Global ESG Monitor

What Global ESG Monitor does

Global ESG Monitor (GEM) is a Wiesbaden, Germany-based research think tank operating under cometis AG, founded in 2020 to measure transparency and quality in corporate sustainability reporting. Its core product is the proprietary GEM Assay™, a standardized scorecard covering approximately 5,000 variables grounded in GRI, ISO 26000, WEF, and Accountability guidelines, applied to official sustainability and annual reports under a triple-analyst evaluation process designed to minimize rater bias. The company sells three primary paid services — Challenger Reports (individual company analysis), Benchmark Reports (peer comparison), and CSRD/ESRS Compliance Check Reports (regulatory readiness across 1,000+ requirements in 12 booklets) — alongside free global and regional publications, the annual Integrity Star Award, the Impact Challenger Days Summit, and the GEM Academy training program.

The business is operated as a joint venture between cometis AG (legally responsible entity) and KOHORTEN Sozial- & Wirtschaftsforschung, supported by a regional partner network in the US, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Poland and Romania. Customer segments are primarily large publicly listed companies in major indices (DAX, MDAX, SDAX, EUROSTOXX, S&P, ASX, Hang Seng, WIG 20, BET 20, FBMKLCI), with secondary audiences in capital markets, ESG advisors and consultants. Cumulative scale since 2020 includes 1,300+ reports analyzed across 470 companies and 70 industries.

Revenue is generated through fee-based analytical reports under multi-year contracts, gated free reports that serve as lead generation, and German government research funding via the Forschungszulage program. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is primarily direct sales supplemented by event-driven demand generation (summits, webinars) and regional channel partners, with no disclosed external venture funding.

Name

Global ESG Monitor

Legal name

cometis AG

Website

https://globalesgmonitor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global ESG Monitor is a German ESG research think tank that uses its proprietary GEM Assay™ methodology to score sustainability reporting transparency across ~5,000 variables, serving large listed companies in DAX, EUROSTOXX, S&P, ASX and other major indices with paid analytical reports and CSRD/ESRS compliance assessments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability & ESG Reporting Analytics

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG Data, Ratings & Climate Benchmarks (FSAFAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG Data, Ratings & Research (Providers, Methodologies, Analytics) (FSAAALAJ), ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL), ESG Data Platforms, Controls & Audit Readiness (Data quality, internal controls) (EUAHAJAN)

Keywords

• ESG reporting analysis
• Sustainability transparency assessment
• CSRD compliance consulting
• ESG benchmarking reports
• Non-financial reporting evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiesbaden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Challenger Report: Individual company analysis providing results measured with the GEM Assay, including overall performance and individual results in key dimensions of sustainability reporting. Offered as a 70+ page detailed report.
2. Benchmark Report: Peer group comparison analysis showing company results measured with GEM Assay in comparison with defined peer groups. Customized review adjusted to company focus areas.
3. CSRD/ESRS Compliance Check Report: Compliance assessment showing degree of alignment with CSRD/ESRS requirements, including feasibility assessments for creating roadmaps and avoiding regulatory risks.
4. Free Global/Regional Reports: Descriptive study results offered for free download to build awareness and market presence, while deeper company-specific analyses are chargeable.
5. Research Funding: Supported by 'Forschungszulage', a funding program of the German Ministry for Education and Research, providing operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Global ESG Monitor is a sustainability research think tank that analyzes and scores the transparency and quality of corporate non-financial/sustainability reports using its proprietary GEM Assay™ methodology. It sells bespoke analytical reports (Challenger Report, Benchmark Report, and CSRD/ESRS Compliance Check Report) to corporations, complemented by free global and regional benchmark studies, the Integrity Star Award, and the Impact Challenger Days summit.

Product overview

Global ESG Monitor is a think tank providing ESG transparency analysis services through a modular portfolio of products centered on its proprietary GEM Assay™ methodology. The core offerings consist of three analytical report types: the Challenger Report for individual company assessment, the Benchmark Report for peer-group comparison, and the CSRD/ESRS Compliance Check Report for regulatory alignment. These are complemented by the Integrity Star Award program and Impact Challenger Days Summit for recognition and industry engagement, plus the GEM Academy for educational webinars and whitepapers. Research publications include Global and Regional Reports analyzing stock market indices from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States. The company does not operate as a software platform but delivers services through analysis reports and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEM Assay: Proprietary analytical model used to measure and score ESG reporting quality and transparency across approximately 5,000 variables.
• Integrity Star Award
• Impact Challenger Days
• GEM Academy

