AbstractThis paper takes as its starting point the apparent disconnect one sees between the creation and development of sustainability indicators and indices (SIs) and an assessment of their use. Assessing the use of SIs is challenging for a variety of reasons. In this paper the focus was upon the reporting of SIs by newspapers as one means of such assessment. Results suggest that for a group of 18 SIs there was a statistically significant difference between them in terms of extent of reporting in newspapers, with some (especially footprint‐based SIs) being more successful than others. It is argued here that SI developers should take into account the use of their SIs far more than they currently do, as this would help introduce an element of natural selection that should spur SI evolution. A parallel is made with the concept of memes. This process would move SIs away from a development largely driven by more technical concerns towards SIs more attuned to the needs of users. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment