Companies say a lot about sustainability.
This is what their data actually shows.
A communicative integrity audit so you can shop with more awareness
Photo by Dr Makete Lab
What This Is
71%
of consumers surveyed were skeptical of generic sustainability claims, but couldn't say why.
The Illumination Index names the gap.
Most sustainability ratings measure what companies do:
their emissions output, their water usage, their supply chain audits.
The Illumination Index measures something different:
whether companies describe those efforts accurately and honestly.
Those are not the same question.
How to Use the Illumination Index
1. Choose a company
Browse the seven companies evaluated using the Illumination Index prototype.
2. Read the findings
See what the index found. This is where a company's claims held up against its own data, and where gaps were detected.
3. Decide for yourself
Use the evidence to make more informed decisions about the companies behind the products you buy.
The Illumination Index
Seven Companies Evaluated
Every score is anchored to specific evidence: verbatim quotes,
data calculations, and regulatory findings.
Higher scores indicate more communicative failure detected.
Lower scores indicate greater transparency.
Part A measures language. Part B measures whether the numbers match the claims.
The gap between what companies say and what their data shows is real and measurable,
but it’s almost never named directly.
52%
said independent verification is what would make them trust a claim.
81%
of people surveyed had little to no ESG familiarity.
Most existing accountability frameworks are built for investors and analysts. None of them measure whether companies communicate that performance honestly. That is what the Illumination Index was built to do.