Information processing system

Abstract

To provide technique to support derivation of scope 3 emissions in company's supply chain emissions.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 18 stores, for a plurality of credit card affiliated stores, unit emissions being GHG emissions per unit proceeds related to each affiliated store. The information processing apparatus 18 acquires, from a credit card company device 16, settlement data that is related to purchasing of a commodity or a service using a company's corporate card, and that includes information on the affiliated store that sells the commodity or the service and the amount of purchase. The information processing apparatus 18 derives the GHG emissions related to the purchasing on the basis of the unit emissions related to the affiliated store indicated by the settlement data, and the amount of purchase indicated by the settlement data. The information processing apparatus 18 executes offset processing on the GHG emissions related to the purchasing in cooperation with an apparatus in a carbon credit company.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to data processing technology, and more particularly to information processing systems.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) investment, which includes not only the size of a company's profits but also the process (in other words, business) through which those profits are generated, has been emphasized in investment decisions regarding companies (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the future, it is considered that the supply chain emissions of each company will be emphasized as an evaluation criterion for investment target companies. Supply chain emissions are the total emissions that include not only the emissions of the company (operator) itself but also all emissions related to business activities. That is, it is the emissions of greenhouse gases (hereinafter also referred to as "GHG") generated from the entire series of processes such as raw material procurement, manufacturing, logistics, sales, and disposal.

[0005] Supply chain emissions are the sum of Scope 1 emissions, Scope 2 emissions, and Scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 is the direct emissions of GHG by the company (operator) itself (for example, fuel combustion and industrial processes). Scope 2 is the indirect emissions associated with the use of electricity, heat, and steam supplied by other companies. Scope 3 is the indirect emissions other than Scope 1 and Scope 2, in other words, the emissions of other companies related to the activities of the company (operator).

[0006] In the future, each company will be required to appropriately disclose its supply chain emissions. However, Scope 3 emissions among supply chain emissions are difficult to measure compared to Scope 1 emissions and Scope 2 emissions, and many companies are currently unable to disclose their Scope 3 emissions.

[0007] This disclosure is made based on the above problem recognition by the inventors, and one objective is to provide a technology for assisting in deriving Scope 3 emissions in a company's supply chain emissions.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] To solve the above problems, an information processing system according to an aspect of this disclosure includes a storage unit that stores, for a plurality of franchise stores of a credit card, a unit emission amount that is the greenhouse gas emission amount per unit sales amount for each franchise store; a first acquisition unit that acquires, from a device of a credit card company, settlement data related to the purchase of goods or services using a corporate card of a company, the settlement data including information about the franchise store that sold the goods or services and the purchase amount; a derivation unit that derives the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase based on the unit emission amount for the franchise store indicated by the settlement data stored in the storage unit and the purchase amount indicated by the settlement data; and an information providing unit that provides information about the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase to the company.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is also an information processing system. This information processing system includes a storage unit that stores, for a plurality of products or services that can be purchased using a corporate card of a company, a unit emission amount that is the greenhouse gas emission amount per unit purchase amount for each product or each service; a first acquisition unit that acquires identification information and purchase amount of a product or service purchased using the corporate card from a device of a franchise store or a device of a credit card company that sold the product or service; a derivation unit that derives the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase based on the unit emission amount related to the purchased product or service stored in the storage unit and the purchase amount of the purchased product or service; and an information providing unit that provides information related to the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase to the company.

[0010] In addition, any combination of the above components, and those obtained by converting the expressions of the present disclosure among a device, a method, a computer program, a recording medium storing the computer program, etc. are also effective as aspects of the present disclosure.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to assist in deriving the Scope 3 emissions in the corporate supply chain emissions of a company.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Fig. 1(a)

Fig. 1(b)

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] The main body of the apparatus or method in the present disclosure includes a computer. By this computer executing a computer program, the functions of the main body of the apparatus or method in the present disclosure are realized. The computer includes a processor that operates according to the computer program as the main hardware configuration. The type of the processor is not limited as long as it can realize functions by executing the computer program. The processor is composed of one or a plurality of electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (IC, LSI, etc.). The computer program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a ROM, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer. The computer program may be stored in the recording medium in advance, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet or the like.

[0014] The outline of the embodiment will be described. In the future, it is considered that the supply chain emissions of each company will be emphasized as an evaluation criterion for investment target companies. The supply chain emissions are the sum of Scope 1 emissions, Scope 2 emissions, and Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are difficult to measure compared to Scope 1 emissions and Scope 2 emissions, and many companies currently cannot disclose Scope 3 emissions. Therefore, in the embodiments, a technique for assisting in deriving Scope 3 emissions in a company's supply chain emissions is proposed.

