Automatic carbon asset network system and carbon asset management method

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic carbon asset network system and a carbon asset management method, the system comprises a carbon asset management digital platform for executing carbon checking aiming at an enterprise through a computer system, and the system is provided with a carbon asset network construction module, a carbon asset network link module and a carbon asset network updating module. The application programming interface is used for receiving interested persons, internal and external carbon asset management digital platforms, a carbon asset management report format and carbon inventory data obtained by automatically customizing questionnaires through the carbon asset management digital platforms, automatically integrating the carbon inventory data of a supply chain and performing version control; and the product carbon footprint information of the whole-category organization greenhouse gas interrogation and the life cycle of each product under each brand in the enterprise is managed in a digital mode, and then a file is generated according to requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a technology for establishing multi-party carbon inventory correlations to perform carbon asset management, and in particular to an automated carbon asset network system and carbon asset management method that uses computer technology to automatically collect and process carbon emission information and calculate and update greenhouse gas and carbon footprints at the enterprise's operating boundaries. Background Technology

[0002] Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases that can absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface. Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). The increase in these gases is primarily due to human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, industrial production, and agricultural activities, leading to global warming, extreme weather events, and sea-level rise, which have serious impacts on humans and ecosystems.

[0003] The United Nations has called for urgent carbon reduction action, and "net-zero carbon reduction" has become a global issue. In October 2021, the SBTi launched the Net-Zero Standard, the world's first corporate net-zero target setting framework that aligns with climate science. Companies are required to set science-based net-zero targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As of the end of January 2024, 7,510 companies had joined the initiative, 4,599 had set science-based emission reduction targets, and 2,897 had committed to net-zero emissions. Therefore, companies that fail to implement greenhouse gas inventory and develop carbon reduction strategies may impact their operational competitiveness. However, achieving carbon reduction or zero carbon is not easy for companies. First, they must conduct greenhouse gas inventory before setting reduction targets and implementing reduction strategies to achieve carbon neutrality.

[0004] According to the International Greenhouse Gas Inventory - ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse Gases - Part 1: Quantification and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals at the Organizational Level with Guidance and the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Protocol (GHG Protocol), the scope of the inventory is as shown in Table 1. Among them, Category 1 and Category 2, and Scope 1 and Scope 2 are the greenhouse gas emissions from the company's operations, while the others are the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the upstream and downstream supply chains.

[0005] Table 1: Comparison of Emission Categories for Each Inspection Standard:

[0006]

[0007]

[0008] Existing corporate greenhouse gas inventory checks are conducted annually using written reports (such as...). A comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory can be completed using Excel or an electronic platform. However, regardless of the method used, significant manpower and time are required to collect the following information (but not limited to) from subsidiaries, consolidated financial statement companies, investments, outsourced factories, and upstream and downstream supply chains in order to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of the upstream and downstream supply chains:

[0009] 1. For subsidiaries, consolidated financial statement companies, and investments: the ratio of carbon emissions from the greenhouse gas inventory conducted by the enterprise to the carbon emissions that the company needs to recognize (e.g., operating rights control method or equity control method).

[0010] 2. For the upstream supply chain: carbon coefficients for purchasing goods and transportation, carbon coefficients for purchasing services, carbon coefficients for purchasing capital assets, carbon coefficients for upstream use of fuel and energy, carbon coefficients for waste disposal, and carbon coefficients for leasing products, etc.

[0011] 3. For the downstream supply chain: carbon coefficients for product transportation, post-processing, usage, waste, leasing, franchising, and investment products, etc.

[0012] Furthermore, the aforementioned carbon coefficient information may be updated annually or periodically. Real-time carbon coefficients are required to calculate and update the full-scale greenhouse gas inventory for the current year.

[0013] Taking the electronics manufacturing industry as an example, you can refer to... Figure 1 This example shows a network diagram relating carbon credits to products, components, and their suppliers. It illustrates the carbon credits for obtaining goods or services related to a certain model of laptop computer 10. Manufacturing laptop computer 10 requires 148 suppliers 100, and its components have a total of 1,154 part numbers. The carbon credits for the relevant part numbers include 119 part numbers for processor / chip / integrated circuit 101, 14 part numbers for circuit board 102, 907 part numbers for resistor / inductor / capacitor 103, 104 part numbers for mechanism / connector / wire 104, 3 part numbers for packaging materials / production consumables 105, 4 part numbers for storage device / display screen 106, and 3 part numbers for other 107.

[0014] According to current practices, purchasing personnel need to contact 100 of the 148 suppliers by phone, email or questionnaire to obtain the carbon coefficients of the 1,154 part numbers, and then compile the data and provide it to a dedicated department to calculate the carbon emissions of that category.

