In almost every industry, sustainability has become a defining challenge. Automotive, MedTech and aerospace companies face pressure to cut emissions, reduce waste, and use resources more responsibly.
Customers expect change, regulators demand it, and environmental realities make it unavoidable. These sectors have long been resource-intensive, but they are adopting new approaches through the use of greener materials, cleaner production methods and more efficient designs.
Making this shift is complex. Many teams struggle with where to begin or how to keep track of decisions once the process starts. To address that, in March 2025, PTC introduced the Sustainability Template inside Codebeamer 3.0. The template embeds sustainability into product development, ensuring traceability from the initial idea through to testing and beyond. In this article, we’ll tell you more about it.
Your sustainability guide at every stage
The Sustainability Template serves as both a knowledge archive and a working guide. It recognises that organisations are at different points on their sustainability journey. Some are just starting out, while others are more advanced. The template supports both.
It is organised into three sections:
- Sustainability Basics
- Lifecycle Thinking
- Design for X
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you’re sure to find value in the Codebeamer Sustainability Template.
Across all levels, requirements linked to sustainability can be traced through design activities and verification tests. This transforms sustainability into a measurable element of development, rather than an afterthought. Teams gain a structure that makes progress visible and auditable.
Sustainability by design
The most significant environmental benefits arise from decisions made early in the design process. The Sustainability Template puts environmental factors at the heart of product planning. Acting at this stage avoids costly redesigns later and creates efficiencies from the outset.
The three content tiers guide you step by step:
- Sustainability basics - Introduces key concepts, provides predesigned standards and suggests materials with lower impact
- Lifecycle thinking - Widens the view to cover compliance, circular design approaches and decision traceability across the product lifecycle
- Design for X - Provides detailed guidance that can be applied immediately or integrated into other templates
The approach is directly relevant to industry. Automotive companies are shifting to lighter and electric vehicles, MedTech firms are cutting waste, and aerospace engineers are reducing emissions while keeping safety standards high. These examples underline why embedding sustainability in design is so critical.
Introducing Design For X
For organisations that are already confident in sustainability, the Design for X section provides specific practices that can be applied immediately. These can also be integrated into other templates, creating consistency across projects and strengthening organisational processes.
This section builds on the concept of circularity, with strategies that extend beyond material use to encompass complete lifecycle management, including end-of-life recovery. The content is tailored for manufacturers, using formats and terminology that align with real-world development.
By allowing sustainability trackers to be reused and adapted, the template makes it easier to carry sustainable practices forward from one project to another. This helps experienced teams maintain momentum and scale their efforts.
Ready to get started?
Codebeamer’s Sustainability Template delivers a structured way to incorporate sustainability into product development. By combining clear guidance, industry-specific context, and full traceability, it makes sustainability practical rather than theoretical. The template’s tiered design makes it useful for beginners and experts, while its focus on lifecycle thinking ensures that sustainability remains at the heart of the project from design to verification.
With its launch in Codebeamer 3.0 – a solution you already know and love - organisations now have a tool that helps them reduce environmental impact, meet compliance demands and build products fit for the future.
To find out more, visit http://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/codebeamer.