[0015] In the Scope 3 criteria defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), Scope 3 is classified into 15 categories. FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show a plurality of categories in the Scope 3 criteria defined by the GHG Protocol. The information processing system of the embodiment mainly assists in deriving the GHG emissions of Category 1, Category 6, and Category 7 in the Scope 3 criteria. Category 1, Category 6, and Category 7 can also be said to be GHG emissions due to employee activities and purchases.

[0016] The details of the embodiment will be described. <First Embodiment> FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment. The information processing system 10 of the first embodiment includes a company device 12, a payment terminal 14, a credit card company device 16, and an information processing device 18. These devices are connected via a communication network such as a LAN, WAN, or the Internet.

[0017] The company device 12 is an information processing device provided in a company that uses corporate cards. Employees of this company use their company's corporate cards to purchase goods and services from credit card franchise stores. The corporate card is a credit card used for corporate expense settlement such as business trip expenses and hospitality expenses, and is a credit card with the company's bank account designated as the debit source.

[0018] The settlement terminal 14 is a credit card settlement terminal installed at a credit card merchant that sells goods or services to a company. The settlement terminal 14 may be a CAT (Credit Authorization Terminal) or a CCT (Credit Center Terminal). The merchant is a retail store or the like that has entered into a merchant agreement with a credit card company. The credit card company device 16 is an information processing device installed at the credit card company.

[0019] When a product or service is purchased using a corporate card at the merchant's settlement terminal 14, the settlement data related to the purchase is sent to the credit card company device 16. The credit card company device 16 stores the settlement data sent from the settlement terminal 14 and executes settlement processing based on the settlement data. In the case where the merchant is a mail-order merchant, the server of the merchant that provides the mail-order service to the company device 12 may send the settlement data related to the purchase to the credit card company device 16. The information processing device 18 provides a service to the company that derives the GHG emissions amount related to the purchase of goods or services based on the settlement data provided by the credit card company device 16.

[0020] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the settlement data. The settlement data includes, as a plurality of items, a settlement ID, date and time, user, card number, merchant ID, and purchase amount. A unique ID is set for each settlement in the item "settlement ID". The settlement ID can also be said to be a unique ID for each transaction of goods or services. In the item "date and time", the date and time when the goods or services were purchased are set.

[0021] In the item "user", the identification information of the user (the company in FIG. 1) who purchased the goods or services using the corporate card is set. In the item "card number", the credit card number of the corporate card used for the purchase is set. In the item "merchant ID", a unique ID is set for each merchant. In the item "purchase amount", the purchase amount of the goods or services is set.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing functional blocks included in the information processing apparatus 18 of the first embodiment. Each block shown in the block diagrams in this specification can be realized, in terms of hardware, by elements and electronic circuits such as a computer's processor, CPU, and memory, and mechanical devices, and can be realized, in terms of software, by a computer program or the like. Here, however, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combinations of hardware and software. The functions of the plurality of blocks shown in FIG. 4 may be implemented on one computer or may be distributed and implemented on a plurality of computers.

[0023] The information processing apparatus 18 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 24. The control unit 20 executes various data processes. The storage unit 22 stores data that is referenced or updated by the control unit 20. The communication unit 24 communicates with an external device according to a predetermined communication protocol. The control unit 20 transmits and receives data to and from the enterprise device 12 and the credit card company device 16 via the communication unit 24.

[0024] The storage unit 22 includes a master data storage unit 26. The master data storage unit 26 stores, for a plurality of affiliated stores of credit cards, a unit emission amount, which is the GHG emission amount per unit sales amount for each affiliated store. The unit emission amount may be, for example, data such as 10 g / yen of GHG emission amount.

[0025] Specifically, the master data storage unit 26 stores affiliated store master data and unit emission amount master data. FIG. 5(a) shows the configuration of the affiliated store master data. The affiliated store master data is data that associates the IDs of a plurality of affiliated stores with the identification information of the sector (in other words, the business type) to which each affiliated store belongs. The affiliated store sector may be, for example, aviation, railway, home appliance mass retailer, or the like.

[0026] Figure 5(b) shows the configuration of the unit emission master data. The unit emission master data is data that associates a plurality of affiliated store sectors with the unit emissions of GHG in each affiliated store sector. The unit emissions of each affiliated store sector may be derived by dividing the average value of the GHG emissions published by a plurality of affiliated stores belonging to each affiliated store sector by the average value of the sales amounts of those plurality of affiliated stores.

