Introduction
Sustainability work needs collaboration, but collaboration requires trust.The Sustainly community is built on transparent governance — where every contribution, dataset, and verification step has clear ownership and traceable history. This approach allows organizations, students, and verifiers to work together without compromising confidentiality or data integrity.
1. Role-Based Access
Each workspace in Sustainly uses explicit roles to balance openness with control.| Role | Access Level | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer | Read-only | For external stakeholders or auditors |
| Editor | Edit and run LCAs | For internal teams and collaborators |
| Verifier | Review and comment | For accredited reviewers ensuring EN 15804 or EPD compliance |
| Owner | Manage roles and permissions | For project leads or administrators |
2. Versioning and Provenance
Every dataset and model in Sustainly carries immutable version identifiers and provenance records:- Source: dataset origin and license
- Methodology: applied standard (e.g., EN 15804, ISO 14044)
- Changes: timestamped edits with author attribution
- Verification: validation state and reviewer ID
This makes it possible to verify any LCA result or reuse an older dataset without uncertainty about its origin or validity.
3. Controlled Sharing
Sustainly supports granular sharing policies:- Share a model structure (inputs and flows) without exposing numerical data.
- Export read-only results for EPD publishing.
- Keep sensitive supplier data local, while linking to shared public references.
4. Community Review Workflow
Verifiers and collaborators can comment directly inside projects.Each review creates an auditable record, showing:
- Reviewer identity
- Timestamp
- Review context (model, dataset, parameter)
- Decision (approved, needs revision, rejected)
This structured feedback replaces email threads and maintains a permanent audit trail.
5. Why Governance Strengthens the Community
| Governance Element | Community Benefit |
|---|---|
| Transparent roles | Users know exactly who can edit or view data |
| Version control | Shared models remain reproducible |
| Provenance tracking | Builds confidence in data quality |
| Controlled sharing | Encourages participation without risk |
| Review audit trail | Standardizes verification across borders |
Conclusion
Trust is the foundation of collaboration.Sustainly’s community governance model ensures that every shared dataset, template, or LCA comes with clear ownership, versioning, and verification history. That’s how open sustainability work becomes reliable — and why community and compliance can finally coexist. 👉 Explore Sustainly’s governance features