[0015] Therefore, a company needs to spend a lot of manual effort to acquire carbon coefficient and carbon emission data, perform data aggregation and version control, and then use software reports or electronic platforms to complete a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. Finally, the ability to quickly and in real-time generate carbon-related management documents for different stakeholders (such as domestic policies and regulations, multinational policy requirements, and international brand manufacturers) is one of the biggest pain points currently facing the industry.

[0016] Furthermore, a company needs to calculate its own operational boundaries and will be required to submit "full-scope organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information throughout the entire life cycle" from multiple operational boundaries. Therefore, the need for repeated submission and calculation is currently one of the biggest pain points encountered in the industry. (See reference...) Figure 2 The diagram shows the establishment of carbon footprints between existing different operational boundaries.

[0017] The diagram shows that a company's operating boundary 'a' includes organizational greenhouse gas emissions (represented by "organization" in the diagram) and product carbon footprint information (represented by "product" in the diagram). The associated upstream and downstream manufacturers also form operating boundaries 'b', 'c', and 'd', respectively, encompassing both organizational greenhouse gas emissions and product carbon footprint information. Another company's operating boundary 'e' is associated with upstream and downstream manufacturers forming operating boundaries 'f', 'g', and 'd'. This example shows that, as shown in link 203, operating boundary 'd', associated with operating boundary 'a', is also associated with operating boundary 'e', ​​meaning operating boundary 'd' is simultaneously an upstream and downstream manufacturer of both operating boundaries 'a' and 'e'. On the other hand, as shown in link 201, operating boundary 'b', associated with operating boundary 'a', is also simultaneously an upstream and downstream manufacturer of itself and other operating boundaries 'c'.

[0018] This demonstrates that, within the complex upstream and downstream supply chain relationships, establishing an enterprise's operational boundaries based on its organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information presents a cumbersome problem under current operating methods. This leads to double counting or the need to repeatedly provide such information due to complex interrelationships. Therefore, for enterprises, driven by global net-zero emissions, carbon taxes, and sustainable development requirements, their outsourced factories and supply chains must also establish their own operational boundaries. They may also be required by another enterprise's operational boundary to submit their own organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information, and they will need to update annual audit results, verify data, and exchange data annually. This makes carbon footprint verification increasingly complex and difficult, with the increasing complexity of each enterprise's own operational boundaries and the interconnections between enterprises.

[0019] However, current carbon inventory procedures generally rely on software solutions to compile relevant data. This approach becomes increasingly difficult as carbon footprints become more complex due to a lack of effective tools. These difficulties include, at a minimum, the overlapping operational boundaries between companies potentially leading to duplicate data creation for greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information, requiring annual updates. Furthermore, when downstream manufacturers, originally operating within another company's boundaries, need to establish their own operational boundaries due to carbon inventory requirements, they may also invite upstream, parallel, or downstream manufacturers within their existing boundaries, necessitating additional time and costs to repeat the same procedures. Summary of the Invention

[0020] To provide a system that can automate the processing of carbon audit data and the creation of related documents, the publication proposes an automated carbon asset network system and a carbon asset management method. The automated carbon asset network system, constructed using computer network systems and software, can process the collected carbon audit data of enterprises and their upstream and downstream manufacturers, establish connections between enterprises and stakeholders, and effectively generate carbon audit-related documents that meet the needs of different stakeholders.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the automated carbon asset network system proposed in the publication, the system includes a carbon asset management digital platform that enables enterprises to perform carbon inventory through a computer system. The carbon asset management digital platform mainly includes a carbon asset network construction module, a carbon asset network linking module, and a carbon asset network updating module.

[0022] The automated carbon asset network system executes automated carbon asset management methods through a carbon asset management digital platform. This involves receiving carbon inventory data from at least one stakeholder, an internal carbon asset management digital platform, one or more external carbon asset management digital platforms, one or more external carbon asset management report formats, and / or carbon inventory data obtained through one or more automated customized questionnaires via an application programming interface (API). It automatically aggregates and versions greenhouse gas inventory information and product carbon footprint information from upstream and downstream supply chains outside the operational boundary, and digitally updates the greenhouse gas inventory information and product carbon footprint information for each product lifecycle across all brands within the enterprise in real time. The automated carbon asset management methods include: [the following is a separate, unrelated sentence fragment: "by the carbon asset network construction module..."] The company constructs its carbon asset network based on its operational boundary reports, which includes one or more operational boundaries of one or more external companies associated with the company. The carbon asset network linking module sets the connection method between the company's operational boundaries and the associated external operational boundaries, which may be through application programming interfaces (APIs) to connect to one or more carbon asset management digital platforms of various brands in the external companies, one or more carbon asset management report formats, one or more automated customized questionnaires, or no connection method may be set. Furthermore, once the carbon emission information of any associated operational boundary changes, the carbon asset network updating module updates the company's operational boundaries with the carbon emission information of the associated external operational boundaries and performs version control of carbon emission coefficients and emissions.

