Method for monitoring environmental impact of product

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system (1) and a computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or controlling a product carbon footprint, PCF, of a product produced in a production process. The method comprises receiving (S100) PCF related data (PCFRD) at a first point in time and / or a second point in time; calculating (S200), based on the PCF related data (PCRFD), a first PCF (PCF1) of the product (P) at the first point in time and a second PCF (PCF1) of the product (P) at the second point in time; calculating (S300) at least a first PCF (PCF1) of an intermediate (I) of the product at a first point in time and a second PCF (PCF2) of the intermediate (I) at a second point in time based on the PCF-related data; identifying (S400), based on the first PCF and the second PCF (PCF1, PCF2) of the intermediate (I), at least one influencing factor (IF) of a change in value between the first PCF and the second PCF (PCF1, PCF2) of the product (P) during the production process; and outputting (S500) the identified at least one influence factor (IF).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for monitoring and / or controlling the environmental impact of a product. In particular, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or controlling the product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product, a system for monitoring and / or controlling the product carbon footprint of a product produced in a production process, the use of influencing factors in a production process identified by such a method, and a non-transitory computer-readable data medium related to such a method.

[0002] The awareness of the importance of climate protection measures among the public, regulators and financial investors is growing rapidly. Major companies have announced ambitious short-term CO2 reduction targets, including emissions related to purchased raw materials, as required, for example, by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI). As a result, there is a growing need for transparency on the product carbon footprint (PCF) and options for reducing the PCF.

[0003] PCF is a measure that determines the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production of a corresponding product. If those products with the lowest PCF are selected for consumption or for further processing downstream in the value chain, PCF is an important means of achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions. For this reason, it is very important that the reported PCF for any product is as accurate as possible.

[0004] The PCF is usually calculated by a computer program that receives the required inputs and subjects them to an algorithm with which it calculates the PCF. However, any calculation of the PCF is subject to a wide variety of potential influences, errors, etc., which should be detected quickly and reliably eliminated. For complex production sites that produce multiple products in interconnected process chains, identifying the influencing factors for changing the PCF is a difficult and often impossible task in practice.

[0005] Therefore, it may be desirable to provide improved means of monitoring and / or controlling a PCF depending on factors influencing the PCF.This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are incorporated in the dependent claims.

[0006] In a first aspect, a computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or controlling a product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process is provided. The environmental impact can be measured by the PCF of the product. The method comprises the following steps:

[0007] Receiving PCF related data at a first time point and a second time point;

[0008] - Based on PCF related data, calculate the first PCF of the product at the first time point and the PCF of the product at the second time point

[0009] The second PCF of the point;

[0010] - based on the PCF-related data, at least the first PCF and the intermediate of the product at the first time point are calculated

[0011] The second PCF of the body at the second time point,

[0012] - Based on the first PCF and second PCF of the intermediate, identify the first PCF and second PCF of the product in the production process

[0013] at least one influencing factor of the value variation between the second PCFs; and

[0014] - outputting at least one identified influencing factor.

[0015] In this way, influencing factors and / or errors that affect the PCF calculation can be identified. Specifically, influencing factors and / or errors that affect the PCF difference between two time points can be identified. At least one of the identified influencing factors can be used in many ways for the production of products and / or during the production of products. For example, in particular, if the influencing factors that affect the PCF of the product as interference sources during the production process are at least reduced or eliminated, that is, corrected, it can be ensured that the PCF of the product is at least close to or matches the target PCF, or the product is recorded to be associated with the target PCF. Further, based on the understanding of the influencing factors, control measures and / or interventions in the production process can be initiated to maintain or not exceed the target PCF, etc. Further, in the case of understanding the influencing factors, it is possible to adjust the production in a way that the PCF value is reduced and reliably low, because at least one influencing factor (which may be the influencing factor that has the greatest impact and / or the greatest sensitivity to the PCF of the product) is known. Note that more than one influencing factor that affects the PCF can be identified and / or determined. The method described herein or the influencing factors obtained therefrom can be used in a variety of ways to produce products with respect to affecting the PCF. For example, a product usually has a certain PCF, or a product must reach or must not exceed a certain PCF, so that the knowledge of the influencing factors that influence the PCF (e.g. also reduce and / or increase it) can be used at many points in production control. For example, by determining the influencing factors, a production process or a production network can be checked for errors in a more targeted manner, wherein the identified influencing factors may already be the cause of an error or at least one of the causes of a variation or non-compliance with the target PCF.

[0016] In the context of the present disclosure, the expression "monitoring production" may be understood broadly and may refer to any kind of monitoring of the production process, for example by monitoring the production process, in terms of tracking the PCF of the product, verifying and / or evaluating the PCF, ensuring that the PCF of the product reaches or does not exceed the target PCF, etc.

[0017] Furthermore, the expression "controlling production" may refer to any control measure or intervention within a production, a production network (e.g. a chemical production network), a production step, etc., that influences environmental influencing parameters and / or the PCF of a product. This may include generating control signals that modify data within the production, for example in or via a production control system, an enterprise resource planning system, etc. For example, such control measures or interventions may, for example, include controlling production in terms of the PCF of raw materials, for example by changing the raw materials of a process step, the supplier of raw materials, etc., for example by changing the energy used for a process step, a technical modification of a production step by physical or chemical influence of a modification of an input material of a production step, etc. In other words, controlling production may change one or more production process parameters in the production reality and thus directly or indirectly control the PCF of a product.

[0018] However, "monitoring and / or controlling production" may also include creating or modifying product information, such as the PCF of a product. For example, if it is determined that an influencing factor changes the PCF of a product, product information such as the PCF of the product may be modified accordingly. The latter may be accomplished by modifying corresponding information (e.g., a data set) in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that manages the corresponding product information and assigns it to products in a traceable manner.

[0019] In other words, the method described herein aims to verify that the PCF of a product can be reliably calculated by determining the PCF of the product at at least two time points during production. In one example, these time points are different from each other and may refer to different time points. Preferably, these time points are different from each other and may refer to different production stages and / or different time points. If the calculation results of the two PCFs of a product are different from each other, there should be at least one influencing factor for these different PCFs of the product. The method then provides for a check on the intermediates upstream of the product to see if their PCF has also changed.

