Understanding digital tools for sustainability: an open platform for comparison and guidance
This project develops a public website called the Traceability Tool Navigator (TTN), where sustainability systems, companies, and other stakeholders can compare digital traceability and geospatial monitoring tools side by side. As regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) increase compliance requirements, hundreds of commercial tools have entered the market, offering a wide range of services from addressing single aspects of one regulation to “all-inclusive packages for multi-level compliance”.
The platform, developed by Preferred by Nature in collaboration with WWF, brings clarity by providing neutral evaluations, structured comparisons, and verified assessments to help users make informed decisions about which tools genuinely meet their needs.
Sustainability systems, companies tracking their sourcing, and related stakeholders are facing a wave of digitalisation and more complex due diligence. Hundreds of traceability and monitoring tools now exist, but most lack transparency into their functionality, data governance, and actual capabilities. Certification schemes and companies struggle to assess which tools are credible, appropriate, or compatible with their existing systems. Without shared benchmarks, standard data formats, or common expectations regarding data ownership and ethical management, the sector encounters barriers to adoption, interoperability, and trust.
The TTN builds on existing sources while enhancing the benefits for users and tool providers. Existing sources often:
- Have a narrow scope, often focusing solely on EUDR. The TTN encompasses a broad range of use cases for regulatory compliance, certification, and voluntary commitments.
- Provide information primarily at an introductory level. The TTN feature framework is comprehensive and detailed enough to provide deeper insights into tool functionalities.
- Unlike static websites or printed publications, the TTN project is developed as a dynamic source of information that will be updated with new tool features as they evolve. Participating tool providers and platform users are encouraged to provide feedback to ensure that the platform reflects the latest advancements.
- Are exclusively based on self-disclosed provider information. The TTN will include an optional verification mechanism to ensure that claimed features exist and are functional.
- Sustainability systems and certification schemes
- Companies in deforestation-risk commodity sectors, including brands, buyers, and traders, seeking to meet EUDR and other sustainability requirements
- Tool providers
- Policy makers and competent authorities
- Local producers
The project directly supports four core objectives that align with ISEAL's vision of transparent, credible, and inclusive assurance systems:
- Strengthening data foundations by establishing core features, minimum standards, and standardised data points across digital tools.
- Enabling data-driven assurance through a transparent feature framework that supports tool selection and standardised data collection and exchange.
- Enhancing performance data and measurement by promoting structured, comparable data, standardised data flows, and ethical management practices.
- Facilitating information exchange by improving interoperability among sustainability systems, supply chain actors, and technology providers.
The project focuses on five key activities. We have developed a framework of approximately 100 features covering data input, user access, geospatial features, analytics, reporting, verification, data sharing, security, and ownership. This framework has been validated through internal reviews and direct consultations with tool providers.
We are piloting a self-assessment and an optional verification process with selected tool providers. As step one, they complete a structured survey to disclose information about their tools. To enhance the credibility of their tools, providers can ask Preferred by Nature to conduct an independent assessment. A neutral web platform is being built to publish tool profiles and enable side-by-side comparisons across key indicators. The platform starts as a minimum viable product that can evolve based on user feedback.
Beyond the platform itself, we are providing guidance to sustainability systems and companies on minimum expectations for tool features, recommended data formats, ownership principles, and ethical data management practices. Throughout development, we are engaging ISEAL members, solution providers, regulators, and companies through webinars, consultations, and an Advisory Group.
Expected Solutions and Impact
For sustainability systems and certification schemes, the platform enables better decision-making when selecting tools, clarifies expected features and safeguards and promotes alignment across different systems while reducing duplicated effort.
Companies facing supply chain due diligence requirements receive trusted guidance on tool selection and support for strategic decision-making around building, buying, or partnering on digital solutions. The platform encourages cross-system dialogue and shared understanding of interoperability needs.
Tool providers involved in the pilot phase gain advantages as early adopters, gaining exposure on a platform developed by reputable organisations. This provides strong visibility and enhances the reputation as demand for trusted digital solutions increases.
The platform remains a neutral, non-profit public good hosted by Preferred by Nature under a Creative Commons license. Long-term sustainability is maintained through a mixed model where tool providers can upload basic information at no cost, while those seeking verified status can pay a fee to cover verification and quality control costs.
Innovation and Replicability
While many sustainability schemes and companies depend on commercial platforms, there is a need for a neutral framework that provides information about these tools' functionality, ethical standards, or suitability for specific use cases. The participatory, open-access feature framework represents a significant step toward standardising expectations across sustainability systems and technology providers.
The framework and platform are designed to be scalable and replicable across different sectors (forestry, agriculture, fisheries) and regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America, and beyond). By emphasising overall traceability and geospatial capabilities rather than sector-specific standards, the approach supports a range of sustainability systems and other applications. The platform also supports versioning to accommodate future updates and changing user needs.
Project resource: New global platform to bring clarity and openness to supply chain traceability tools | Preferred by Nature
Project Details:
Title
Digital Tools Platform: Strengthening Data Foundations and Interoperability in Sustainability Systems
Tobias Stäuble
Together we are stronger
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