[0023] Among them, at least one stakeholder covers one or any combination of government agency needs, environmental protection needs, international supply chain brand needs, international government needs, and regional alliance needs.

[0024] The one or more carbon asset management report formats include proprietary report formats provided by various stakeholders to the enterprise, which are used to manage the greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information throughout the entire product life cycle in a report format.

[0025] Furthermore, the format of the automated customized questionnaire includes the automated customized questionnaire format provided by the carbon asset management digital platform of each brand in the enterprise, so as to manage the greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information of the entire organization and the entire product life cycle in the form of questionnaires.

[0026] Furthermore, the reporting of the operational boundaries of a company’s carbon asset network includes publicly disclosed carbon emission information from one or more of the company’s subsidiaries, a consolidated financial statement company, one or more investment companies, one or more outsourced factories, and upstream and downstream supply chains.

[0027] Thus, once the connection method between a company's operating boundary and one or more associated external operating boundaries is set through the carbon asset network link module, an invitation message can be sent to the companies of the associated one or more operating boundaries through the carbon asset management digital platform, in order to invite the companies of the associated one or more operating boundaries to return carbon emission information that they accept and are willing to disclose.

[0028] Furthermore, the automated carbon asset network system also includes a carbon asset network situation report module, which is used to present the enterprise's full range of organizational greenhouse gas emissions and product carbon footprint information throughout the entire life cycle to one or more related external enterprises and one or more operating boundaries in an interactive manner according to the carbon asset network.

[0029] The automated carbon asset network system also includes a carbon asset network reporting module, which is used to generate carbon-related management documents in real time according to the needs of different stakeholders, based on the comprehensive range of organizational greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of products throughout their entire life cycle generated by the enterprise's operations.

[0030] Furthermore, in the automated carbon asset management method executed by the carbon asset management digital platform, a carbon asset network of the enterprise is first constructed through the carbon asset network construction module based on the report of an operating boundary of the enterprise. Then, the carbon asset network linking module sets the connection method between the enterprise's operating boundary and one or more related external operating boundaries. This mainly involves establishing the connection method with one or more carbon asset management digital platforms of various brands, one or more carbon asset management report formats, and / or one or more automated customized questionnaires of one or more external enterprises through application programming interfaces, or without setting the connection method.

[0031] Then, carbon inventory data can be obtained through the links provided above, including comprehensive organizational greenhouse gas inventory for each brand within the company and product carbon footprint information for each product lifecycle. Furthermore, if any related operating boundary's carbon emission information changes, the carbon asset network update module will update that operating boundary with the carbon emission information of the related external operating boundaries, and perform version control of carbon emission coefficients and emissions.

[0032] To further understand the features and technical content of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, the drawings provided are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 Display a network diagram showing the carbon coefficient correlation between existing products, components, and their suppliers;

[0034] Figure 2This diagram illustrates the establishment of carbon footprints across existing operational boundaries.

[0035] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating an example of a platform architecture for establishing and executing carbon inventory through an automated carbon asset network system;

[0036] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an example of carbon asset management methods;

[0037] Figure 5 Schematic diagrams showing operational boundary implementation examples in different systems;

[0038] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates one embodiment of using software to create a stakeholder network diagram in an automated carbon asset network system.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of using software to create a stake network diagram in an automated carbon asset network system;

[0040] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates an example of filtering stakes to create a report.

[0041] Figure 9 This diagram shows an example of setting up a carbon asset network construction module in an automated carbon asset network system.

[0042] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating an embodiment of the carbon asset network construction and linking module settings in an automated carbon asset network system; and

[0043] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the relationship between organizational greenhouse gas inventory categories and product carbon footprint stages. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The prospectus proposes an automated carbon asset network system and carbon asset management method. This system utilizes the interconnected data structure generated during corporate carbon audits to establish a carbon asset network using computer network technology. This automated system manages the full range of organizational greenhouse gases and the entire lifecycle carbon footprint of products generated during a company's operations. The service scope of the automated carbon asset network system covers the parent company, subsidiaries, consolidated financial statement companies, investments, outsourced factories, and upstream and downstream supply chains. The carbon asset management method includes automated collection, updating, version control, and aggregation of carbon emission information, such as carbon emission coefficients and emissions or other relevant information. It then calculates and updates the greenhouse gas and carbon footprint at the company's operational boundaries. The system can quickly and in real-time generate carbon-related management documents tailored to the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., domestic policies and regulations, multinational policy requirements, and international brands).

[0045] According to an embodiment, the automated carbon asset network system implemented with computer technology can be a cloud system that provides multiple users with data collection, establishes the operating boundaries of each enterprise based on carbon footprint, establishes a network diagram of interests between different operating boundaries, and can output carbon footprint reports by filtering out the required interests according to needs, thereby realizing cloud-based carbon inventory services.