[0020] This operation can be repeated for each process step in the process chain up to the raw material in order to determine at least one influencing factor for changing the PCF and correct it by controlling interventions or actions in production, the process chain and / or the production network.

[0021] For example, PCF-related data may be received via an interface (e.g., a data interface, a communication interface, etc.). As used herein, "PCF-related data" may be understood as those data that are obtainable, measurable and / or determinable in a production network, a production plant, or more generally, those data that are used for the production of a product and are suitable for providing information about the PCF of the product. PCF-related data may refer to one or more time points in production, such as raw materials, process steps, intermediates, finished products, etc. For example, PCF-related data may include one or more of process data, PCF of each raw material, and energy data, the process data including information about the process steps from the required raw materials to the product, and the energy data including information about the energy consumption of each process step. The first time point and the second time point may be two different time points during the operation of a production facility (e.g., a production plant, a production network, etc.) used to perform the production process. It is also possible that the first time point and the second time point refer to different batches of the same product. For example, a first time point may be set during the production of a first batch of a product, and a second time point may be set during the production of another second batch of the same product, wherein the first time point and the second time point may also be set in the corresponding same links of the production chain, such as considering the same production steps, the same intermediates, etc.

[0022] Based on the PCF-related data, calculating a first PCF of a product at a first time point and a second PCF of the product at a second time point may be performed, for example, via a suitable data processor, which may be operatively connected to an interface via which the PCF-related data is received. Further, identifying at least one influencing factor may be performed, for example, via a suitable data processor, which may be operatively connected to an interface via which the PCF-related data is received. Outputting the identified at least one influencing factor may be performed, for example, via a suitable interface (e.g., a data interface, a communication interface, etc.).

[0023] Further, as used herein, the "influencing factors" to be identified may be any aspects related to the production process that can change or affect the PCF of the product in any way. This can occur from the beginning to the end of the production chain (ie, the production process).

[0024] The main factors that may affect the PCF value are the PCF of raw materials, the distribution of intermediates, the input-output relationship of process steps, and the process steps themselves. For example, regarding the PCF of raw materials, one raw material may be obtained from several suppliers, or part of the raw material may be obtained from one or more suppliers, while the rest is produced in-house. Typically, the greenhouse gas emissions are different for each of these sources. Therefore, any change in how much of the raw material is obtained from which source will affect the PCF. Regarding the distribution of intermediates, for example, intermediates may be produced in multiple plants and used in multiple subsequent processes. Typically, the greenhouse gas emissions of each plant are different, so any change in the distribution of these intermediates will affect the PCF of the product for which the intermediate is used. Regarding the input-output relationship, for example, the ratio of the amount of product produced in the process step to the amount of raw material used in the process step can vary. One reason may be the degradation of the catalyst over time. The higher this ratio, the lower the greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product, and therefore the lower the PCF of the final product. Regarding process steps, for example, each process step may change, such as if the hardware is replaced to recycle the reaction energy, less heating is required. These changes affect the PCF of all downstream products in the value chain.

[0025] As used herein, "outputting" at least one influencing factor may be understood as writing the PCF to a non-transitory data storage medium, displaying it on a user interface, or both. Outputs may also be provided to a customer through an interface, such as providing outputs to a customer supply chain system or ERP system. Outputs may also be provided to the producer's own EPR system through an interface, from which the output may be distributed to where the information is needed.

[0026] When at least one influencing factor is output to a user interface, the user interface preferably uses graphical techniques. In this way, the contribution along the production process can be analyzed in order to monitor and / or control the production process so as to minimize the PCF of the products. It is also possible to monitor and / or control changes in the PCF upon changes in the production process. Furthermore, the output can be used to simulate the impact of changes, for example by manually changing certain values ​​and observing their impact on the PCF of the products. For example, the impact of replacing a specific raw material with a raw material having a lower PCF on each product can be analyzed.

[0027] Further, as used herein, the term "PCF" may be understood as the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted or removed in the entire process from extraction of natural resources to the product when the product leaves the production plant. In the context of the present disclosure, PCF does not include any greenhouse gas emissions in the later stages of the product's life. For example, for a car, PCF in the context of the present disclosure is the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to produce the car, but does not include emissions resulting from the use of the car after it leaves the production plant. The amount of PCF is typically expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents, so the amount of carbon dioxide has the same impact on the global climate as the greenhouse gases actually emitted.

[0028] Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons. These can be translated into carbon dioxide equivalents according to the IPCC 5th Assessment Report (see standards such as ISO 14067 for PCF for products or Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Standard WRI and WBCSD, 2011).

[0029] The methods described herein can be applied to a variety of products produced from raw materials. As used herein, the term "product" generally refers to any commodity and / or finished product that can be sold to others at any point in the value chain. This can include final products for end consumers, such as cars, paints, toys, or medicines; this also includes commodities that are typically sold to other companies that further process them, such as steel parts for machines, plastic pellets for extrusion, or chemical compounds (e.g., acrylic acid for the production of superabsorbents for diapers); this can also include commodities very early in the value chain, like crude oil fractions (e.g., naphtha), agricultural products (e.g., soybeans), or pure sand for glass production.

[0030] The term "raw material" as used in this disclosure refers to any commodity purchased from a supplier and brought to a production plant. Raw materials can be at any step along the value chain (such as products described above). This means that the product of one production plant can be the raw material for another production plant. Raw materials can also include very basic items such as air, water, natural gas or salt.

[0031] An "intermediate" is an item (such as a substance) that is neither a raw material nor a product, but is made from raw materials or earlier intermediates, and is further processed into other intermediates and finally processed into a product. The intermediate may be associated with corresponding process steps for producing, using, transporting, etc. the intermediate.

[0032] "Production plant" as used in this disclosure is any facility capable of producing any kind of goods that are sold to final consumers or are further processed in different production plants. A production plant can be located at a single site or multiple sites. If a production plant is located at multiple sites, these sites must be under common control, which is usually the case if they belong to the same company or an affiliate. Examples of factories are power plants, steel manufacturing plants, oil production plants, refineries, chemical plants, factories for making medicines, factories for making building materials, machine factories, automobile factories, factories for making textiles, factories for making furniture, food production plants, factories for making consumer electronics (such as mobile phones), factories for making and / or processing paper (such as printing plants).

[0033] As used herein, a "process step" may be understood as a series of actions on raw materials that cannot be reasonably separated in time or space. Typically, all actions of a process step are performed in one building using specific dedicated equipment.

[0034] The method according to the present invention is particularly useful for a production plant that performs interconnected process steps. In the context of the present invention, the term "interconnected" means that at least one process step uses two intermediates of different other process steps, or uses an intermediate of different other process steps (these different other process steps each produce this intermediate), or produces two intermediates for two different other process steps. Therefore, preferably, the production plant performs interconnected process steps. Even more preferably, the production plant is a chemical production plant that performs interconnected process steps. Typically, interconnected process steps may be performed on different sites in different plants that may be operated by different group companies.

[0035] According to one embodiment, it is possible to calculate the PCF of more than one intermediate, wherein the production process may include a plurality of process steps and in each process step at least one input material is processed into at least one output material. In other words, the process chain can be divided into further upstream process steps and the PCF of the corresponding intermediate can be calculated there. There, the PCF calculation can be performed at a first point in time and at a second point in time. This allows a more precise identification of influencing factors from one calculation to another (i.e. from one intermediate to another), and some influencing factors can be excluded while focusing on other influencing factors.

[0036] In one embodiment, the step of calculating the PCF of the various intermediates may be performed at various process steps until the raw materials for the product are reached. In other words, all process steps and / or

[0037] or intermediates until the corresponding raw materials are reached. This allows more precise identification of influencing factors from one calculation to another and makes it possible to exclude some influencing factors and focus on others.

[0038] According to one embodiment, at least one influencing factor may be associated with one or more of the following: PCF of raw materials, distribution of intermediates, input-output relationship of corresponding process steps and process steps themselves. As described above, these are the main factors affecting PCF and / or its calculation. Further, these influencing factors may be included in or derived from PCF-related data, and knowledge data about production networks, raw materials used, intermediates, process steps, etc. can be obtained from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. When considering, for example, calculating the PCF of these production chain components, these PCFs can be monitored and controlled compared to the PCF of products as described herein, or the production of products can be controlled so that PCF has an expected value or an ideal minimum value. For example, a process step can be affected in a variety of ways by at least one influencing factor, and can therefore be changed based on the understanding of at least one influencing factor. For example, a process step can be affected or changed by using recycled input materials instead of newly produced input materials in a process step. Alternatively, a more efficient production equipment in terms of input / output ratio is used, i.e., a more efficient second production equipment is used instead of a first production equipment, etc. Or, in particular if the production steps involve chemical processes, the energy released therefrom is reused or further reused, etc.

[0039] In addition, batch size can also change the yield or energy loss, etc.

[0040] In one embodiment, identifying at least one influencing factor may further include:

[0041] - for at least one intermediate, determining whether one or more process parameters have changed,

[0042] Process parameters include raw material ratios, input / output relationships of process steps and / or process steps themselves; whereby the change in the intermediate product is reduced if only one of these process parameters has been changed.

[0043] The variability is attributed to changes in identified process parameters; and

[0044] - in which, in the case where more than one of these process parameters has changed, the respective

[0045] The relative contributions of the changes are attributed separately.

[0046] For example, knowledge about the production process that can be obtained from one or more databases and / or ERP systems can be used to determine at what point the production process or the intermediate of interest has been changed in any way. In the event that only one of the above process parameters has changed, it can be determined that this alone may be the cause of the change in the PCF of the product and / or intermediate, so that this is the influencing factor sought and can be identified accordingly. However, in the event that several of these process parameters have changed, the relative contribution of each process parameter to the change in PCF can be determined (e.g. calculated), thereby identifying multiple influencing factors. In any case, in order to control the production and / or PCF of the product, one or more of these process parameters can be adjusted to adjust or correct and / or optimize the PCF of the product and / or intermediate.

[0047] According to one embodiment, identifying at least one influencing factor may include:

[0048] - determining whether there is a change between the calculated values ​​of the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate; and - in the event that there is a change in the values ​​of the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate, determining the ratio of this change

[0049] and / or sign, and comparing the change with the change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product, thereby identifying at least one influencing factor.

[0050] In other words, if the change is associated with the PCF of the product and if it is associated with the PCF of the intermediate, the change in the effect on the PCF may have a corresponding amount, from which a ratio can be determined. Further, each determined change in PCF may have a sign, wherein the sign of the change in PCF associated with the product and the sign of the change in PCF associated with the intermediate may be the same, i.e. positive and positive or negative and negative, or may be different, i.e. positive and negative or negative and positive, i.e. pointing in the same direction or in different directions. That is, both changes in PCF may result in an increase in its value from a first PCF to a second PCF, or a decrease from a first PCF to a second PCF. For example, if a change occurs between a first PCF and a second PCF of an intermediate, the ratio and sign of this change are determined and compared with the change in PCF of the final product (i.e. between the first PCF and the second PCF). That is, the corresponding signs and corresponding amounts of the changes in PCF can be compared with each other. If the change has the same sign, i.e. both changes (at the product level and the intermediate level) have a positive (+) or negative (-) sign, then it is recorded as the driver of the change and its relative contribution to the PCF change of the final product is calculated. Further, the process steps for preparing the intermediate can be analyzed by determining whether differences in raw material ratios, differences in input / output and differences in the process itself have occurred. If only one of these factors has changed, the change in the intermediate can be attributed to this change. Otherwise, the relative contribution must be determined and recorded. Based on this, the influencing factors can be determined.

[0051] In one embodiment, if the change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate points in the same direction as the change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product, this can be identified as a driver of the PCF change, and the contribution of the driver to the first PCF and / or PCF of the product can be determined. In this way, the range of influencing factors sought can be further narrowed down until they can be determined with a high degree of certainty to be the cause of the PCF change of the product.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise the step of determining at least one action associated with an adjustment (preferably a reduction) of the PCF of the product to be performed in the production process, based on at least one influencing factor identified and / or output. In other words, the method allows the determination of measures (i.e. actions) for controlling and / or correcting the PCF of the product to a desired value via the identified influencing factors that may (in particular adversely) affect the PCF of the product. For example, control actions may be taken in the production chain to control and / or correct the PCF accordingly. For example, changes in one or more of the above-mentioned process parameters, such as raw materials or their sources, process steps, intermediates, etc., may be controlled. This control may be performed by a computer device executing the method, such as controlling an ERP system, etc., which in turn controls the process chain based on the identified influencing factors.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the calculation of the first PCF and / or the second PCF of the product or intermediate

[0054] The following steps may be included:

[0055] - obtain process data including information about the process steps from raw materials to products;

[0056] - Obtain the PCF of each raw material;

[0057] - obtaining energy data including information on the energy consumption of each production process step; and - calculating a first PCF and / or a second PCF of the product or intermediate taking into account the process data, the PCF of each raw material and the energy data.

[0058] For example, calculating the PCF of a product or intermediate includes summing the PCF of each raw material used for a particular process step as included in the process data. If a process step requires an intermediate from a different process step, the sum of the carbon footprints of the raw materials used for the earlier process step is determined and used as an input for the later process step. If an earlier process step uses an intermediate from an even earlier process step again, it may be necessary to repeat the above procedure. If a process step produces more than one intermediate, such as two or three, it is necessary to share the PCF of the raw materials between these intermediates. The sharing of each intermediate should reflect the amount of raw materials used for each intermediate. In some cases, two intermediates are formed in the same amount, so the PCF of the raw materials can be shared equally between them. In other cases, one intermediate is formed significantly more than the other, such as 90% of intermediate 1 and 10% of intermediate 2. The PCF should be shared accordingly. Therefore, preferably, in the method of the present invention, determining the PCF involves calculating the PCF of the intermediate produced in the preceding process step, and involves using the carbon footprint of the intermediate as an input for calculating the PCF of the subsequent process step. Specifically, in interconnected production processes, the calculation of the PCF can be made easier by subdividing it into similar calculation parts, one for each process step.

[0059] Process data may include information about which by-products are obtained in what amounts. Some process steps may not produce any by-products, such as the assembly of steel parts. In this case, the process data does not include information about by-products. However, many process steps produce by-products. In the context of the present invention, "by-product" refers to any item that is inevitably obtained in a process step but cannot be used in a different process step. Sometimes, by-products can be recycled, that is, subjected to another process step or multiple process steps to obtain raw materials or intermediates that can be used as reagents in a process step. However, in some cases, the by-product has no economically viable use. In this case, the by-product must be disposed of. For example, it can be burned in incineration. If incineration is part of a production plant, the heat and / or electrical energy recovered must be taken into account.

[0060] The process data may include information about which intermediate or intermediates are obtained in each process step and in what yield. In the context of the present invention, "yield" refers to the percentage of the result from a specific process step relative to the theoretical maximum. If the yield is 100%, for example if the ingredients are mixed into a formulation, the process data does not necessarily include information about the yield.

[0061] However, if there are losses during the process steps, the yield may be less than 100%. In chemical reactions, the yield is often less than 100% due to side reactions and purification losses. In other processes, the yield may also be as low as 100%, for example, if steel is cut or drilled, the shavings may result in losses unless they can be reused.

[0062] Process data may include information about any direct greenhouse gas emissions caused by a process step. Such direct greenhouse gas emissions typically result from chemical reactions of raw materials that contain greenhouse gases or generate greenhouse gases during a process step, for example by heating. A typical example is cement production, where carbon dioxide is emitted due to heating raw materials, in particular due to heating limestone. Information about direct greenhouse gas emissions typically includes information about what greenhouse gases are emitted in what amount. The amount can be given relative to the amount of raw materials or relative to the amount of products or intermediates of the corresponding process step. The latter can be derived from the former by multiplying with the yield of the process step.

[0063] In the easiest case, one or more raw materials can be processed in one process step to obtain a product. An example can be that some cables and plugs are raw materials that are assembled to form a cable tree as a product sold to automobile manufacturers. However, in most cases, the production process is more complicated. A variety of raw materials are processed into various intermediates, which are processed into various products, wherein one raw material can be used to produce more than one intermediate, and one intermediate can be used to produce more than one product. In this case, the final PCF of a product becomes dependent on the amount of other products produced in the production plant. Therefore, process data generally includes information on reagents and reagent amounts required for each process step of all products with at least one common reagent or intermediate. For many production plants, process data includes information on reagents and reagent amounts required for each process step of at least two products with at least one common reagent or intermediate. For complex production plants, process data includes information on reagents and reagent amounts required for each process step of at least five or at least ten products with at least one common reagent or intermediate.

[0064] Process data is usually obtained, received, etc. through an interface (e.g., a data interface, a communication interface, etc.). Process data can be obtained from, for example, a production plant. It can be obtained through an interface to a local or remote database. Preferably, process data is obtained through an interface to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. In this way, process data can be obtained from an ERP system. The ERP system can obtain information from the production plant. In this case, process data is obtained from the production plant via the ERP system. In this way, once any change occurs in the production plant or its environment, the process data is immediately updated. Depending on the ERP system, "immediately" usually means less than or equal to one day, preferably less than or equal to six hours, and particularly less than or equal to one hour. A typical example of such a change is that the production plant receives insufficient reagents from different factories and has to use external supplies. This external supply usually has a PCF different from the internal intermediate, thereby changing the PCF of the product produced in the production plant. Another advantage of the ERP system is that the data is standardized and verified, that is, it is reliable and generally does not require further verification.

[0065] In the context of the present invention, "ERP system" shall have its ordinary meaning. A typical ERP system uses a common database maintained by a database management system to provide an integrated and continuously updated view of core business processes. An ERP system typically tracks business resources, such as cash, raw materials, production capacity, and the status of business commitments: orders, purchase orders, and payroll. The applications that make up the system typically share data across the various departments that provide the data, such as those responsible for manufacturing, purchasing, sales, and accounting.

[0066] If a production plant includes multiple group companies, for example, multiple group companies in different countries, the different group companies often use separate ERP systems. If an intermediate produced by one group company is shipped to another group company that uses the intermediate in another process step, the ERP system must handle such operations as external affairs for legal reasons. However, for the purpose of the present invention, such data must be merged to identify intermediates produced by one group company but used by different group companies. Such information can be accessed from the ERP system, or other data sources, such as shared databases, may be required. Therefore, preferably, process data is obtained through an interface to the ERP systems of different group companies, wherein the process data is merged to identify intermediates produced by one group company but used by different group companies.

[0067] Energy data usually include the amount of energy consumed, the form of energy and its source. This amount is often given as the specific energy of the product or intermediate of the corresponding process step per piece or mass. This amount can be positive, that is, if energy is consumed, or negative, that is, if the process step produces energy. An example of the latter is the production of sulfuric acid from sulfur. Sulfur reacts with oxygen to release heat energy, which can be used in different process steps. Energy forms include electrical energy, thermal energy such as warm water or steam, cooling or fossil fuels such as gas or gasoline. In the case of fossil fuels, these are also raw materials, but their PCF refers only to the greenhouse gas emissions used to produce them. However, the consumption of carbon dioxide when burning them must also be taken into account. The source of energy refers to the source from which energy is obtained. For example, thermal energy can be derived from power plants, from other process steps or solar panels. Therefore, the source can have a considerable impact on greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy consumption. It may be useful to average energy data within a specific time period (e.g., a 3-year period) to compensate for seasonal variations, for example. Energy data are usually converted to PCF by considering the energy source and its specific greenhouse gas emissions.

[0068] Energy data is typically obtained, received, etc. through an interface. The energy data may be obtained through an interface to a local or remote database or ERP system. Thus, the energy data may be obtained from an ERP system. Typically, energy data is obtained through an interface to more than one database. Therefore, it is often necessary to convert information retrieved from different databases into a single format to allow further processing.

[0069] Energy data can also be obtained directly from energy sources, such as power plants with sensors attached to a processing system, which provides its information through an interface. Production plants also typically have sensors to determine the amount of energy consumed by the power plant. Typically, a production plant has multiple sensors that provide data about the energy consumption of a specific process step or a specific device. Therefore, energy data can be obtained from a production plant. However, in many production plants, such information (i.e., energy data) is first transmitted to an ERP system, from which such information can be obtained. In another example, the sensor may be suitable for detecting a specific amount of greenhouse gases. This means that sensors for determining energy consumption and / or greenhouse gas release transmit their data to an ERP system, from which these data can be obtained.

[0070] Typically, in particular for larger production plants, multiple energy sources are available. For example, the production plant is located in a larger site with a power plant such as a gas power plant or solar panels, and in addition, the production plant can obtain energy from the public grid. Depending on the energy source, the contribution to the PCF can be very different, for example essentially no contribution if energy is received from solar panels or wind turbines, or a significant contribution if energy is received from a public grid that provides energy from a coal-fired power plant. Therefore, preferably, the energy data also includes information about the source from which the energy is received. This information is typically obtained from sensors in the production plant or a central power supply facility. The energy data preferably includes information on the carbon emissions caused by each energy source from which energy is received. In this way, it is possible to calculate the contribution of energy to the PCF.

[0071] Energy data for each process step may not be readily available, but may only be available in a more aggregated form, e.g. the energy consumption of a plant in which a plurality of process steps are performed. In this case, the energy consumption of each process step must be derived from such aggregated data. This can be achieved by determining the share of the energy consumption of each process step in the aggregated data. For this purpose, a suitable basis is defined, e.g. in a simple manner, based on the share of the production volume, e.g. measured in a physical quantity, such as mass, of each process step. A more precise way of allocating the energy consumption is by using data on energy-related production costs at product level, e.g. obtained from an ERP system.

[0072] In one embodiment, one or more of the process data, the PCF of each raw material and the energy data can be obtained from the production plant via the ERP system. For most raw materials, the PCF can be provided by the supplier or obtained from a public or private database. Typically, due to differences in the production process or logistics of the raw materials, different suppliers provide the same raw materials with different PCFs. Therefore, preferably, the PCF of the raw material is obtained for each supplier together with the identification of the supplier. This information can then be used to calculate the PCF of the specific raw material, depending on how much raw material from which supplier is used. In the method of the present invention, it can be considered to use this result to determine the PCF. In rare cases, the PCF cannot be obtained. In this case, the PCF must be estimated, for example, by comparing with very similar products on the market. The PCF of each raw material is usually obtained through an interface. The PCF of each raw material can be obtained through an interface to a local or remote database or ERP system (particularly its supply chain module). Therefore, the PCF of each raw material can be obtained from the ERP system. Typically, the PCF of each raw material is obtained through an interface to more than one database. Therefore, it is often necessary to convert the information retrieved from different databases into a single format to allow further processing. Specifically, the PCF obtained from the database must be attributed to the raw material, ie, the identification of the raw material in the database must be converted into the identification of the raw material of the process data used in the method described herein.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the PCF of the raw material may be obtained for each supplier together with the identification of the supplier, and wherein determining the PCF takes into account the amount of raw material from a particular supplier and its associated PCF. For example, the information about the supplier may then be used to calculate the PCF of that particular raw material, depending on how much raw material from which supplier was used. In the method of the present invention, the result may be considered for determining the PCF. In rare cases, the PCF may not be available. In such cases, the PCF may be estimated, for example by comparison with very similar products on the market.

[0074] The second aspect relates to the use of at least one influencing factor obtained by the method of the first aspect for monitoring and / or controlling the production of a product. An influencing factor generally indicates at which point in the production process the PCF or its calculation is affected, in particular at which point in the production process the PCF increases. Therefore, generally speaking, the verification of the PCF can be achieved by identifying and / or determining at least one influencing factor. By identifying the influencing factor, appropriate measures or actions can be taken to adjust, preferably reduce the PCF of the product or bring it close to a target value. For example, based on the knowledge about at least one influencing factor, possibly together with additional knowledge about the production process, such as its raw materials, intermediates, process steps, etc., the following overview can be generated: the overview shows the influence of at least one influencing factor on the production process as a whole and / or for each individual process step within the process chain. This can be achieved, for example, via a user interface, in particular a graphical user interface (GUI), whereby production can be controlled. For example, a correction to the production chain that takes into account or eliminates the influencing factor and / or reduces the PCF can be determined. The production process can also be corrected using, for example, an ERP system, that is, production can be controlled in an at least partially automated manner in a way that reduces the PCF or achieves a specific PCF.

[0075] In a third aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable data medium storing a computer program is provided, the computer program comprising instructions for performing the steps of the method according to the first aspect. The computer-readable data medium comprises a hard drive (e.g., on a server), a USB storage device, a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray disc. The computer program may contain all the functions and data required to perform the method according to the invention, or an interface may be provided to enable parts of the method to be processed on a remote system (e.g., on a cloud system).

[0076] According to a fourth aspect, a system for monitoring and / or controlling the product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process is provided. Unless a clearly different description is given below, the above description of the method including the preferred embodiment also applies to the system. The system can be a computing device, such as a computer, a tablet or a smart phone, or any other suitable computing device. In at least some embodiments, the computing device can have a communication interface and / or a network connector to communicate with other computing devices such as a server or a cloud network.

[0077] The system includes an input interface configured to receive PCF-related data at a first time point and / or a second time point. The system also includes a processor configured to calculate a first PCF of a product at a first time point and a second PCF of the product at a second time point based on the PCF-related data, calculate at least a first PCF of an intermediate of the product at a first time point and a second PCF of the intermediate at a second time point based on the PCF-related data, and identify at least one influencing factor of a value change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product during the production process based on the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate. Further, the system includes an output interface configured to output the identified at least one influencing factor for further processing.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the output interface may include a user interface configured to display at least one of the identified influencing factors. The user interface is preferably configured to display the PCF of the influencing factors and / or products and each contribution, preferably including the contribution of raw materials, the contribution of energy and the contribution of direct emissions of each process step. Preferably, the user interface uses graphical techniques. The user interface can provide an overview of each process step, its raw materials and required energy, and the connection with other process steps. The user interface can also provide PCF for each process step, specifically, it can display PCFs derived from raw materials, from energy consumption and from direct greenhouse gas emissions individually and in aggregated form.

[0079] Preferably, the system is adapted to receive updated data at any time and can update the output in real time, which typically means in less than a few minutes, preferably in less than a minute, for example in 1 to 30 seconds.

[0080] It is noteworthy that embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to different subject matters. Specifically, some embodiments are described with reference to method type claims, while other embodiments are described with reference to apparatus or device type or system type claims. However, those skilled in the art will understand from the above and following descriptions that, unless otherwise indicated, any combination of features related to different subject matters, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter, is also considered to be disclosed in the present application. Further, all features can be combined to provide synergistic effects that exceed the simple sum of features.

[0081] These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0082] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the following drawings.

[0083] Figure 1A system for monitoring and / or controlling a product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process according to the present disclosure is shown in a schematic block diagram.

[0084] Figure 2 A system and principles for monitoring and / or controlling a product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process according to the present disclosure are shown in a schematic block diagram.

[0085] Figure 3 An exemplary production process in which the systems and methods of the present disclosure may be applied is shown in a schematic block diagram.

[0086] Figure 4 An exemplary production process in which the systems and methods of the present disclosure may be applied is shown in a schematic block diagram.

[0087] Figure 5 An exemplary production process in which the systems and methods of the present disclosure may be applied is shown in a schematic block diagram.

[0088] Figure 6 A computer-implemented method for determining the onset and / or onset time of a plant disease in agriculture according to the present disclosure is illustrated in a flow chart.

[0089] The drawings are only schematic representations and serve only to illustrate the invention. Identical or equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals throughout.

[0090] Figure 1 A system 1 configured to monitor and / or control a product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process is shown in a schematic block diagram. The system 1 is any suitable computing device and includes an input interface 10, a data processor 20, and an output interface 30. The processor 20 is operatively connected to each of the input interface 10 and the output interface 30.

[0091] The input interface 10 is, for example, a data interface, a communication interface, etc. configured to receive PCF-related data PCFRD at a first time point and / or a second time point. In at least some embodiments, the PCF-related data PCFRD may be those data available at the corresponding time point, or data that may be generally associated therewith. To this end, the input interface 10 is operatively connected to, for example, one or more suitable data sources, such as an enterprise resource planning system (ERF), a supplier database, etc., which may collect and / or provide PCF-related data PCFRD. For example, the PCF-related data PCFRD may include one or more of process data, PCF of each raw material, and energy data, the process data including information about the process steps from the required raw materials to the product, and the energy data including information about the energy consumption of each process step. The first time point and the second time point may be two different time points in the production process, different links in the production chain, etc.

[0092] The processor 20 is configured to calculate a first PCF of the product "P" at a first point in time and a second PCF of the product at a second point in time based on the PCF-related data, for example by executing a corresponding computer program. Figure 2 ) are referred to as PCF1 and PCF2 in the figures. Further, the processor 20 is configured to additionally calculate at least a first PCF of an intermediate I of the product P at a first time point and a second PCF of the intermediate I at a second time point based on the PCF-related data, for example by executing a corresponding computer program. At the intermediate level "I" (see, for example Figure 2 ) are referred to as PCF1 and PCF2 in the accompanying drawings. In other words, at least two PCFs are calculated at different times at different stages of the production process, i.e., at least two PCFs are calculated for the product and for at least one of its intermediates. Further, the processor 20 is configured to identify at least one influencing factor IF of the value change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product P during the production process based on the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate I, for example by executing a corresponding computer program. In other words, by considering the PCF of the intermediate upstream of the final product, it is determined whether the process step or the related process steps cause the observed change in the PCF of the product. According to one embodiment, at least one influencing factor may be associated with one or more of the following: the PCF of the raw materials, the distribution of the intermediates, the input-output relationship of the corresponding process step, and the process step itself.

[0093] The output interface 30 is any suitable data interface, communication interface, etc., configured to output the identified at least one influencing factor IF for further processing. The output interface 30 may, for example, include or be operatively connected to a user interface for displaying at least one influencing factor. However, it may also be connected to a production control system such as ERF, etc., so that the system 1 can control it based on at least one influencing factor IF, thereby correspondingly controlling the production process to eliminate or at least reduce at least one influencing factor IF, for example by controlling production parameters (such as raw materials, energy consumption, etc.) to control the PCF of the product accordingly.

