Earthmark launches brand environmental ratings directory

Earthmark has launched an environmental ratings directory covering more than 25,000 brands, assigning each a score from zero to five.

The platform uses publicly available information and third-party sources, including SBTi and B Corp, to rate UK and international businesses on environmental performance.

The launch is intended to turn corporate climate disclosures into a format shoppers can use when comparing brands. Users can search the directory for free, while companies can display their scores on websites, marketing materials and in stores.

Earthmark scores are already displayed for more than 8,600 companies through partners including VoucherCodes, Kindred, Virgin Media O2, Samsung and Etisalat, reaching more than 10 million shoppers globally.

The business also offers an API for marketplaces, as well as profile and analytics tools for brands. Clients include Electrolux, AEG, Panasonic and Barclays.

How it works

Earthmark aggregates environmental data from company disclosures and external assessments, then analyses the information to generate a score. A score of one indicates an organisation at the start of its climate work, while five denotes what Earthmark describes as industry-leading environmental performance.

The methodology covers carbon emissions, waste, disclosure quality, future commitments such as SBTi net zero targets, and external assessments. Its Pro Search system uses AI to process large volumes of public disclosures and extract company-level environmental data points from impact reports.

It also calculates intensity values based on revenue and benchmarks brands against more than 100 sector peers to produce comparable insights.

Earthmark is entering a market where retailers, marketplaces and brands are looking for simpler ways to present environmental information to consumers. At the same time, businesses face rising reporting requirements and growing consumer demand for sustainability data.

Jack Linnett, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Earthmark, said: "Currently companies spend a huge amount of time and money assessing and reporting on their environmental performance, but this information is not easily accessible to consumers. Trust and popularity can easily be seen - for example on social media or review platforms - but it's harder to get a trusted view of an organisation's environmental impact at a glance.

"Reporting mandates are on the rise, but there's almost too much information for brands to use effectively in their marketing. Greenwashing - where businesses exaggerate their green credentials - and greenhushing, where they are too scared to talk about them for fear of scrutiny or criticism, create confusion. Media scepticism adds to that uncertainty, and shoppers end up none the wiser.

"We're democratising access to a universe of company environmental data and, alongside the benefits for consumers, enabling companies of all sizes and sectors to move beyond expensive, exclusive legacy systems and integrate real environmental performance into their core reputation, marketing campaigns and commercials."

Commercial push

Alongside the launch, Earthmark has appointed Glenn Porter to lead commercial development. Porter previously held senior roles at Defaqto, D&B, GBG and Vypr.

Earthmark is led by Linnett and Tech Lead Katja Ovchinnikova. Its investors and advisers have backgrounds at Checkatrade, Depop, Glassdoor, Google and Gumtree.

Earthmark also pointed to commercial results from the use of its scores in online shopping environments, saying that displaying the scores has increased visits, click-through rates, conversions and average order value.

VoucherCodes was among the early adopters of the scoring system on store pages. Moji Oshisanya, Chief Commercial Officer of VoucherCodes, said: "Shoppers increasingly consider a company's environmental credentials alongside price, quality and convenience when deciding where to spend their money.

"When sustainability information is clear and easy to find, shoppers are more confident in their decisions. After the rollout of Earthmark scores, we've seen notable uplift in key commercial metrics across the VoucherCodes site."

Electrolux has also used the service for competitor benchmarking and brand analysis. Will Sherwood-King, UK&I Marketing Lead at Electrolux, said: "Sustainability is core to Electrolux's DNA and has been important for decades. Consumer demand is growing massively, especially among the next generation, and it's becoming a hygiene factor. Commercially, it's increasingly important as people become more informed about the companies behind the products they buy. Benchmarking against competitors helps us maintain our lead, and if sustainability is to be a USP, we need to keep that edge - Earthmark helps us do that."