Traceability in the environment and sustainable development

Protecting the environment has become an unavoidable issue. Whether in terms of combating pollution, controlling dwindling resources or fighting global warming, countries, communities, individuals and many companies are all committed to environmental or sustainable development initiatives. On an industrial level, these fields are becoming veritable markets in which major players are positioning themselves, whether at the technological, scientific or technical level. Concepts, methods, standards and legal texts are being developed alongside a wide range of products and services. All the tools and concepts of traditional industry are being reoriented and reused in these new fields. What then of the industrial tool that is traceability? How is it used, under what conditions and for what purposes? Is it new compared to traceability practices in other sectors?

The aim of this dossier is to answer these questions by drawing up an initial inventory of the use of traceability in the fields of the environment and sustainable development, with, as a basis for comparison, the practices and definitions of traceability in other sectors. The result will be the identification of areas for development of this concept through different practices, particularly those in the environment and sustainable development sectors.