[0094] Optionally, the processor 20 is configured to determine, for at least one intermediate, whether one or more process parameters have changed, such as raw material ratios, input / output relationships of process steps, and / or process steps themselves. In the event that only one of these process parameters has changed, the change in the intermediate I is attributed to the change in the determined process parameter. However, in the event that more than one of these process parameters has changed, the relative contribution of each change is determined and attributed separately.

[0095] Further optionally, the processor 20 is configured to determine whether there is a change between the calculated values ​​of PCF1 and PCF2 of the intermediate I. In the event that there is a change in the values ​​of PCF1 and PCF2 of the intermediate I, the processor 20 is configured to determine the ratio and / or sign of this change and compare this change with the change between PCF1 and PCF2 of the product 1 to identify at least one influencing factor. Thus, if the change between PCF1 and PCF2 of the intermediate I and the change between PCF1 and PCF2 of the product P point in the same direction, this is identified as the driving factor of the change and its contribution to PCF1 and PCF2 of the product P is determined.

[0096] Figure 2 Shown in more detail Figure 1The system 1 shown. As described above, the input interface 10 is connected to receive at least PCF-related data PCFRD, which may include one or more of process data, PCF of each raw material, and energy data, etc. The process data includes information about the process steps from the required raw materials to the product, and the energy data includes information about the energy consumption of each process step. The processor 20 uses the PCF-related data PCFRD to calculate PCF1 and PCF2 of the product P, for example, at the level of the final product P, and determines whether there is a change between PCF1 and PCF2. In particular, if there is a change between PCF1 and PCF2, which means that there is an inconsistency in the PCF determination of the product, the processor 20 further uses the PCF-related data PCFRD to determine at least one intermediate of the product and, for example, calculate PCF1 and PCF2 of the intermediate I at the level of the intermediate I. As described above, the processor 20 is further configured to identify at least one influencing factor IF of the change of PCF1 and PCF2 of the product P based on PCF1 and PCF2 of the intermediate I of the product P. The identified influencing factors IF are then output via an output interface 30, which may include a user interface or the like, or may be connected to a production control system, such as an ERF or the like.

[0097] Figure 3 The schematic block diagram shows an exemplary production process and / or production network to which the above-mentioned system 1 can be applied. Figure 3 In FIG. 8 , some exemplary influencing factors IF that influence PCF or its calculation (ie, the calculation of PCF1 and / or PCF2) are indicated by circles with dashed lines, wherein these influencing factors are not limited herein. Figure 1 The exemplary production process of starts with two exemplary raw materials R1 and R2, which can be obtained from different suppliers. At this stage of the production process, the PCF of the raw materials represented by R-PCF can be determined, for example, obtained from ERF, from a supplier database, etc., or can be calculated from PCF-related data, etc. For example, the ratio of raw materials R1 and R2 can form another influencing factor IF, which can be determined by processor 20. Raw materials R1 and R2 are processed in a first process step PS1, and an intermediate I is produced from raw materials R1 and R2. The intermediate I (which can also come from the outside) is further processed in a subsequent process step PS2, where the intermediate can be combined with another raw material R3 (which can be obtained from another third supplier). Here, the ratio between intermediate I and raw material R3 can also form another influencing factor IL.

[0098] Figure 4Another example of a common production process for product P is shown. Again, raw materials are represented as R1, R2 and R3, products are represented as P1 and P2, intermediates (i.e., all items that are neither raw materials nor products) are represented as I1, I2 and I3, the energy required for each production process is represented as E1, E2, E3 and E4, and the process steps are represented as PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4. In the first process step PS1, raw materials R1 and R2 are treated with energy E1 to produce intermediate I1. In the next process step PS2, intermediate I1 is treated together with intermediate I2 using energy E3 to obtain product P1. In process step PS3, intermediate I2 is also prepared in the same production plant by treating raw material R3 with energy E2. In process step PS3, another intermediate I3 is obtained, which can be further processed into another product P2 using energy E4 in another process step PS4. It can be easily recognized that the raw materials R1, R2 and R3 and the energies E1, E2 and E3, in particular the emissions caused when the energies E1, E2 and E3 are produced, have an influence on the PCF of P1. However, the use of I3 also has an influence, because if the demand for product P2 changes, the input of I3 cannot be fully used due to too low a demand for product P2, or a higher percentage of the PCF of R3 and the emissions caused by E2 will necessarily be attributed to I2 and therefore to P1. Therefore, at least in cases where there is a connection between the chain of different process steps from raw materials to products, it is usually necessary to provide complete information on all raw materials and all process steps in the production plant.

[0099] The system 1 (particularly the processor 20) is configured to determine each of the raw materials R1, R2 and R3, each of the process steps PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4, each of the energies E1, E2, E3 and E4 required for each production process and / or each of the intermediates I1, I2 and I3 as at least one influencing factor IL. Therefore, the system 1 is configured to control the production process in these aspects to control the PCF of the product P based on the influencing factor IL, for example by controlled intervention in the production system and / or the production process.

[0100] Figure 5 Another example that may occur particularly in the chemical industry is shown. In a first process step PS1, raw materials R1 and R2 are processed using energy E1 to produce an intermediate I1. In the next process step PS2, intermediate I1 and raw material R3 are processed using energy E2 to obtain product P1, while also obtaining reagent R2. R2 can be used repeatedly in process step PS1, thus forming a cycle. In this case, the process data must include information about how much R2 from the supplier is used and how much recycled R2 obtained in process step PS2 is used.

[0101] Likewise, the system 1 (particularly the processor 20) is configured to determine each of the raw materials or reagents R1 and R2, each of the process steps PS1 and PS2, each of the energies E1 and E2 required for each production process, and / or each of the intermediates I1 as at least one influencing factor IL. Therefore, the system 1 is configured to control the production process in these aspects to control the PCF of the product P based on the influencing factor IL, for example, by controlled intervention in the production system and / or the production process.

