Every few years, businesses refresh their sustainability ambitions. More recycled content. Fewer flights. Better packaging. Updates to 2030 plans are about to hit the light of day.

But after the consultants leave and the reports are published, will anyone be able to prove any of it?

At Pyx, we’re not here to knock ambition. But goals alone don’t cut it. You need to show your work. Sustainability plans now bear a considerable burden of proof.

Here's the uncomfortable question: Are these plans being built in a way that makes their claims not just credible, but verifiable?

Marketing spin won’t cut it.

We’re entering a decade where trade, tariffs, regulation, market access and capital flows will increasingly demand evidence. Not claims. Not story arcs. Proof. Trust.

If you’re doing the work to decarbonise, localise, regenerate or otherwise improve how your business acts in the world, the real differentiators will be a) whether you can prove it and b) whether you can port that proof across borders, partners, and platforms.

Verifiable claims are the competitive edge hiding in plain sight.

To be clear, many sustainability strategies are already looking beyond the organisation. They’re tackling Scope 3 emissions, publishing modern slavery statements, and exploring supplier engagement initiatives. These are important steps and deserve recognition.

But there's still a gap. What’s often missing is the how. The operational layer that ensures claims can be traced, trusted, and surfaced when it counts. Without this, even the best intentions risk becoming stranded assets of goodwill.

Too few strategies seriously interrogate the role of data. Not just in reporting, but in implementation. They often overlook the potential of their own ecosystems, data infrastructure and supplier networks to drive, validate and scale sustainability efforts.

That’s where protocols like the UNTP come in. They offer a practical path forward.

The UNTP isn’t another dashboard or reporting system. It’s a protocol, a bit like the structure and set of protocols that make emails work. It allows different organisations, platforms and standards to share and verify claims without forcing everyone onto one platform or to force all their data into one central repository. It respects existing standards and technology investments, while enabling a level of interoperability that will make it possible to communicate ESG achievements to support transactions, market access, stakeholder trust and competitive positioning.

So, before the ink dries on your sustainability strategy:

• Ask whether your claims can be verified, not just declared.
• Consider how data provenance is being handled. Is it decentralised, portable, and privacy-respecting?
• Decide if you want your good work to be a hidden asset or a visible differentiator.
• And yes, look into the UNTP. Talk to your industry bodies about it. You don’t need to overhaul everything. But integrating a trust framework is the right move.

2030 is closer than it looks. And without mechanisms to verify and communicate progress, even the most sincere efforts risk fading into the noise.

If you want to understand how the UNTP works and how to bring it into your industry association conversations, jump into Pyx Chat. Let’s talk it through!

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