Brand Finance has just published its Sustainability Perceptions Index 2025, showing that brands that act sustainably and communicate this effectively can generate millions of dollars in brand value. How is this measured? Which brands are leading the way? And what happens when there’s a gap between perceived image and actual performance?

How Much Is a “Green Image” Worth?

In today’s market, sustainability is a growing factor in building brand reputation and influencing consumer decisions. The Sustainability Perceptions Index is the first metric that quantifies the financial value of perceived sustainability in the eyes of consumers, as part of a brand’s total monetary worth (see explanation about the methodology at the end of this article).

This is the third year Brand Finance—a world-leading authority in brand valuation—has published the index.
In 2025, some categories show a slight decline in sustainability's role in purchasing decisions, likely due to the economic downturn and anti-ESG sentiment encouraged by the U.S. administration.

Still, the numbers speak for themselves: 4% of food brand choices are driven by sustainability considerations; 6.9% in electronics; 7.9% in household products; 10.5% in hotels; 10.9% in soft drinks; 15.8% in IT services (yes, even in B2B—this figure has grown since last year), and up to 23.2% in luxury car purchasing decisions.

Take Apple, for example. It ranks first in the 2025 index, with a Sustainability Perceptions Value of $39 billion, meaning that consumers’ belief in Apple’s sustainability efforts contributes to the brand’s value. Out of Apple’s total brand value ($516.6 billion), 7.5% is attributed to sustainability perceptions.

The report's chart below lists the top 30 brands by sustainability value. The full report includes a complete list of 500 brands.

What Happens When There's a Gap Between Perception and Performance?

The Sustainability Gap Value represents the difference between a brand's perceived sustainability and its actual performance, based on objective ESG data and ratings.

A positive gap—where performance exceeds perception—suggests an opportunity to increase brand value by improving sustainability communication and public visibility.

Brand value is crucial for sales, profitability, loyalty, recruitment, reputation, and stock value; sustainability has become a significant component.

Microsoft is a good example. Its sustainability performance is impressive, but public perception hasn’t caught up. In 2025, its positive gap is estimated at $5.6 billion, a value that could potentially be unlocked through better communication and storytelling.

Conversely, a negative gap—when perception exceeds reality—creates risk. Brand value can erode if the truth is exposed (greenwashing) or perception adjusts downward.

Tesla illustrates this risk. Despite its leadership in electric vehicles, its governance, labour practices, and supply chain performance have long raised concerns. The public behaviour of its CEO, Elon Musk—including polarizing political statements—has also shaken trust in the company’s commitment to sustainability.

The report shows that Tesla’s perceived sustainability commitment dropped significantly across nearly all global markets, resulting in a $7.3 billion decline in sustainability-related brand value over two years.
One of the report’s charts highlights the top brands with positive sustainability gaps—brands that could increase their value simply by communicating their sustainability commitments more effectively.

How to Communicate Sustainability Effectively

As consumers grow more sceptical, informed, and data-driven—while also being overwhelmed with content—brands must communicate sustainability efforts with:

• Transparency, credibility, and data. Even when the data isn't flattering, people value honesty over perfection.
• Relevance to the industry, geography, and audience. In some cases, the most critical issues are human rights in the supply chain; in others, they are carbon reduction, plastic reduction, or animal welfare.
• Consistency across all brand touchpoints—not just one campaign yearly or a quiet page on your website.
• Clear, interesting, and engaging storytelling.

Inaccurate or misleading messaging may result in greenwashing accusations. Silence—known as greenhushing—may push audiences toward more vocal competitors.

Methodology

The Sustainability Perceptions Index is based on a global survey of over 150,000 consumers in 40 countries.
The survey covers over 6,000 brands and measures how sustainability perceptions influence consumer choice across categories. It compares these to actual ESG performance using CSRHub, a global platform for ESG ratings and analysis.
Brand value is calculated using ISO 10668, the international standard for financial brand valuation.
The index then quantifies the share of each brand’s value directly attributed to perceived sustainability.