[0046] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating an example of a platform architecture for establishing and executing carbon inventory through an automated carbon asset network system is provided. The diagram shows the architecture of the automated carbon asset network system 30 for a digital platform 300 for carbon asset management within an enterprise. Various functional modules are implemented through hardware and software collaboration, mainly including a carbon asset network construction module 301, a carbon asset network linking module 303, and a carbon asset network update module 305.

[0047] According to the embodiments, the automated carbon asset network system proposed in the disclosure can provide carbon asset management services to multiple enterprises, establish a corporate carbon asset network, and specifically provide each enterprise with a carbon asset management digital platform 300 that performs carbon inventory through a computer system. This platform is used to provide carbon asset management digital platforms for each brand within the enterprise, digitally managing the greenhouse gas inventory and carbon footprint of the entire organization and its products throughout their lifecycle. The automated carbon asset network system 30 executes carbon asset management methods through this carbon asset management digital platform 300, and these methods can be referenced simultaneously. Figure 4 The illustrated embodiment steps.

[0048] like Figure 3 The system architecture diagram shown illustrates that the automated carbon asset network system 30 implements a carbon asset management digital platform 300 through a computer system. For a specific enterprise, the carbon asset management digital platform 300 receives carbon inventory data from at least one stakeholder 311, one or more external enterprise carbon asset management digital platforms 312 and 313, one or more external carbon asset management report formats 314 and 315, and / or obtains carbon inventory data from different sources through one or more carbon asset management digital platforms' automated customized questionnaires 316. All of these data sources are the data sources for the enterprise to establish a carbon asset network. This allows for the digital management of greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information for the entire product lifecycle of one or more brands within the enterprise. The carbon asset management digital platform 300 then constructs the enterprise's carbon asset network based on the enterprise's operational boundary reports through the carbon asset network construction module 301.

[0049] The automated carbon asset network system 30 will operate a carbon asset management method through a carbon asset management digital platform 300. In this method, according to one embodiment, the carbon asset management digital platform 300 can establish a corporate carbon asset network based on the scope of the corporate operating boundary through a carbon asset network construction module 301. This includes not only the corporate's own operating boundary but also one or more operating boundaries of one or more related external companies. The scope of the corporate operating boundary may include publicly disclosed subsidiaries, consolidated financial statement companies, investments, outsourced factories, and upstream and downstream supply chains, etc. The purpose is to obtain publicly disclosed carbon emission information, including carbon emission coefficients and emission amounts (step S401).

[0050] Next, the carbon asset network linking module 303 links the enterprise's operational boundaries with one or more associated external operational boundaries. The connection methods can be set via the application programming interface (API) 310 to establish links with one or more carbon asset management digital platforms 312, 313, one or more carbon asset management report formats 314, 315, and / or one or more automated customized questionnaires 316 of various brands within one or more external enterprises; or the system can set a method of not establishing links with specific objects via the API 310 (step S403). According to the embodiment, after the connection method is set via the API 310, the carbon asset management digital platform 300 can create a blank network or a blank network list for each operational boundary, and each operational boundary can draw its own carbon asset network map, sharing and exchanging organizational carbon inventory and product carbon footprint information.

[0051] In this way, the carbon asset management digital platform 300 can invite existing or external operating boundaries to participate in the system, i.e., send invitation information to relevant operating boundary enterprises to request them to return carbon emission information that they are willing to accept and disclose, including information such as carbon emission coefficients and emission volumes. The invited operating boundaries can then convert data from external systems directly through their internal systems or via software interfaces, and can choose to share some or all of the data for data exchange. Finally, the connection between the enterprise's operating boundary and relevant operating boundaries is completed through the application programming interface 310.

[0052] Based on the above connections, in addition to the internal carbon asset management digital platform 300, the carbon asset management digital platform 300 receives carbon inventory data from at least one stakeholder 311, one or more external carbon asset management digital platforms 312, 313, one or more external carbon asset management report formats 314, 315, and / or through one or more automated customized questionnaires 316, in order to obtain organizational greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information (step S405).

[0053] In this carbon asset management digital platform 300, organizational greenhouse gas inventory information and product carbon footprint information of upstream and downstream supply chains outside each operating boundary are automatically aggregated and version controlled to obtain comprehensive organizational greenhouse gas inventory information and product carbon footprint information for each brand within the enterprise and each product lifecycle. Thus, once the system learns through software that there is a change in carbon emission information (such as carbon emission coefficient and emission amount) of any associated one or more operating boundaries, it transmits it back to the carbon asset network update module 305 in real time. The carbon asset network update module 305 updates the enterprise's operating boundary with the carbon emission information of the associated external one or more operating boundaries, performs version control of carbon emission coefficient and emission amount, and completes the update operation of carbon emission coefficient and emission amount of the enterprise's operating boundary through application programming interface 610 (step S407).

[0054] According to the embodiment, in order to present the full range of organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information generated by the enterprise's operations to other related operational boundaries of the enterprise, the automated carbon asset network system also realizes the carbon asset network situation report module 307 through software and hardware collaboration, and proposes the carbon asset network report module 309 to generate carbon-related management documents in real time according to the needs of different stakeholders 311.

[0055] Thus, in the carbon asset management digital platform 300, the carbon asset network situation report module 307 can obtain the carbon emission information of one or more related external companies, one or more subsidiaries, consolidated financial statement companies, or multiple investment companies, one or more outsourced factories, and upstream and downstream supply chains of the enterprise, and present it in a graphical and interactive allocation manner (step S409). Then, through the carbon asset network reporting module 309, the carbon asset network report module 309 can quickly and in real time generate carbon-related management documents for different stakeholders 311 according to their needs (such as domestic policies and regulations, transnational policy needs, and international brand manufacturers) based on the screening mechanism proposed by the automated carbon asset network system 30 (step S411).

[0056] It is worth mentioning that the aforementioned stakeholder 311 may encompass one or any combination of the following: government agency needs, environmental protection needs, international supply chain brand needs, international government needs, and regional alliance needs. Furthermore, the one or more carbon asset management report formats include proprietary report formats provided to the enterprise by each stakeholder, which can be presented in a reporting format (such as Microsoft...). This system manages comprehensive organizational greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information throughout the entire product lifecycle. The format of the automated, customized questionnaire can include formats provided by the enterprise's various brand carbon asset management digital platforms, enabling the management of comprehensive organizational greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information throughout the entire product lifecycle through questionnaires.

[0057] Furthermore, in the automated carbon asset network system, the full range of organizational greenhouse gases includes at least: direct greenhouse gas emissions, with sources including stationary fuel sources, mobile fuel sources, process emission sources, fugitive emission sources, and land use and alteration and forestry; energy-related indirect greenhouse gas emissions, with sources including purchased electricity and purchased energy; and other indirect greenhouse gas emissions, with sources including: upstream transportation and distribution, downstream transportation and distribution, employee commuting, business travel, purchase of goods or services, fuel and energy activities, waste generated from operations, upstream purchase of capital goods, upstream leased assets, use of sold products, processing of sold products, disposal of sold product waste, downstream leased assets, franchises and franchising, and investments.

[0058] the following Figures 5 to 8 The accompanying drawings illustrate the relationships between different operational boundaries, the relationships between operational boundaries on different digital platforms, and schematic diagrams of embodiments that can provide reports based on the correlation of operational boundaries.

[0059] Figure 5 The first carbon asset management digital platform 51 contains multiple operating boundaries, illustratively representing operating boundaries a, b, g, etc. A second carbon asset management digital platform 52 contains operating boundaries h, i, j, etc. Each operating boundary represents the greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information of an organization, company, or enterprise obtained through a carbon inventory performed by its respective digital platform. The carbon asset management report 53 contains operating boundaries k, etc. In the first carbon asset management digital platform 51, each operating boundary is an internal system for each enterprise, while the second carbon asset management digital platform 52 and the carbon asset management report 53, which provides carbon footprint information, belong to external systems.

[0060] When a company conducts a carbon inventory, it needs to establish operational boundaries based on its organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information within a complex upstream and downstream supply chain. This requires conducting the inventory based on the company's constructed carbon asset network. Data searching, verification, and exchange between operational boundaries are facilitated through an invitation mechanism, and annual updates are also necessary. This involves implementing carbon asset management methods through the automated carbon asset network system described in the above embodiments. The relevant operational procedures can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 6 This diagram illustrates one embodiment of an automated carbon asset network system that uses software to create a stakeholder network diagram.

[0061] Figure 6 Display as shown Figure 5 The diagram shows the first carbon asset management digital platform 51, the second carbon asset management digital platform 52, and the carbon asset management report 53. When constructing an enterprise's own operating boundaries, a blank network or a blank network list is first established in the relevant carbon asset management digital platform. Then, based on the enterprise's carbon asset network, invitations are sent to one or more related operating boundaries to obtain carbon inventory data for the related operating boundaries, including organizational carbon inventory and product carbon footprint information.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown, taking an enterprise that establishes an operating boundary 'a' on the first carbon asset management digital platform 51 as an example, when performing a carbon audit, according to its first network diagram 61, it should obtain carbon audit data for operating boundaries 'e' and 'f'. Thus, carbon audit data for operating boundaries 'a', 'e', ​​and 'f' can be obtained simultaneously from the first carbon asset management digital platform 51. According to the second network diagram 62, to obtain carbon audit data for operating boundary 'c', carbon audit data for operating boundary 'c', 'e', ​​and 'g' can be obtained simultaneously from the first carbon asset management digital platform 51. Similarly, according to the third network diagram 63, to obtain carbon audit data for operating boundary 'g', carbon audit data for operating boundary 'a', 'f', and 'g' can be obtained simultaneously from the first carbon asset management digital platform 51.