[0102] Figure 6 A method for monitoring and / or controlling the product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process is shown in a flowchart. The method can be performed by the system 1 as described above and / or can be applied to Figures 3 to 5 The exemplary production process shown in FIG. 1 is used to identify at least one influencing factor IL of the PCF of a product.

[0103] In step S100, PCF-related data PCFRD at a first time point and / or a second time point is received. The PCF-related data PCFRD may be received, for example, via the input interface 10 of the system 1 as described above. For example, the PCF-related data PCFRD may be received from an ERP system or any other suitable data source as described above.

[0104] In step S200, based on the PCF-related data, a first PCF of the product at a first time point and a second PCF of the product at a second time point are calculated. The calculation of the first PCF (also referred to herein as PCF1 of the product P) and the calculation of the second PCF (also referred to herein as PCF2 of the product P) can be performed by the processor 20 of the system 1 as described above.

[0105] In step S300, at least a first PCF of an intermediate I of a product P at a first time point and a second PCF of the intermediate at a second time point are calculated based on the PCF related data PCFRD. The calculation of the first PCF (also referred to herein as PCF1 of intermediate I) and the calculation of the second PCF (also referred to herein as PCF2 of intermediate I) may be performed by the processor 20 of the system 1 as described above.

[0106] In step S400, at least one influencing factor IL of the change in value between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product during the production process is identified based on the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate. In other words, step S300 described above is performed, in particular when a change between PCF1 and PCF2 of the product P is determined or detected from step S200. In this case, PCF1 and PCF2 of the intermediate I are determined or calculated. Step S400 may then be performed to determine which factor in the production process is the cause or contributing factor to this change in PCF value. The identification or determination of at least one influencing factor IL may be performed by the processor 20 of the system as described above.

[0107] In step S500, the identified at least one influencing factor IF is output for further processing. For example, this can be output via an output interface 30, which can include a user interface and / or can be operatively connected to a production control system, ERF, etc., wherein the identified at least one influencing factor IF can be used to control the production process in terms of controlling the PCF of the product P.

[0108] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description should be considered illustrative or exemplary rather than restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention through a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the dependent claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or controlling a product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process, the method comprising: Receiving (S100) PCF related data (PCFRD) at a first time point and a second time point; Based on the PCF related data (PCRFD), calculating (S200) a first PCF (PCF1) of the product (P) at the first time point and a second PCF (PCF1) of the product (P) at the second time point; Based on the PCF-related data, at least a first PCF (PCF1) of the intermediate (I) of the product at a first time point and a second PCF (PCF2) of the intermediate (I) at a second time point are calculated (S300), Based on the first PCF and the second PCF (PCF1, PCF2) of the intermediate (I), identifying (S400) at least one influencing factor (IF) of a change in value between the first PCF and the second PCF (PCF1, PCF2) of the product (P) during the production process; and The identified at least one influencing factor (IF) is output (S500).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PCF is calculated for more than one intermediate and the production process comprises a plurality of process steps, wherein in each process step at least one input material is processed into at least one output material.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein calculating (S200) the PCF of the plurality of intermediates is performed in the plurality of process steps until the raw materials of the product are reached.

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one influencing factor is associated with one or more of: the carbon footprint of the raw materials, the distribution of the intermediates, the input-output relationship of the corresponding process step and the process step itself.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein identifying the at least one influencing factor comprises: determining, for the at least one intermediate, whether one or more process parameters have changed, the process parameters comprising raw material ratios, input / output relationships of the process step, and / or the process step itself, wherein, in the case where only one of these process parameters has been varied, said variation of said intermediate is attributed to the variation of the determined process parameter, and In the case where more than one of the process parameters has changed, the relative contribution of the individual changes is determined and attributed separately.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein identifying the at least one influencing factor comprises: determining whether there is a change between the values ​​of the calculated first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate; as well as In case there is a change in the values ​​of the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate, the ratio and / or the sign of the change is determined and the change is compared with the change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product, thereby identifying the at least one influencing factor.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein, in the case where the change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the intermediate and the change between the first PCF and the second PCF of the product point in the same direction, this is identified as the driver of the change and its contribution to the first PCF and / or PCF of the product is determined.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: At least one action associated with an adjustment, preferably a reduction, of the PCF of the product to be performed in the production process is determined as a function of the identified and / or outputted at least one influencing factor.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the calculation of the first PCF and / or the second PCF of the product or the intermediate comprises: obtaining process data including information about said process steps from raw materials to said product; Obtain the carbon footprint of each raw material; obtaining energy data including information on energy consumption of each production process step; as well as The process data, the carbon footprint of each raw material and the energy data are taken into account to calculate a first end-product-related PCF and / or a second end-product-related PCF.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more of the process data, the carbon footprint of each raw material, and the energy data are obtained from a production plant via an enterprise resource planning system.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the carbon footprint of the raw material is obtained for each supplier together with the identification of the supplier, and wherein determining the carbon footprint takes into account the amount of raw materials from a specific supplier and its associated carbon footprint.

12. Use of the at least one influencing factor obtained by the method according to any of the preceding claims for monitoring and / or controlling the production of a product.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable data medium storing a computer program comprising instructions for executing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A system (1) for monitoring and / or controlling a product carbon footprint (PCF) of a product produced in a production process, the system (1) comprising: An input interface (10), the input interface being configured to receive PCF-related data (PCFRD) at a first time point and a second time point; A processor (20), the processor being configured to: Based on the PCF related data (PCRFD), calculating (S200) a first PCF (PCF1) of the product (P) at the first time point and a second PCF (PCF1) of the product (P) at the second time point; Based on the PCF-related data, at least a first PCF (PCF1) of the intermediate (I) of the product at a first time point and a second PCF (PCF2) of the intermediate (I) at a second time point are calculated (S300), Based on the first PCF and the second PCF (PCF1, PCF2) of the intermediate (I), identifying (S400) at least one influencing factor (IF) of a change in value between the first PCF and the second PCF (PCF1, PCF2) of the product (P) during the production process; and An output interface (30) is configured to output at least one identified influencing factor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the output interface (30) comprises a user interface configured to display the identified at least one influencing factor.

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