Strengthening Supply Chains through Efficiency, Resilience, AI and Environmental Performance

5. The implementation of environmental-related requirements through a trade facilitation lens

The same digital infrastructure underpinning risk management systems, Single Window environments, pre‑arrival processing, and digital data exchange platforms can serve as the foundation for integrating environmental requirements – so long as the underlying data, registries, and information systems are interoperable. In this way, trade facilitation provides a practical lens for embedding environment‑related checks into existing clearance processes rather than creating separate or duplicative workflows.

The efficient implementation of environmental requirements therefore depends on several core procedural and institutional trade facilitation elements (see also Section 3.3) that underpin border systems. These include clear and accessible information on requirements; the ability to manage and exchange data electronically; streamlined and well‑sequenced procedures; and strong institutional arrangements for co‑ordination among border agencies. The integration of environmental data into border processes necessarily introduces new actors – environmental authorities, verification bodies, registry managers – whose systems must align with those of customs and border agencies. Effective co‑ordination is essential to avoid parallel processes, conflicting instructions, or duplicated checks at the border.

Border agency co‑operation – both domestically and across borders – will be critical for sharing information, aligning procedures, and ensuring that sustainability checks are incorporated into clearance processes in a seamless and predictable way. When agencies can jointly access trusted data, interoperable registries, and common digital platforms, they can manage environmental obligations without compromising the speed, efficiency, or integrity of border operations. Strengthening these co‑operation mechanisms – as highlighted in Section 3.3 – will therefore be essential to not only seize the benefits of modern trade facilitation but also to respond to the growing demand for environmentally performing supply chains.

5.1. Technical interoperability in the context of environmental requirements across supply chains

Ensuring technical interoperability is essential for integrating environmental requirements into border and regulatory processes in a predictable and efficient manner. In practice, interoperability relies on three mutually reinforcing layers: the alignment of underlying data elements, the standardisation of relevant documents, and the compatibility of data‑exchange systems that enable information to flow reliably between domestic agencies and across borders. When these layers function cohesively, they reduce compliance burdens for firms, support effective enforcement for authorities, and enable environmental objectives to be met without disrupting trade. However, gaps in any one layer can create significant operational challenges. The sections that follow first outline the main obstacles that firms and administrations face in achieving technical interoperability, and then consider how existing trade facilitation frameworks and emerging technologies can offer practical solutions.

5.1.1. Challenges to achieving technical interoperability

Export‑intensive firms that operate across several jurisdictions face particular challenges when required to comply with divergent data formats, reporting templates, and verification channels. The burden is even heavier for smaller firms, which often lack the resources to invest in digital data collection tools or the technical capacity to assemble complex datasets such as Scope 3 emissions or supplier‑level attestations. These constraints are especially pronounced in developing and low‑income countries, where firms and administrations typically have more limited access to digital infrastructure and fewer opportunities to participate in standard‑setting initiatives (OECD/BIAC/WEF, 2023[28]).

Compounding these challenges, guidance on how environmental requirements should interface with border processes remains limited across many regulatory regimes (OECD, 2025[32]). As a result, firms must navigate both new operational steps at the border – such as identifying goods subject to environmental rules, verifying authorisations or thresholds, and submitting environmental data – and parallel challenges behind the border, where economic operators must obtain reliable emissions information from their supply chains. The dual nature of these obligations makes the absence of interoperable systems even more costly. Without predictable and consistent approaches, environmental requirements risk creating bottlenecks, duplicating verification efforts, and undermining the efficiency gains achieved through systemic trade facilitation reforms.

5.1.2. Trade facilitation frameworks and emerging technology tools can provide solutions

A trade facilitation lens offers a practical route to enhancing technical interoperability and integrating environmental requirements into border operations while minimising frictions. Where trade facilitation systems rely on structured data, standardised processes, and automated risk management tools, they provide a foundation for embedding environment‑related checks without overhauling existing procedures.

Environmental requirements can be integrated into existing trade facilitation mechanisms by adapting risk management systems, authorised operator programmes, and pre‑arrival processing channels to include relevant sustainability attributes. Lessons from areas such as sanitary and phytosanitary e‑certification demonstrate how digital documents and registry references can be incorporated into border workflows. Digital platforms – including Single Window environments and trusted registries – could offer paths for environmental data to be exchanged securely and consistently across agencies.

Emerging technologies, including AI, can further support implementation. Machine‑readable codes, traceability tools (e.g., track-and-trace, digital product passports), and regulatory identifiers can help authorities link environmental information to specific consignments. As exemplified in section 2.2, AI tools might assist customs in identifying anomalies, verifying environmental certificates, or assessing risk based on emissions or traceability indicators. The private sector plays an important role in this landscape. Initiatives such as the Partnership for Carbon Transparency, Catena‑X in the automotive sector, and Together for Sustainability (TfS) in chemicals provide shared platforms through which firms can develop and exchange primary data‑based product footprints (OECD, 2025[14]). These initiatives demonstrate the value of data frameworks that allow companies to obtain granular environmental information from their suppliers.

5.2. The role of international co‑ordination and co‑operation

International co-operation offers further opportunities to leverage trade facilitation for efficient implementation of environmental requirements. Multilateral, plurilateral and regional discussions can provide venues for sharing experiences and further exploring the concrete role of trade facilitation and technical interoperability. Discussions within international organisations – including the OECD through the IFCMA, the WTO through bodies such as the Committee on Trade and Environment and the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions, the WCO, UNCTAD, UN/CEFACT1, as well as APEC – could help policymakers exchange information on emerging practices and consider how different policy tools interact with trade flows and technical interoperability issues. Such dialogue can contribute to reducing uncertainty for firms while supporting the effectiveness of environmental policies.

Practical tools and platforms developed by public and private actors can complement these co‑operative efforts. For example, digital registries, data sharing mechanisms, and sector‑specific frameworks can support more consistent approaches to reporting and verification. Illustrative initiatives – such as those developing harmonised reporting templates or facilitating the secure exchange of product‑level environmental information – demonstrate how structured data systems can help firms navigate environmental requirements in multiple jurisdictions. While approaches differ across sectors and regulatory contexts, such tools highlight the potential benefits of predictable, interoperable systems that facilitate compliance while supporting well‑functioning and resilient supply chains (OECD, 2025[14]).

Note

← 1.  Examples include the WCO Green Customs Action Plan, the UN Transparency Protocol, IPPC ePhyto, eCITES, eBASEL, and ASYCUDA.