Open Traceability Initiative
To be trustworthy, a sustainability claim should be fully traceable.
Bridging the gap between environmental claims and verifiable evidence through an externally inspectable framework.
The Six Dimensions of Openness
Breaking the knowledge-creation process into inspectable layers.
Open Raw Data
Inputs are verifiable, identifiable, documented, attributable, and ideally versioned.
Open Models
Analytical logic is visible through code, methods, dependencies, and open licenses.
Open Execution
Workflows and provenance make the path from inputs to outputs externally inspectable.
Open Review
Visible issue tracking and responses to challenge show how claims were tested.
Open Publications
Final reports and policy outputs are accessible and clearly documented for scrutiny.
Linkage Quality
The Decisive Factor. Explicit and verifiable connections across the entire artifact chain.
Stakeholder Perspectives
How Open Traceability serves different actors in the ecosystem.
For Policymakers
Strengthen regulatory impact assessments and international negotiations with evidence-based authority. Ensure technical claims translated into public policy are accountable.
For Funders
Improve due diligence and impact verification. Use standardized traceability profiles to evaluate the robustness of projects before committing capital.
For Journalists
Verify technical claims in sustainability reporting. Access clear evidentiary links to source data and models to ensure accuracy in communication.
For Developers
Build maintainable and transparent sustainability software. Align workflows with the framework to signal quality and foster collaboration.
Assessment Architecture
Leveraging open digital infrastructure for verification.
OpenAlex
Mapping the publication layer and citation networks.
ecosyste.ms
Analyzing software metadata and project infrastructure.
OpenSustain.tech
The underlying catalog of open sustainability technology.
Exemplars
Concrete examples of strong traceability in practice.
PyPSA
Energy System Optimisation
A global benchmark for transparent power-sector planning with open-source models and data workflows.
VIEW CASE STUDY →InVEST
Ecosystem Services
Standardized models for mapping and valuing nature's benefits, with explicit input-to-output linkage.
VIEW CASE STUDY →Global Forest Watch
Forest Monitoring
Real-time monitoring of tree-cover loss powered by open APIs and verifiable satellite data layers.
VIEW CASE STUDY →