Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability

The Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative as part of the Taxonomy Roadmap Initiative, provide a framework to make diverse national and regional sustainable finance taxonomies comparable. The document argues that while local priorities necessitate different criteria, interoperability—based on common language, structures, and scientific baselines—is essential for scaling private climate finance. It outlines seven principles covering foundation, design, use cases, coverage, complexity, market signaling, and international collaboration. Additionally, it provides guidance on core design pillars such as sector structure (based on ISIC), common environmental objectives, and transition approaches (binary, traffic light, or merged).

• Interoperability is defined as the ability of taxonomies to be compared and understood across borders through a "common language, principles, structure/methodologies and objectives", even if they are not identical.
• The document outlines seven principles for taxonomy developers: building on jurisdictional priorities and G20 best practices; applying common design features; defining high-demand use cases (including SME pathways); ensuring regular review of high-impact activities; reducing complexity via science-based criteria; fostering market ownership through engagement; and joining international collaborative efforts.
• To enhance interoperability, the document recommends using a sector classification structure based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) as a parent structure.
• Six common environmental objectives are identified as fundamental building blocks for interoperability: climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, biodiversity protection, sustainable use of water and marine resources, pollution control, and circular economy.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (2025). Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Principles-for-Taxonomy-Interoperability-English.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability. 2025. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Principles-for-Taxonomy-Interoperability-English.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Principles-for-Taxonomy-Interoperability-English.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiative2025principles, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Principles-for-Taxonomy-Interoperability-English.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }