations.
I'm also investing time in projects that don't require moral compromise, articles on indigenous climate knowledge, educational content on sustainable design, and consulting for businesses genuinely transforming their practices.
Is it enough? I don't know. But it's honest.
The sustainability writing field is at a crossroads. We can continue polishing corporate mediocrity until it shines, or we can become the mirror that shows companies what they actually look like, and what they could become if they tried harder.
In an industry drowning in carefully crafted half-truths, maybe honesty is the most valuable commodity we can offer. Maybe admitting we don't have all the answers, that we struggle with these tensions too, that we're learning as we go, maybe that's more useful than another article pretending everything is fine.
I know which side I want to be on. The question is whether enough of us can afford to join me there.
Key takeaways on sustainability
For Sustainability Writers:
Draw your ethical lines before you need them
Demand full data and documentation upfront
Build specific, verifiable claims with context
Document everything for your protection
Diversify income to maintain independence
Create public work that reflects your actual values
Warning signs to walk away:
False claims you're asked to make
Pressure to hide significant negative impacts
Core business contradicts messaging
Fabricated or cherry-picked data
What we need systemically:
Stronger regulations with enforcement teeth
Professional ethical standards with consequences
Client education on real vs. performative sustainability
Economic models that reward honest communication
Mandatory third-party verification of claims
Resources for going deeper:
This article reflects personal experience navigating sustainability communications. The dilemmas are real. The solutions are imperfect. But the conversation is necessary.
Read more from Monserrat Menendez
Monserrat Menendez, Interior Designer
Monserrat is an entrepreneur, interior architect, and sustainability advocate, as well as the founder of Senom Design, a firm dedicated to merging innovative design with sustainable solutions. With over a decade of experience across residential, commercial, and international projects, she specializes in bringing clients’ visions to life through thoughtful, high-impact interiors.
She is the U.S. Brand Ambassador for U Green, an organization that helps companies become more profitable while empowering people and brands to follow a consistent path toward sustainability through transformative education and specialized consulting. As an Executive Contributor to Brainz Magazine, she shares her expertise in design, sustainability, and innovation. Her mission is to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also responsible and forward-thinking.
