The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is no longer just a European initiative – it is rapidly evolving into the backbone of global systems for sharing sustainability, circularity, and traceability data. While the European Union, through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), sets mandatory DPP requirements, a broader framework is emerging in parallel – the Digital Product Information Systems (DPIS) – designed to connect European and global systems into a unified data network.
This transformation is being driven by international organizations such as UNEP, ITU, and the European Commission, with a shared goal: to make interoperability a global standard, not just a regional achievement.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the One Planet Network have launched the Digitalization for Circular Economy (D4CE) initiative, aimed at establishing a global framework for Digital Product Information Systems (DPIS).
Similar in concept to the DPP, DPIS expands its scope to include a wider range of data – from product origin and composition to environmental, social, and economic sustainability indicators.
The Global DPIS Blueprint, presented in October 2025, introduces two key dimensions:
Technical Architecture – defining governance principles, interoperability standards, access levels, and data categories.
Implementation and Capacity Building – strengthening digital infrastructure, supporting SMEs, and launching cross-sector pilot projects.
Through this approach, the DPP becomes part of a broader digital transformation vision that transcends borders and sectors.
The greatest challenge for any global framework is not collecting data, but ensuring its comparability and exchangeability across countries, industries, and systems.
That is why interoperability – the ability of systems to “speak the same data language” – is at the heart of every international discussion on DPPs and DPIS.
The global blueprint defines seven main data categories, with 39 subcategories, covering:
general product information,
compliance and material data,
environmental and lifecycle indicators,
social responsibility metrics,
circular economy strategies.
This model allows digital systems in Europe, Asia, or Latin America to exchange meaningful sustainability data without losing context — creating a truly global network of transparent and traceable products.
The European Commission, through projects such as CIRPASS-2 and SURPASS-2, is actively contributing to the development and testing of DPP architectures.
At the same time, organizations like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have developed two key global standards — L1070 and L1071 — defining functional requirements and data models for DPP systems.
UNEP and the Wuppertal Institute are coordinating the integration of these standards within the global framework, with early pilot projects already underway in Argentina (textile sector) and India (battery sector).
By combining the regulatory strength of the EU with global technical standardization, these initiatives are building a bridge toward a globally aligned and interoperable system that supports sustainable production and trade.
For manufacturers, brands, and suppliers, global interoperability brings a new level of transparency, credibility, and market access.
In the near future, sustainability and product data will be verifiable across unified systems – whether through a European DPP or a global DPIS.
This transformation creates opportunities to:
demonstrate compliance with regulations such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD),
access green markets and financing opportunities,
strengthen consumer and partner trust throughout the value chain,
participate in international circular economy initiatives.
Ultimately, interoperability becomes the new competitive advantage – enabling sustainability to be measurable, comparable, and transparent across the world.
The evolution from European DPPs to a global DPIS framework shows how rapidly digital transformation is reshaping the way we define, manage, and share product data.
Interoperability is no longer a purely technical concept – it is a strategic priority defining who will lead the sustainable digital economy of the future.
For companies preparing for this transition, understanding the global context of DPP and DPIS is not optional – it is essential.
For collaboration and more information about Digital Product Passports and advisory services, feel free to contact us at info@nos.hr.
