On September 26, 2024, the IEEE Standards Association officially approved the project proposal for IEEE SA P3828 Standard for Digital Product Passport – Reference Architecture and Technical Requirements. This initiative, led by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), aims to establish a standardized global framework for digital product passports (DPPs). The project development will be overseen by Chi Cheng, chair of the standard’s working group and a member of CAICT’s Industrial Internet and Internet of Things Institute. To support the initiative, CAICT invited worldwide experts to contribute to the project; the channels for submitting feedback closed on October 30, 2024.
The concept of DPP has gained significant traction, particularly within the European Union, where regulations such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Battery Regulation mandate specific DPP requirements. These regulations emphasize product-specific, electronically accessible datasets that track the green, low-carbon lifecycle of products. However, from China’s perspective, the lack of unified international standards for DPPs has hindered interoperability, presenting a challenge for stakeholders globally.
The IEEE SA P3828 standard, proposed by CAICT, therefore, aims to bridge this gap by providing comprehensive guidelines for developing robust and interoperable DPP systems worldwide. It claimed to focus on core technical specifications, including metrics, technical benchmarks, and management requirements. Key areas of the standard will encompass system management, functionality, interconnectivity, as well as reliability and security. The standard is designed to serve as a foundational framework for various organizations, industries, and economic operators to develop efficient and trustworthy DPP systems.
China believes that the implementation of IEEE SA P3828 will enhance the transparency and sustainability of global supply chains. By offering a standardized, interoperable reference framework, the standard will facilitate the collection, management, and tracking of product information across a product’s entire lifecycle, from design and production to transportation, usage, and recycling. This will ultimately promote resource efficiency while fostering the simultaneous advancement of digitalization and sustainability.
European stakeholders are encouraged to monitor the progress of IEEE SA P3828 and compare its development with the EU’s parallel efforts in this area.
