AIZEN ESG Transparency Index Measures the traceability of sustainability claims using a fully published, reproducible methodology. Assesses whether public claims can be independently traced to documented evidence, without scoring performance itself.

Starting September 2026, the rules change. The EU’s new framework will require every environmental claim to be backed by documented evidence, before it’s communicated - not after. Here’s what’s coming, what it means for your organization, and how to prepare now.

The ESG data market is projected to exceed $5 billion by 2027. But not all ESG data serves the same purpose. Here’s what you need to know about the critical difference between proprietary ESG ratings and independent transparency assessment, and why it matters for your next investment or compliance decision.

AIZEN collaborated with a Big4 firm to evaluate whether ESG evidence traceability could be automated at assurance-grade quality using only publicly available data. The pilot analyzed 211 ESG claims across ESRS E1–S1 topics. Results showed only 3.8% of claims were verifiable using public data, while 91.5% required internal sources and 4.3% needed clarification. This exposes a major traceability gap facing companies under CSRD.

ESMA's 2025 fact-finding report reveals that 54% of companies lack evidence for excluding non-material ESG topics. 30% failed to disclose data inputs. AIZEN’s own analysis confirms the issue: only 5% of ESG claims across sustainability reports are backed by public evidence. One case showed a declared material topic with just 2 of 497 claims related to it.