CuLaO2 is a rare-earth and dopant-free inorganic compound able to emit green light upon blue excitation. Its absorption amounts to 90% but its internal quantum efficiency is poor (<17%). The origin of this deleterious radiationless behavior is addressed by investigating the spectroscopic properties of this compound under the action of temperature and hydrostatic pressure in the 15-400 K and 1 bar-40 kbar intervals, and by combining the spectroscopic data with earlier results of DFT calculations. A two-step radiationless process is demonstrated, involving radiative re-absorption and cross-over to excitonic states.