[0063] Apart from Figure 6 Display carbon inventory data for the relevant operating boundaries obtained from the same carbon asset management digital platform (i.e., the first carbon asset management digital platform 51), and further refer to... Figure 7 This illustrates how different carbon asset management digital platforms operate when their associated operational boundaries are located on different platforms.

[0064] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates an example of using software to establish a stake network diagram in an automated carbon asset network system. This example shows the establishment of an operating boundary a for a certain enterprise. Based on the fourth network diagram 64 shown, the associated operating boundaries of operating boundary a include operating boundary b, operating boundary c, operating boundary d, operating boundary e, operating boundary h, operating boundary i, and operating boundary k.

[0065] According to the fourth network diagram 64, carbon inventory data for operating boundaries a, b, c, d, and e can be obtained from the first carbon asset management digital platform 51. It is also necessary to connect to the second carbon asset management digital platform 52 via the digital platform software 71 provided by the first carbon asset management digital platform 51, and obtain carbon inventory data for operating boundaries h and i from the second carbon asset management digital platform 52. Furthermore, it is necessary to connect to the carbon asset management report 53 via the digital platform software 72 provided by the first carbon asset management digital platform 51, and obtain carbon inventory data for operating boundary k from it. Thus, in addition to the first carbon asset management digital platform 51 where the operating boundaries themselves reside, carbon inventory data from external systems can be successfully obtained through invitations executed via digital platform software 71 and 72, enabling the creation of one's own network diagram.

[0066] Thus, according to the implementation method of the automated carbon asset network system, different digital platforms can be linked by software means. Invited operating boundaries can directly convert data from external systems through internal systems or software interfaces, and can also choose to share some or all data for data exchange, so as to share and share organizational carbon inventory and product carbon footprint information.

[0067] Based on the above embodiments and related examples, the automated carbon asset network system proposed in the publication can solve the complex carbon inventory process by implementing carbon asset management methods through the system, even if the enterprise's own operating boundaries and the interrelationships between enterprises are very complex.

[0068] Furthermore, by establishing connections between different platforms and carbon asset networks among various enterprises, when any link has an information update, the automated carbon asset network system can immediately update the data for each invited operating boundary. Subsequently, a filter can be used to quickly generate corresponding carbon information files based on the requirements of different stakeholders. See the example below. Figure 8 The illustration shows an example of filtering stakes to create a report.

[0069] according to Figure 8 The diagram shows that users can set stakeholder requirements through the screening mechanism provided by the automated carbon asset network system, enabling the system to generate carbon-related management documents in real time according to those requirements.

[0070] For example, the attached diagram uses dashed lines to indicate the first interest relationship 11, which includes operating boundaries a, b, c, and d. The system will retrieve carbon inventory data for each operating boundary from the corresponding carbon asset management digital platform based on the operating boundaries associated with the first interest relationship 11, thus generating carbon-related management documents for the first interest relationship 11 in real time. By setting a second interest relationship 12 through a filter, which includes operating boundaries a, b, c, d, e, and h, the system will retrieve carbon inventory data for each operating boundary from the respective carbon asset management digital platform based on this second interest relationship 12, generating carbon-related management documents for the second interest relationship 12 in real time.

[0071] Figure 8 The system continues to display the third stakeholder 13, defined by the user using filters, which includes operating boundaries a, b, c, d, i, and k; there is also a fourth stakeholder 14, which only includes operating boundary d. The automated carbon asset network system can generate carbon-related management documents in real time according to the needs of different stakeholders, and can perform version control of carbon emission coefficients and emissions based on the relevant carbon asset network.

[0072] then, Figures 9 to 11 Demonstrating the operation of an automated carbon asset network system through practical examples, in which Figure 9 This diagram shows an example of setting up a carbon asset network construction module in an automated carbon asset network system.

[0073] The example shows that the carbon asset management digital platform 90 provides a digital platform for notebook computer manufacturers to conduct carbon inventory for an automated carbon asset network system. Using the carbon asset network construction module 301, a corresponding carbon asset network is constructed based on the notebook computer manufacturer's operational boundary reports. The carbon asset network reveals the categories of greenhouse gas inventory organized by the notebook computer manufacturer. This example shows that stationary fuel sources 901, mobile fuel sources 902, process emission sources 903, and fugitive emission sources 904 belong to Category 1 (direct greenhouse gas emissions and removal); while those belonging to Category 2... (Indirect greenhouse gas emissions from input energy) Purchased electricity 905 and purchased energy 906; upstream transportation and distribution 907, downstream transportation and distribution 908 and employee commuting 909, which fall under Category 3 (indirect greenhouse gas emissions from transportation); purchased goods or services 910, fuel and energy activities 911 and waste generated from operations 912, which fall under Category 4 (indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated from products used by the organization); and the use of sold products 913 and disposal of sold products 914, which fall under Category 5 (indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of products by the organization).

