Version 1.0
Effective: May 2026
UPPS Foundation
Establishes the foundational principles, scope, and framework for the Universal Product Passport Standards.
UPPS Foundation establishes the fundamental principles and framework that underpin all UPPS standards.
[NORMATIVE]
Sections 1-10 contain normative requirements that shall be followed for UPPS compliance. Guidance sections provide non-binding recommendations.
1. Objective
The objective of UPPS is to establish a global standard for disclosing product-level information that enables consistent, comparable, and decision-useful data across supply chains, industries, and jurisdictions.
UPPS aims to enhance transparency, support circular economy transitions, and facilitate regulatory compliance while reducing reporting burden through standardized data structures.
Key Objectives
- •Standardization: Establish uniform disclosure requirements that enable comparability across products, organizations, and markets
- •Transparency: Provide stakeholders with reliable, verifiable information about product characteristics, impacts, and lifecycle considerations
- •Circularity: Support the transition to circular economy models by disclosing information on durability, repairability, recyclability, and material recovery
- •Compliance: Facilitate alignment with emerging regulatory requirements including EU Digital Product Passport, ESPR, and similar frameworks globally
- •Efficiency: Reduce duplication and reporting burden by providing a single, comprehensive framework that addresses multiple stakeholder needs
2. Scope and Applicability
UPPS applies to all organizations that manufacture, distribute, or sell physical products. The framework is designed to be sector-agnostic while providing sector-specific guidance where needed.
Covered Information Categories
Product Identification
Basic product information, identifiers, classification, and manufacturer details
Environmental Impact
GHG emissions, energy, water, waste, hazardous substances, and lifecycle impacts
Circularity
Durability, repairability, recyclability, material recovery, and end-of-life management
Supply Chain
Supplier identification, material origin, traceability, and due diligence
Social & Ethical
Labor practices, working conditions, conflict minerals, and community impacts
Compliance
Regulatory compliance, certifications, testing results, and conformity declarations
Organizational Applicability
UPPS is applicable to organizations of all sizes across all sectors. Implementation may be scaled based on organizational capacity, product complexity, and regulatory requirements. Organizations should prioritize disclosures based on materiality and stakeholder needs.
3. Core Principles
UPPS is built on five foundational principles that guide disclosure requirements, implementation, and interpretation across all standards. These principles ensure that product passport information is decision-useful, reliable, and aligned with global best practices.
Relevance
Disclosures shall be material to decision-making and reflect significant impacts.
Information disclosed under UPPS must be relevant to stakeholder decisions, including purchasing, investment, regulatory compliance, and risk assessment. Organizations shall apply materiality assessments to determine which disclosures are most significant for their products and stakeholders.
Comparability
Information shall be consistent and comparable across products, organizations, and time periods.
Standardized methodologies, units of measurement, and reporting boundaries enable meaningful comparison between products. Organizations shall use recognized standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO, GRI, GHG Protocol) and maintain consistency in disclosure approaches over time.
Verifiability
Disclosures shall be supported by evidence and subject to verification where required.
All disclosed information must be traceable to underlying data sources, calculations, or documentation. Organizations shall maintain audit trails and be prepared to provide evidence supporting their disclosures. Third-party verification may be required for certain high-impact disclosures.
Clarity
Information shall be presented in a clear, understandable, and accessible manner.
Disclosures shall be written in plain language, avoiding unnecessary jargon while maintaining technical accuracy. Data shall be presented in formats that facilitate understanding, including visual representations where appropriate. Assumptions, limitations, and methodologies shall be clearly explained.
Interoperability
UPPS shall align with existing standards and frameworks to enable data exchange.
UPPS is designed to complement and integrate with existing reporting frameworks, regulatory requirements, and industry standards. Data structures shall support digital exchange through standardized formats (e.g., JSON, XML) and align with emerging digital product passport initiatives globally.
4. Framework Architecture
The UPPS framework is structured as a modular system consisting of a foundation standard and thematic disclosure standards. This architecture enables organizations to implement disclosures progressively based on product characteristics, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder priorities.
