The project aims to enhance transparency on voluntary sustainability standards and increase opportunities for sustainable trade. It addresses these challenges by collecting, organizing and disseminating information on voluntary sustainability standards and related research results in a web-based tool. This web-based tool called ITC Standards Map centralizes information such as the standards' content requirements, the related verification and certification mechanisms, product scope, market outreach and standards-related research results. The information is made accessible to producers, exporters, trade promotion organizations, trade support institutions, policy-makers, and intermediate private or public buyers.
The Ecologic Institute consulted the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, during the design phase of the ITC Standards Map. Ecologic reviewed the concept of the database as well as the user-friendliness of the respective web interface and provided feedback on graphic display and webwriting style.
The ITC Standards Map is available online at: www.standardsmap.org