In an exclusive interview with
Website Planet, Andrea Gori shared the inspiration behind the platform’s creation.
illuminem was conceived by a group of “climate quitters” who left their established careers to focus on the mission of preventing climate catastrophe.
The platform aims to address the critical lack of quality information and data needed for effective sustainability efforts, making it an essential resource for organizations looking to decarbonize and engage with their stakeholders.
Through illuminem, Gori and his team aspire to be the “Bloomberg of Sustainability,” providing comprehensive and accessible insights to drive meaningful action towards a sustainable future.
What was the inspiration behind founding illuminem?
illuminem was born from a team of climate quitters, who left established careers, to devote themselves to “a mission for our planet”. Our journey started with a critical realization: there is a window of opportunity to save our planet from a climate catastrophe.
Many have “big plans” for sustainability. However, they are facing obstacles when it comes to putting these plans into action. The key challenge? A significant lack of quality information & data ranging from technologies to deploy to industry best practices. Organizations globally need knowledge & insights, to decarbonize and speak to their stakeholders – communities, customers, and employees.
The more extensive our information and data, the more sustainability can be embedded in any business process: from value chain management to sales, from talent management to investment.
Can you describe the mission and vision of illuminem?
Our Vision: illuminem aspires to be “the Bloomberg of Sustainability,” empowering the sustainable transition with the most insightful information. We envision a world where access to high-quality, relevant data and insights on sustainability is available to all, driving informed decision-making and meaningful action. By positioning ourselves as the leading authority in this space, we aim to inspire and guide individuals, organizations, and governments towards a more sustainable future.
Our Mission: Provide the most convenient access to trustworthy data, news, and insights enabling sustainable decisions, for all. We are committed to delivering information that is not only reliable and accurate but also easily accessible and user-friendly. Our goal is to support our audience in making decisions that are informed by the latest developments and trends in sustainability. Through our platform, we seek to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, making it simpler for everyone to contribute to a more sustainable world.
How does illuminem differentiate itself in the sustainability sector?
illuminem differentiates itself in the sustainability sector through its unique dual approach. On one side, illuminem aggregates, categorizes, ranks, and summarizes thousands of media content into 60-second quick readings. On the other side, publishes exclusive insights from the world’s largest expert network in sustainability. This network includes over 1,500 authors, ranging from top scientists, CEOs, and CSOs to Ministers and Heads of State. The depth and breadth of expertise provided by these contributors make illuminem a “go-to publication” for the world’s sustainability leaders.
Furthermore, illuminem is more than just a platform. It is a thriving community of over 350,000 individuals worldwide, united by a shared commitment to sustainability. Our global reach and diverse membership highlight our commitment to fostering a worldwide dialogue on sustainability issues, making us global by design.
What are some of the key topics or themes that illuminem focuses on?
illuminem is dedicated to providing in-depth coverage and analysis of sustainability issues. The platform serves as a hub for the latest news, research, and thought leadership in the field of sustainability, featuring a wide array of topics that are critical to the global agenda. In addition to hosting a diverse range of articles, illuminem also showcases contributions from “illuminem Voices,” a network of key personalities and experts in sustainability. These thought leaders share their insights and experiences, offering unique perspectives on pressing environmental and social challenges.
Among the most read areas on the platform there are:
Climate Change: at illuminem, we provide comprehensive coverage on the urgent issue of climate change, exploring the scientific, economic, and policy aspects. We feature discussions on global climate policies, mitigation strategies, and adaptation measures.
Carbon: we delve deeply into carbon-related topics, particularly in the context of carbon emissions and carbon markets. We cover the development of carbon trading systems, carbon credits, and the role of carbon pricing in incentivizing reductions in emissions.
Biodiversity: biodiversity conservation is another crucial theme. We addresse the loss of biodiversity and its implications for ecosystems and human well-being. We had articles on conservation strategies, sustainable land use practices, and the protection of endangered species.
Energy: At Illuminem, we cover the energy sector extensively, with a focus on the transition towards renewable and clean energy sources. Topics include advancements in solar, wind, hydro, and other renewable energy technologies, as well as energy storage solutions and smart grid innovations.
Can you share the impact that illuminem has had in the industry?
At illuminem,
impact is fundamental to everything we do.
We approach Impact from two angles:
(A) On our Media Platform:
– Our “impact belief” here is in spreading sustainability knowledge
– We thus measure impact by tracking the time our audience (40% executives) spends reading our content, reflecting the reach and influence of our information on their sustainability practices. This helps foster an informed community committed to action
– Over the first four months of 2024, we’ve increased from 12 to over 30,000 minutes spent on sustainability content per week.
(B) On our SaaS B2B Product:
– Designed to drive sustainability sales, our product helps cleantech, carbon, and renewable companies identify the right customers to scale. In short: “we provide liquidity to sustainability.”
– Our “impact belief” here is in scaling the adoption of sustainability solutions
– Strictly adhering to the principle of additionality, we measure impact by surveying our SaaS customers about the additional sales generated through our platform. A question for which they naturally have an incentive to minimize (to reduce our bargaining power)
– From a simple simulation based on 30 target SaaS licenses sold in this starting period, each conservatively generating 1 additional “carbon/climate contract” per month for an avg. size of 15k t of CO2e, we project facilitating carbon project developments for approximately 5 million tonnes of CO2 in 2024, and 14 million tonnes in 2025
– Just to provide visualization, though methodologically incorrect, this equates to the annual carbon emissions of 1.1 million passenger vehicles or protecting 10,000 hectares of forest in 2024.
Most importantly, we are committed to rigorous impact tracking, and we are eager to continually refine our metrics as much as to hear any expert advice to ensure they accurately reflect the value we deliver.
What are your future plans for expanding or evolving illuminem’s platform?
We’re currently launching our SaaS product, the world’s first Sustainability Sales tool. This is designed to bridge the gap between sellers and buyers across the entire spectrum of sustainability solutions. Beginning with carbon solutions, our goal is to broaden our coverage to include renewable energy, climatech, and services such as sustainability consulting.
To achieve this, we progressively enrich our database with insights on both buyers and sellers – integrating sustainability metrics, intent, benchmarks, rankings, and reviews of the sustainability solutions in the market.
Driven by “our Zero to One’s secret belief” that sustainability insights are crucial for any business decision, our ambition is to support companies across business needs. Our vision is to leverage our three core strengths—visibility, credibility, and sustainability data— and emerge as
the leading B2B platform for sustainability.