Framework Structure
Framework Structure
UPPS Foundation
Establishes objectives, scope, principles, and conceptual framework
UPPS 101: General Product Disclosures
Baseline identification and description requirements applicable to all products
UPPS 201: Environmental Product Disclosures
Environmental impacts including emissions, energy, water, waste, and hazardous substances
UPPS 301: Circularity Product Disclosures
Durability, repairability, recyclability, and circular economy considerations
UPPS 401: Supply Chain and Traceability Disclosures
Supplier information, material origin, traceability, and due diligence
UPPS 501: Social and Ethical Product Disclosures
Labor practices, working conditions, human rights, and community impacts
Implementation Approach
Organizations shall begin with UPPS 101 (General Product Disclosures) to establish baseline product identification and description. Thematic standards (201, 301, 401, 501) shall be applied based on materiality assessment, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder expectations. Not all thematic standards will be relevant for every product.
5. Relationship to Other Frameworks
UPPS is designed to complement and integrate with existing sustainability reporting frameworks, regulatory requirements, and industry standards. Organizations using UPPS can leverage existing data and processes while meeting emerging product-level disclosure requirements.
Alignment with Key Frameworks
EU Digital Product Passport
UPPS provides a structured approach to meeting DPP requirements under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)
GRI Standards
Product-level disclosures complement organization-level GRI reporting, enabling integrated sustainability disclosure
ISO Standards
Aligns with ISO 14067 (carbon footprint), ISO 14044 (LCA), and other relevant ISO standards for environmental management
GHG Protocol
Product-level emissions disclosures follow GHG Protocol Product Standard methodologies and principles
CSRD/ESRS
Supports product-level data requirements under EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and European Sustainability Reporting Standards
Industry Standards
Compatible with sector-specific standards including PEFCR, EPD, and industry-specific product disclosure requirements
6. Legal Framework
UPPS standards are published and maintained under a transparent legal framework that ensures accessibility, protects intellectual property rights, and establishes appropriate liability limitations.
Copyright and Licensing
All UPPS standards are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Organizations may freely use, adapt, and distribute UPPS standards with appropriate attribution. No royalties or licensing fees are required for implementation.
Liability Limitations
UPPS standards are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Canonical ESG and its contributors shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use of or reliance on UPPS standards.
Organizations implementing UPPS standards are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations. UPPS standards do not constitute legal advice and shall not be relied upon as such.
Safe Harbor Provisions
Organizations that make good-faith efforts to comply with UPPS disclosure requirements shall not be held liable for unintentional errors or omissions, provided that:
- Disclosures are based on reasonable data collection and calculation methodologies
- Errors are corrected promptly upon discovery
- Organizations maintain adequate documentation to support disclosed information
- Limitations and uncertainties are clearly communicated
Intellectual Property Rights
Organizations retain all intellectual property rights to their product data and disclosures. UPPS standards define disclosure structure and requirements but do not claim ownership of disclosed information.
The "UPPS" name and associated marks are currently unregistered. Trademark registration is planned as the standards gain adoption and institutional maturity. Organizations may reference UPPS compliance in their disclosures with appropriate attribution.
Data Protection Compliance
Organizations implementing UPPS standards shall comply with applicable data protection regulations, including:
- GDPR (EU): General Data Protection Regulation requirements for personal data processing
- CCPA (California): California Consumer Privacy Act provisions
- Other jurisdictions: Applicable local data protection and privacy laws
UPPS disclosures must not include personally identifiable information unless required by regulation and appropriate consent has been obtained.
7. Materiality Assessment
Organizations shall conduct materiality assessments to determine which UPPS disclosure requirements are most relevant to their products and stakeholders. Materiality assessment ensures that disclosure efforts focus on information that is decision-useful and reflects significant impacts.
Double Materiality Approach
UPPS adopts a double materiality perspective that considers both:
Impact Materiality
The significance of the product's environmental, social, and governance impacts on society and the environment
Financial Materiality
The significance of sustainability matters to the organization's financial performance, market position, and enterprise value
A disclosure topic is considered material if it meets either or both materiality criteria.
Stakeholder Engagement Requirements
Organizations shall engage relevant stakeholders to inform materiality assessments, including:
- Customers and end-users
- Investors and financial institutions
- Regulators and policymakers
- Supply chain partners
- Civil society organizations and NGOs
- Affected communities
Stakeholder engagement shall be documented and inform disclosure prioritization decisions.
