What is the ESG Transparency Index
The ESG Transparency Index is a benchmark developed by AIZEN that measures the traceability of corporate sustainability claims.
Rather than rating companies on sustainability performance, the index evaluates whether claims made in corporate sustainability reporting can be linked to publicly available evidence.
The index focuses on documentation transparency, assessing whether ESG statements made in reports and disclosures can be verified using independent public sources.
Why transparency in sustainability reporting matters
Sustainability reporting has expanded rapidly with the introduction of regulatory frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and the EU Taxonomy.
These frameworks aim to improve the quality and reliability of sustainability disclosures. However, many ESG claims remain difficult to verify externally, as supporting evidence is often not clearly traceable.
The ESG Transparency Index addresses this gap by evaluating the verifiability and documentation traceability of sustainability claims.
What the index measures
The ESG Transparency Index evaluates whether sustainability claims can be supported by publicly accessible evidence.
Claims identified in sustainability reporting are assessed according to their level of documentation and verification. Claims may fall into categories such as:
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Publicly verified – supported by independent publicly available evidence
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Internally documented – supported only by company reporting
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Pending verification – insufficient publicly available evidence
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Inconsistent – conflicting or unsupported claims
These classifications contribute to an overall Transparency Score.
What the index does not measure
The ESG Transparency Index does not assess whether a company is environmentally or socially sustainable.
Instead, it measures the transparency and traceability of sustainability claims.
A high transparency score indicates strong documentation and verifiability, but it does not imply superior environmental or social performance.
How the index works
The index is calculated using a structured verification process that includes:
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Extracting sustainability claims from corporate reports
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Identifying checkworthy statements
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Searching for supporting evidence in public sources
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Classifying the verification status of each claim
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Calculating an overall transparency score
A detailed explanation of this process is available in the methodology documentation.
Data sources
The ESG Transparency Index uses only publicly available information, including:
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Annual reports
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Sustainability and ESG reports
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Regulatory filings
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Company disclosures
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Public registries and databases
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Third-party certifications
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Independent publications and media sources
No confidential or internal company data is used in the analysis.
Coverage and updates
The index currently focuses on major Norwegian companies across multiple sectors.
The dataset and analysis are updated periodically as new sustainability reports and public information become available. Coverage will expand over time as additional companies and sectors are included.
About AIZEN
The ESG Transparency Index is developed and maintained by AIZEN, a Norwegian company that operates the index and provides evidence intelligence infrastructure for ESG verification.
Learn more
For a detailed explanation of how the index is calculated, see the ESG Transparency Index Methodology.