[0074] Next, based on the categories of greenhouse gas audits organized by notebook computer manufacturers established in the system, the associated suppliers can be identified (such as Supplier A 921, Supplier B 922, Supplier C 923, Supplier D 924, Supplier E 925, Supplier F 926, Supplier G 927, and Supplier I 928). This allows notebook computer manufacturers to obtain relevant carbon audit data provided by each supplier. This example illustrates the part number AAA (product carbon coefficient / unit) 931, part number BBB 932, and part number CCC 933 provided by Supplier E 925.

[0075] according to Figure 9 The display shows how a carbon asset network for a laptop manufacturer is constructed using the carbon asset network construction module 301 in an automated carbon asset network system. Further, refer to... Figure 10 The system also utilizes the carbon asset network link module 303 in the automated carbon asset network system to set the connection method between the notebook computer manufacturer's operating boundary under the carbon asset management digital platform 90 and one or more associated external operating boundaries.

[0076] according to Figure 10 The implementation example shown illustrates how the carbon asset management digital platform 90 uses the carbon asset network link module 303 to set the connection method between the laptop manufacturer's own operating boundaries and other related operating boundaries. As shown in the figure, various parameters from settings 1, 2, and 3, as well as the settings that need to be filled in, can be automatically imported from the carbon asset network link module 303. Settings 1 can include setting the application programming interface (API) for the carbon asset management digital platform 90 to establish a connection with external systems. Settings 2 requires the supplier of a specific product to be filled in, and Settings 3 provides a confirmation link.

[0077] Figure 11 The following is a diagram showing the relationship between the organization's greenhouse gas inventory categories and the product's carbon footprint stage.

[0078] This example shows that carbon inventory information 110 includes a full range of organizational greenhouse gas emissions, covering Category 1: direct greenhouse gas emissions, Category 2: energy-related indirect greenhouse gas emissions, and Category 3: other indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the greenhouse gas emissions defined in each category, the corresponding organizational greenhouse gas inventory and the corresponding product carbon footprint are then derived.

[0079] During the carbon inventory process, when establishing operating boundaries for a specific product, the product's carbon footprint can be established based on the internal and external operating boundary correlation constructed in the system, according to the automated carbon asset network system proposed in the publication. According to the illustrated embodiment, the system can allocate carbon inventory information 110, such as a full range of organizational greenhouse gases, to the corresponding stages of product manufacturing based on an energy resource use allocation criterion 111. For example, this example shows that the product's carbon footprint stages include the raw material acquisition stage 113, the production and manufacturing stage 114, the sales and distribution stage 115, the product use stage 116, and the product disposal stage 117, thus achieving the purpose of the carbon inventory.

[0080] In summary, the automated carbon asset network system and carbon asset management method described in the above embodiments mainly utilize the associated data structure formed by enterprises during carbon inventory to establish a carbon asset network using computer network technology. This network can automatically collect, update, version control, and aggregate carbon emission information for subsidiaries, consolidated financial statement companies, investments, and upstream and downstream supply chains. The automated carbon asset network system can manage the full range of organizational greenhouse gases and the carbon footprint of products throughout their entire life cycle generated by the enterprise's operations. Through this system, carbon-related management documents for different stakeholders can be generated quickly and in real time according to their needs.

[0081] The above-disclosed content is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the claims of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made based on the description and drawings of the present invention are included within the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated carbon asset network system, characterized in that, The system includes: A carbon asset management digital platform is implemented through a computer system to perform carbon inventory for a company. This platform includes a carbon asset network construction module, a carbon asset network linking module, and a carbon asset network updating module. The automated carbon asset network system executes a carbon asset management method through this platform. It receives carbon inventory data from at least one stakeholder, an internal carbon asset management digital platform, one or more external carbon asset management digital platforms, one or more external carbon asset management report formats, and / or carbon inventory data obtained through one or more automated customized questionnaires via an application programming interface. It automatically aggregates organizational greenhouse gas inventory information and product carbon footprint information from upstream and downstream supply chains outside the operational boundaries, performs version control, and conducts full-scope organizational greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information for each product lifecycle under one or more brands within the company. The carbon asset network construction module constructs a carbon asset network for the enterprise based on a report of an operating boundary of the enterprise, which includes one or more operating boundaries of one or more external enterprises associated with the enterprise. The carbon asset network linking module defines the connection method between the enterprise's operating boundary and one or more associated external operating boundaries. This includes establishing connections via an application programming interface (API) with one or more carbon asset management digital platforms, one or more carbon asset management report formats, and / or one or more automated customized questionnaires of various brands within the external enterprises; or leaving the connection method undefined. Once there is a change in the carbon emission information of any associated one or more operating boundaries, the carbon asset network update module updates the enterprise's operating boundary with the carbon emission information of the associated external one or more operating boundaries, and performs version control of carbon emission coefficients and emissions.

2. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned at least one stakeholder encompasses one or any combination of government agency needs, environmental protection needs, international supply chain brand needs, international government needs, and regional alliance needs.

3. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The one or more carbon asset management report formats mentioned include the proprietary report formats provided to the enterprise by each stakeholder, which are used to manage the greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information of the entire product life cycle in a report format.

4. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The format of the automated customized questionnaire includes the automated customized questionnaire format provided to the enterprise by the carbon asset management digital platform of each brand in the enterprise, so as to manage the greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information of the entire organization and the entire product life cycle in the form of questionnaires.

5. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The report on the operational boundaries of the establishment of the enterprise's carbon asset network includes publicly disclosed carbon emission information from one or more of the enterprise's subsidiaries, a consolidated financial statement company, one or more investment companies, one or more outsourced factories, and upstream and downstream supply chains.

6. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After setting the connection method between the enterprise's operating boundary and one or more associated external operating boundaries through the carbon asset network link module, the carbon asset management digital platform transmits invitation information to the enterprises of the associated one or more operating boundaries, in order to invite the enterprises of the associated one or more operating boundaries to return carbon emission information that they accept and are willing to disclose.

7. The automated carbon asset network system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The system also includes a carbon asset network situation report module, which is used to present the enterprise's full range of organizational greenhouse gas and full life-cycle product carbon footprint information generated by the enterprise's operations to the one or more operating boundaries of the enterprise's related external enterprises in an interactive allocation manner according to the carbon asset network.

8. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The system also includes a carbon asset network reporting module, which is used to generate carbon-related management documents in real time according to the needs of different stakeholders based on the comprehensive organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information generated by the enterprise's operations.

9. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The aforementioned full range of organized greenhouse gases includes at least: Direct greenhouse gas emissions, including sources such as stationary fuel sources, mobile fuel sources, process emission sources, fugitive emission sources, and land use and alteration and forestry; Indirect greenhouse gas emissions from energy sources, including purchased electricity and purchased energy; and Other indirect greenhouse gas emissions include: upstream transportation and distribution, downstream transportation and distribution, employee commuting, business travel, purchase of goods or services, fuel and energy activities, waste generated from operations, upstream purchase of capital goods, upstream leased assets, use of products sold, processing of products sold, disposal of products sold, downstream leased assets, franchises and franchising, and investments.

10. The automated carbon asset network system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, According to the principle of energy resource use and allocation, the carbon footprint of products in the entire scope of organizational greenhouse gas allocation includes the raw material acquisition stage, the production and manufacturing stage, the sales and distribution stage, the product use stage, and the product disposal stage.

11. A carbon asset management method, operating within a carbon asset management digital platform that performs carbon inventory checks on an enterprise through a computer system, characterized in that, The method includes: In this carbon asset management digital platform, a carbon asset network construction module is used to construct the company's carbon asset network based on the report of the company's operating boundaries, which includes one or more operating boundaries of one or more external companies associated with the company. The connection method between the enterprise's operating boundary and one or more associated external operating boundaries is set through a carbon asset network link module, wherein a connection method is established with one or more carbon asset management digital platforms, one or more carbon asset management report formats, and / or one or more automated customized questionnaires of each brand in the one or more external enterprises through an application programming interface, or no connection method is set. The application programming interface receives at least one stakeholder, an internal carbon asset management digital platform, one or more external carbon asset management digital platforms, one or more external carbon asset management report formats, and / or carbon inventory data obtained through one or more automated customized questionnaires. The system automatically aggregates organizational greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information from upstream and downstream supply chains outside the operational boundaries, and performs version control to obtain comprehensive organizational greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information for each brand and product lifecycle within the enterprise; and Once there is a change in the carbon emission information of any of the associated one or more operating boundaries, the carbon asset network update module updates the enterprise's operating boundary with the carbon emission information of the associated external one or more operating boundaries, and performs version control of carbon emission coefficients and emissions.

12. The carbon asset management method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The aforementioned at least one stakeholder encompasses one or any combination of government agency needs, environmental protection needs, international supply chain brand needs, international government needs, and regional alliance needs.

13. The carbon asset management method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The one or more carbon asset management report formats mentioned include the proprietary report formats provided to the enterprise by each stakeholder, which are used to manage the greenhouse gas inventory and product carbon footprint information of the entire product life cycle in a report format.

14. The carbon asset management method as described in any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The method also uses a carbon asset network situation report module to present the enterprise's full range of organizational greenhouse gas and full life-cycle product carbon footprint information generated by the enterprise's operations to the one or more operational boundaries of the enterprise's associated external enterprises in an interactive allocation manner, based on the carbon asset network.

15. The carbon asset management method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The method also uses a carbon asset network reporting module to generate carbon-related management documents in real time based on the needs of different stakeholders, covering the full range of organizational greenhouse gas and product carbon footprint information generated by the enterprise's operations.

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