Materiality Matrix Methodology
Organizations shall develop a materiality matrix that maps disclosure topics across two dimensions:
- •X-axis: Significance to stakeholders (based on stakeholder engagement)
- •Y-axis: Significance of impacts (environmental, social, governance)
- •High-High Quadrant: Priority disclosures requiring comprehensive reporting
- •Other Quadrants: Secondary disclosures that may be phased or simplified
Disclosure Prioritization Framework
Based on materiality assessment, organizations shall prioritize disclosures as follows:
Tier 1: Mandatory Core Disclosures
UPPS 101 (General Product Disclosures) and material thematic standards identified through materiality assessment
Tier 2: Recommended Disclosures
Thematic standards with moderate materiality or regulatory relevance
Tier 3: Optional Disclosures
Additional disclosures for transparency or stakeholder interest
Phased Implementation Based on Materiality
Organizations may implement UPPS disclosures progressively, beginning with Tier 1 mandatory core disclosures and expanding to Tier 2 and Tier 3 disclosures over time. Phased implementation timelines shall be documented and communicated to stakeholders.
8. Implementation Requirements
UPPS implementation requirements are scaled based on organizational size and capacity to ensure that disclosure obligations are proportionate and achievable across all organization types.
Tiered Implementation Approach
Tier 1: Large Enterprises
Scope: Organizations with more than 500 employees or annual revenue exceeding €100 million
Requirements: Full compliance with all applicable UPPS standards
- UPPS 101 (General Product Disclosures) — Mandatory
- Material thematic standards (201, 301, 401, 501) — Mandatory
- Third-party verification for high-impact disclosures — Required
- Digital product passport implementation — Required
Transition Period: Immediate (0 months from effective date)
Tier 2: Medium Enterprises
Scope: Organizations with 50-500 employees or annual revenue €10-100 million
Requirements: Scaled disclosure requirements with flexibility
- UPPS 101 (General Product Disclosures) — Mandatory
- Material thematic standards — Mandatory (may use simplified methodologies)
- Third-party verification — Recommended for high-impact disclosures
- Digital product passport implementation — Recommended
Transition Period: Immediate (0 months from effective date)
Tier 3: Small Enterprises
Scope: Organizations with fewer than 50 employees or annual revenue below €10 million
Requirements: Simplified disclosure with focus on material impacts
- UPPS 101 (General Product Disclosures) — Mandatory (simplified format)
- Material thematic standards — Recommended (may use industry averages)
- Third-party verification — Optional
- Digital product passport implementation — Optional
Transition Period: 12 months from effective date
9. Governance and Standard-Setting Process
UPPS is governed through a transparent, multi-stakeholder process that ensures standards remain relevant, credible, and aligned with emerging regulatory requirements and stakeholder needs.
Governance Structure
UPPS is currently in a foundational phase with concentrated stewardship. As adoption grows, governance will transition to a multi-stakeholder model including representatives from industry, civil society, academia, and regulatory bodies.
Standard-Setting Process
UPPS standards are developed through a five-stage process:
Stage 1: Proposal
Identification of need and scoping of new standard or amendment
Stage 2: Technical Development
Drafting of standard with technical input and stakeholder consultation
Stage 3: Public Consultation
60-day public consultation period for stakeholder feedback
Stage 4: Revision
Incorporation of feedback and finalization of standard
Stage 5: Publication
Formal publication with effective date and transition provisions
Versioning and Updates
UPPS follows semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) for all standards:
- MAJOR: Significant changes that affect compliance requirements or add new disclosure categories
- MINOR: Additions that maintain backward compatibility (e.g., new optional disclosures)
- PATCH: Minor corrections, clarifications, or editorial changes
Organizations will be provided with 12-24 months transition periods for MAJOR version changes to ensure orderly implementation.
10. Contact and Support
Organizations implementing UPPS standards may seek guidance, clarification, or support through the following channels.
Support Channels
Technical Inquiries
Questions about interpretation, application, or technical implementation of UPPS standards
Feedback and Suggestions
Input on standard development, potential improvements, or emerging requirements
Collaboration Opportunities
Participation in working groups, pilot programs, or standard development initiatives
Implementation Support
Guidance on phased implementation, materiality assessment, and compliance verification
Contact Information
For inquiries related to UPPS standards, please contact the Canonical ESG team through the official channels available on the website.