Sustainability that Speaks the Truth
Swire Pacific is a Hong Kong-based international conglomerate with over 200 years of history and a diversified portfolio spanning Property, Beverages, Aviation, Healthcare and Trading & Industrial. Steeped in tradition yet sharply attuned to the future, the Group has long been recognised for embedding sustainability into business strategy — translating long-term ambition into tangible action.
A long-time partner to Swire companies since the 1990s, Sedgwick Richardson was invited to lead a workshop at the Group’s 2025 ESG Forum — an internal gathering of leaders committed to advancing sustainability. The brief? Equip teams to recognise and prevent greenwashing and inspire a more honest, human approach to sustainability communications.
Greenwashing is no longer an abstract risk. It’s everywhere — subtle, slippery and often systemic. From overstated claims to vague language, the consequences range from reputational damage to regulatory fines. Our challenge was twofold: define the many shades of greenwashing and offer a practical pathway to authentic ESG communication.
This wasn’t a lecture. It was a working session — participatory, provocative and deeply reflective.We explored the spectrum (or should we say shades) of greenwashing:
- Greenlabelling – misleading data and half-truths
- Greenshifting – deflecting blame onto consumers
- Greenlighting – spotlighting minor good to distract from bigger harms
- Greencrowding – hiding behind industry norms
- Greenrinsing – quietly walking back commitments
We challenged participants to spot the greenwash in real campaigns. We asked them to define what authenticity looks like for Swire. We explored what it means to own your story—the good, the bad and the “we’re working on it.”
We also introduced a simple but powerful framework for authentic communications: Transparency. Relevance. Understanding. Trust. Honesty. (Yes, it spells TRUTH)
Alongside this, we provided a general anti-greenwashing checklist for corporate communications.
The session created momentum — not just attendance and engagement, but genuine commitment.
Participants came away aligned on four key actions:
- Increase accountability – Validate facts and build on verified truths
- Commit to integrity – Challenge narratives that don’t align with purpose
- Adopt a systematic approach – From playbooks to policies, structure the response to greenwashing — and equally, greenhushing
- Recognise marketing as a lever for impact – Communication isn’t just output — it’s leadership
The next step? Embedding sustainability into Swire’s communications culture — through training, practical tools and a shared standard of authenticity.
