SPOTT and Earthtrust share a vision: transparency backed by evidence drives trust and accountability

By increasing transparency in forest-risk commodity sectors, SPOTT helps safeguard forests

In an era of growing consumer awareness and demand for sustainability, transparency has become the cornerstone of trust in responsible practices. Here, we understand transparency as the practice of openly sharing information that is easily accessible and understandable to all stakeholders, including consumers, investors, and the public, fostering trust and accountability. But with increasing scepticism and the spectre of greenwashing looming large, it is no longer enough for organisations to simply assert their commitments or claim they’ve delivered them.

There are too many cases where claims have proven untrue, leading to stakeholder mistrust. This highlights the need for organisations to provide clear, accessible evidence to substantiate their claims and verify their actions. Transparency is strengthened through accountability, which enables stakeholders to make informed judgments and fosters a culture of integrity that supports meaningful progress toward a sustainable future.

Earthtrust, a pioneering platform dedicated to transparency and accountability, shares this commitment to transparency with SPOTT, a leading global initiative developed and managed by ZSL for assessing commodity producers’ ESG disclosures. SPOTT and Earthtrust both seek to strengthen the delivery of transparency within the sustainability sector.

About Earthtrust

Earthtrust is a Danish registered limited liability company dedicated to empowering organisations to build trust through transparency. By providing a platform for companies to share their claims and verifying documentation, Earthtrust enables companies to build their brand on trust and for stakeholders to independently assess the credibility of those claims. Earthtrust is committed to fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement in sustainability practices.

About SPOTT

SPOTT, developed by ZSL, is a free online platform that assesses commodity producers, processors, and traders on their public disclosure regarding ESG issues. By tracking transparency, SPOTT incentivises the implementation of corporate best practices, helping stakeholders make informed decisions.

Satellite imagery helps verify company claims and strengthen transparency in forest-risk commodity supply chains – supporting zero deforestation goals

Why transparency matters

Transparency is essential for driving meaningful change in any practice, particularly those who claim alignment towards sustainability and regeneration goals, and to reward organisations that are implementing strong sustainability programmes. It allows consumers, investors, and other stakeholders to make their own informed decisions based on clear, accessible information, on scientific data and documentation.

By promoting external verification of these claims, SPOTT and Earthtrust believe that together, we can combat the pervasive issue of greenwashing, where companies make misleading claims about their social and environmental impact without providing the evidence to back them up. By providing a platform to share this information, Earthtrust enables companies to substantiate their claims and build trust with stakeholders. SPOTT assesses information shared publicly by companies to develop a transparency score, placing greater emphasis on the progress reported in implementing commitments, which is classified as self-reported, externally verified, or verified through certification.

This approach, revised in 2019 in response to stakeholder demand, recognises the importance of external verification and aims to strengthen the credibility of assessments by rewarding second- and third-party verified information while still acknowledging self-reported progress. Although SPOTT does not conduct on-the-ground verification, it captures existing verification efforts thereby enhancing the overall transparency of sustainability claims. To support companies, SPOTT also provides practical guidance for those beginning to incorporate external verification or other sustainability best practices into their supply chains. SPOTT and Earthtrust recognise that clear, accessible, well- structured, scientifically based information is vital for driving meaningful progress. Together, the organisations aim to empower companies to enhance their ESG reporting, accountability and most importantly, their innovation and continuous improvement to greater impact.

Scott Poynton, Earthtrust CEO, emphasised the significance of this shared transparency commitment:

“For more than a decade, SPOTT has been leading the work to support organisations to disclose details about their ESG programmes. Through their assessments, organisations have been inspired to do more. Disclosure is an important first step, but transparency—supported by accessible evidence and verification—helps build greater trust in the information shared. With Earthtrust’s platform, we create the opportunity for organisations to share data and documentation to verify that they’re doing what they say they’re doing. It’s an additional layer of disclosure that will go a long way to build trust.”

Annabelle Dodson, ZSL’s Sustainable Business Project Manager, said:

“At SPOTT, we see transparency as more than just disclosure—it’s about demonstrating real progress backed by clear, accessible evidence. Our assessments are designed to help companies communicate not only what they intend to do, but what they are actually achieving. By encouraging external verification and supporting platforms like Earthtrust, we aim to build greater confidence in sustainability efforts and support stakeholders in making informed, responsible decisions.”

A shared vision for transparency

Both Earthtrust and SPOTT recognise that enhancing transparency is not just about compliance; it’s about creating a culture of accountability that drives positive change. SPOTT’s rigorous assessment framework provides a valuable tool for companies to benchmark their progress against over 180 sector-specific ESG indicators. This framework encourages organisations to disclose their policies and practices, thereby increasing their transparency.

In turn, this public disclosure inspires companies to strive for greater accountability. Sharing information openly for all to see and understand is fundamentally different from limited, private disclosures; it creates an ongoing commitment to transparency and improvement, with no finish line in sight. With transparency, companies have an incentive to go beyond current standards and to innovate to greater impact. When that transparency and innovation is rewarded through strong brand recognition, more sales and greater investment, companies win, and so do people and the environment.

SPOTT and Earthtrust share this commitment to inspire greater, more positive impact from company sustainability programmes. We believe that transparency and accountability is the foundation for improved outcomes for all.

Building a transparent future together

We believe that transparency is an ongoing journey. And we encourage organisations to treat their claims as dynamic entities that can evolve over time. By regularly updating claims with new data and insights, organisations can maintain credibility and demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement.

As we move forward, we invite companies to join us in this journey toward transparency. Together, we create space where trust is earned, not assumed, and where evidence replaces empty promises.

For more information on how to enhance your organisation’s transparency and accountability, visit Earthtrust and explore SPOTT’s assessments to understand how transparency is evaluated in forest-risk sectors.