Traceability
The ability to follow an activity, record or unit through relevant stages.
Example
A documented chain can connect a reported result with source measurements.
The catch
A traceable record can contain errors, so verification remains necessary.
Related terms
Verification, Audit trail, Calibration, Carbon neutral, Climate positive, Conflict of interest
In more depth
Traceability, explained.
In measurement science, traceability means an instrument's calibration links through an unbroken chain of reference standards back to national standards, so a reading in one country means the same as a reading in another. A gas meter without that chain produces numbers nobody can compare.
Markets use the idea for units. Each credit carries a unique serial number in a carbon registry from issuance to retirement, which lets anyone check that it was cancelled once and for one stated claim. Supply-chain claims, such as deforestation-free sourcing, need traceability to the farm or plot where the commodity was produced, since mixing at a warehouse breaks the chain.