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Canada, Germany, USA, July 29th 2025 – The Government of British Columbia, the Catena-X Automotive Network e.V. and the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) are joining hands for interoperability testing between:
- The Catena-X federated data ecosystem initiative for sovereign, secure, and interoperable data exchange across multi-tier value chains, to advance trust, traceability, and sustainability for the global automotive industry; and,
- The Government of British Columbia’s implementation of the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP), a standard for data sharing currently being developed by the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and eBusiness (UN/CEFACT), to digitalize B.C. Mine permit status for mining operators located in the province; and,
- The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) initiative for working and environmental conditions in global supply chains through common industry standards, assessments, and training, including the pilot implementation of UNTP for the electronics, electrical goods, and automotive parts sectors.
Together, these partners offer a distinctive, interoperable approach to digital trust architecture. They are designed to support any supply or value chain, regardless of its origin or destination, and are independent of sector or geography. In addition, they are designed in such a way that they do not cause lock-in effects and allow for easy switching to other systems.
“The Catena-X federated dataspace represents a transformative approach to industrial data collaboration. Its federated model aligns with UN/CEFACT’s goals of enabling global interoperability through trusted data-sharing frameworks, particularly in complex, multi-tier supply chains such as automotive manufacturing. “The RBA’s leadership in piloting the extension of the UNTP further down the supply chain to mineral processors and electronic manufacturers will help create end-to-end supply chain visibility and trust. By adopting the UNTP, BC Government seeks to demonstrate how data sharing can be extended to mining facilities.” wrote Nancy Norris, Chair of UN/CEFACT.
The testing initiative seeks to validate alignment and interoperability with international standards and those under development, ensures cross-platform functionality, and bridges public and private sector interests with a souverain, open, technology-neutral approach. It provides a replicable framework for how data-driven cooperation can scale across different jurisdictions and sectors, from mining to manufacturing.
“From the beginning, Catena-X was designed to support global interoperability and compliance with regional regulatory requirements,” said Oliver Ganser, Chairman of the Board at Catena-X Automotive Network. “This testing case is a clear demonstration that our federated approach can work in practice. It can prove that trusted, cross-border data exchange can be achieved by radical collaboration, aligned with national governance and industry needs.”
“Without common protocols for supply chain data, our industries continue to spend significant time and resources collecting fragmented, unreliable and disparate information, which hampers our collective competitiveness, resilience, and regulatory readiness,” wrote Tyler Gillard, RBA’s Chief Strategy Officer. “The RBA is committed to advancing responsible supply chains. With a deliberate and structured approach to collaboration, our hope is that our collective implementation of UNTP will generate verifiable data that can be shared and managed in federated sovereign ecosystems like Catena-X to help ensure compliance with industry-specific values and European regulations.“
Stakeholders are encouraged to join this forward-looking effort, which sets a precedent for transparent, standard-compliant, and globally connected digital ecosystems.
About Catena-X
Catena-X is an end-to-end, collaborative and open data ecosystem for the automotive industry, connecting all players along the value chain. The Catena-X association aims to act as a neutral governance to enable standardized, interoperable and data-sovereign collaboration and drive innovation, increase efficiency and compliance across the entire data ecosystem. Catena-X is Gaia-X compliant, can serve as a model for all Manufacturing-X initiatives and aims to support the development of standardized data ecosystems in other industries. Founded in 2021, the association has hubs in the USA, China, Spain, Sweden and France and more than 300 individuals from various players in the automotive industry working in more than 40 expert groups to develop future standards.
About the Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) is a nonprofit organization comprised of companies committed to responsible business conduct in their global supply chains. The RBA has a Code of Conduct and a range of programs, training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement. The organization has a global footprint, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The RBA and its Responsible Minerals, Labor and Factory Initiatives have more than 600 members with combined annual revenues of greater than $8 trillion, directly employing over 21.5 million people, with products manufactured in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit responsiblebusiness.org.
About the UN Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business
The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) is a global intergovernmental body hosted by UNECE that develops policy recommendations and technical standards to simplify and harmonize international trade. Among its recent initiatives, Recommendation No. 49—Transparency at Scale—addresses the urgent need for verifiable, scalable sustainability data across global value chains. It provides a strategic policy framework for governments and industries to enhance ESG compliance and supply chain accountability. Central to this recommendation is the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP), a digital trust standard, currently under development, and designed to enable secure, interoperable, and tamper-evident sustainability claims, helping organizations share reliable and consistent information about sustainability in supply chains.
British Columbia Ministry of Mines and Critical Minerals
The newly established Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals (MCM) aims to position British Columbia (B.C.) as a global player in responsible resource development. As part of its Energy & Mines Digital Trust (EMDT) initiative, the Ministry has adopted the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) to publish verifiable digital credentials attesting the permit status of a mine in B.C. These credentials enable mining and critical minerals companies to securely demonstrate regulatory permit status across global supply chains. By aligning with international data sharing standards for transparency and sustainability reporting, the Ministry is positioning B.C.’s mining sector to meet growing global demand for ethically sourced and environmentally responsible critical minerals.