Products and services

• Challenger Report A 70+ page individual company analysis providing overall ESG reporting performance scores and detailed breakdown across key sustainability reporting dimensions, with gap analysis, best practice examples, and benchmarks. Designed for corporate sustainability and IR teams seeking comprehensive self-assessment.
• Benchmark Report A peer-group comparison analysis enabling companies to benchmark their ESG reporting against industry-specific peers using sector-average data and optional best-in-class comparisons. Targets corporate sustainability and IR teams requiring competitive context.
• CSRD/ESRS Compliance Check Report A comprehensive compliance assessment evaluating company alignment with Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) requirements across over 1,000 provisions, with feasibility assessments for roadmap creation and regulatory risk mitigation. Designed for companies preparing for CSRD/ESRS obligations.
• Global Report A comprehensive annual analysis of ESG reporting transparency across major stock market indices worldwide, covering EuroSTOXX, S&P 50 (Asia), S&P 50 (USA), and ASX 50. Available for free download after registration as a top-of-funnel lead generation asset.
• Regional Reports Regional deep-dive analyses covering specific markets including DAX (Germany), ASX (Australia), WIG 20 (Poland), BET-20 (Romania), FBMKLCI (Malaysia), Hang Seng (China/Hong Kong), and S&P 50/Dow Jones (USA). Available for free download after form submission.
• Integrity Star Award An annual award recognizing companies with outstanding quality in sustainability reporting, determined by the GEM Assay methodology (approximately 4,000-5,000 variables) across ESG dimensions rather than jury selection. Each participant receives a comprehensive and transparent overview of their analysis results.
• Impact Challenger Days Summit An annual September summit focused on key issues in sustainability and capital markets, featuring sector-specific webinars, best practice sharing, and the Integrity Star Award ceremony honoring the best sustainability reports from public and private companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• GEM 2022 average scores: DAX 68/100, EUROSTOXX 66/100, S&P Asia 56/100, USA/Australia 53/100
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• cometis AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Co-founder and legally responsible entity for the Global ESG Monitor joint venture. Based in Wiesbaden, Germany. Provides IR and ESG consulting expertise and operational management.
• KOHORTEN Sozial- & Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Co-founder research partner providing empirical research and data science expertise. Based in Germany.
• Xenophon StrategiesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for US market. Based in Washington, DC. Handles regional outreach and engagement.
• CurrieregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Australian market. Melbourne-based corporate sustainability specialist and certified B Corporation.
• Perspective StrategiesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Malaysian market. Strategic communications and sustainability consulting.
• LBSregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Hong Kong/China market. Sustainability & Investor Relations consulting.
• OneMultiregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Polish market. Strategic communications and sustainability consulting. Member of UN Global Compact.
• Free CommunicationregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for Romanian market. Integrated communication and strategic consulting agency.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Moody's ESG Solutions: Moody's ESG Solutions provides ESG scores, climate data, and sustainability reporting tools to corporates and investors. It is a full-stack competitor in ESG transparency analytics and enterprise distribution.
• EcoVadis: EcoVadis provides sustainability ratings and scorecards used by procurement teams and large enterprises. It is comparable to GEM as a sustainability scoring business serving large corporate buyers, although tilted toward supply-chain rather than capital-markets reporting.
• ISS ESG: ISS ESG delivers ESG ratings, screening, and reporting analytics to investors and corporates, with deep regulatory and proxy expertise. Comparable to GEM in serving sustainability/IR professionals at large listed companies.
• MSCI ESG Research: MSCI's ESG Research arm provides ESG ratings, data, and analytics to global investors and corporates. It is the most directly comparable competitor to GEM in ESG transparency scoring methodology and enterprise customer base.
• Sustainalytics (Morningstar): Sustainalytics provides ESG risk ratings and research used by asset managers and corporates globally. Its product breadth and Morningstar distribution make it a benchmark for what GEM's scoring and reporting services compete against.
• LSEG (Refinitiv) ESG Scores: LSEG's Refinitiv ESG Scores provide corporate ESG transparency assessments feeding into capital markets workflows. It overlaps directly with GEM in serving listed-company ESG reporting transparency analysis.
• S&P Global ESG Scores: S&P Global ESG Scores (built on the former RobecoSAM CSA) provides corporate sustainability assessments used by investors and corporates. It competes for the same enterprise ESG benchmarking budgets that GEM targets.

Emerging players

• IntegrityNext: IntegrityNext offers a SaaS platform for supply chain sustainability assessments and ESG compliance. It is comparable to GEM as a smaller, specialized ESG scoring/monitoring player targeting enterprise sustainability and compliance workflows.
• ESG Book: ESG Book provides a digital platform for corporate ESG disclosure and investor data consumption. As a newer, digital-first ESG transparency platform, it competes in a similar conceptual space to GEM's disclosure-focused offering.

Broad incumbents

• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs the global disclosure system for environmental data used by investors, corporates, and policymakers. As a long-established ESG disclosure platform with broader scope than GEM, it is a benchmark incumbent in the same enterprise ESG transparency market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlobalESGMonitr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-esg-monitor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global ESG Monitor