How will corporate CSR thrive?

"Companies are under attack publicly and privately for policies viewed as "too progressive" or "woke." The reality, however, is that most companies have strongly reaffirmed their sustainability commitments but less so their DEI commitments. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) works in the grey area between the two. Many affirming companies have opted for "greenhushing," staying quiet about their strategies and leadership."

"A simple but powerful answer: long-term value creation. Those staying the course have built strategies that incorporate and harvest business value from their commitments. Innovation in integrating CSR and sustainability has not been strong over the last 10 years. That is a missed value creation opportunity. Sustainability and CSR trends have not gone away for the long haul; they have just gone quiet. Competition across companies and sectors will continue to seek support from customers, shareholders, and stakeholders whether companies are communicating it or not."

Headlines in 2025 show companies facing public and private attacks over policies labeled "too progressive" or "woke." Most companies have strongly reaffirmed sustainability commitments while dialing back public emphasis on DEI. Corporate social responsibility operates between sustainability and DEI and allows firms to balance both. Many companies practice "greenhushing," staying quiet about sustainability strategies and leadership to avoid controversy. The dominant motive for maintaining commitments is long-term value creation through strategies that harvest business value from social and environmental initiatives. Weak innovation in integrating CSR and sustainability over the past decade represents a missed opportunity for value creation. Competition will continue regardless of public communication.

Read at Fast Company