[0027] Returning to FIG. 4, the control unit 20 includes a settlement data acquisition unit 30, an emission amount derivation unit 32, and an information providing unit 34. A computer program in which the functions of these plurality of functional blocks are implemented may be stored in a recording medium and installed in the storage of the information processing apparatus 18 via the recording medium. Alternatively, the above computer program may be downloaded via a communication network and installed in the storage of the information processing apparatus 18. The CPU of the information processing apparatus 18 may exhibit the functions of the above plurality of blocks by reading the above computer program into the main memory and executing it.

[0028] The settlement data acquisition unit 30, as a first acquisition unit, acquires settlement data related to the purchase of goods or services using a corporate card of an enterprise from the credit card company apparatus 16. As described above in connection with FIG. 3, the settlement data includes information regarding the affiliated store that sold the goods or services and the purchase amount of the goods or services.

[0029] The emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emissions related to the purchase of the enterprise based on the unit emissions related to the affiliated store indicated by the settlement data stored in the master data storage unit 26 and the purchase amount indicated by the settlement data. The information providing unit 34 provides information regarding the GHG emissions related to the purchase of the enterprise derived by the emission amount derivation unit 32 (hereinafter also referred to as "GHG emissions information") to the enterprise apparatus 12.

[0030] The operation of the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment with the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Employees of the company use the company's corporate card to purchase goods or services sold by affiliated stores. The settlement terminal 14 of the affiliated store transmits the settlement data related to the purchase to the credit card company device 16. The credit card company device 16 accumulates the settlement data transmitted from the settlement terminal 14. The settlement data acquisition unit 30 of the information processing device 18 accesses the credit card company device 16 at a predetermined GHG emission derivation timing and acquires the settlement data related to the company's purchases. For example, the settlement data acquisition unit 30 may regularly acquire one or more settlement data related to the purchases of a certain month from the credit card company device 16 once a month.

[0031] The emission derivation unit 32 of the information processing device 18 refers to the affiliated store master data in the master data storage unit 26 and identifies the affiliated store sector associated with the ID of the affiliated store indicated by the settlement data acquired by the settlement data acquisition unit 30 (hereinafter also referred to as the "target affiliated store"). The emission derivation unit 32 refers to the unit emission master data in the master data storage unit 26 and identifies the unit emission associated with the identified affiliated store sector as the unit emission of the target affiliated store. The emission derivation unit 32 derives the result of multiplying the unit emission of the target affiliated store by the purchase amount indicated by the settlement data as the GHG emission related to the purchase indicated by the settlement data.

[0032] When the settlement data acquisition unit 30 acquires a plurality of settlement data related to multiple purchases in a certain month, the emission derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission for each settlement data. The emission derivation unit 32 sums up the GHG emissions for each settlement data and derives the total value as the GHG emission generated in the entire purchase activity of the above-mentioned certain month. The GHG emission may be, for example, a value such as "○○t (tons)".

[0033] The information providing unit 34 of the information processing apparatus 18 transmits GHG emission amount information indicating the GHG emission amount derived by the emission amount derivation unit 32 as the GHG emission amount based on the Scope 3 criteria in the GHG Protocol to the enterprise apparatus 12. According to the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to assist in deriving the Scope 3 emissions in the enterprise's supply chain emissions based on the record of purchases of goods or services using the enterprise's corporate card. For example, it is possible to assist the enterprise in grasping and publishing its own Scope 3 emissions.

[0034] As described above, the present disclosure has been described based on the first embodiment. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the content described in the first embodiment is illustrative, and various modifications are possible for the combination of the components and processing processes of the first embodiment, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] Modifications 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 related to the first embodiment will be described. Modification 1-1: In the first embodiment, the unit emission amount of GHG is determined for each franchise sector (in other words, business type). As a modification, for at least some of the plurality of franchises, the unit emission amount of GHG may be determined for each franchise. In this case, the master data storage unit 26 of the information processing apparatus 18 may store the unit emission amount for each franchise sector, and further store the unit emission amount of the franchise itself for at least some of the franchises. For example, in the franchise master data of the master data storage unit 26, the franchise sector may be recorded in association with the franchise ID, and the unit emission amount of the franchise itself may be recorded as an option. The unit emission amount of the franchise itself may be derived by dividing the GHG emission amount published by the franchise by the sales amount of the franchise.

[0036] For the affiliated store indicated by the settlement data, if the unit emission amount of the affiliated store itself is recorded in the affiliated store master data, the emission amount derivation unit 32 of the information processing apparatus 18 may derive the GHG emission amount related to the purchase indicated by the settlement data by using the unit emission amount of the affiliated store itself. On the other hand, for the affiliated store indicated by the settlement data, if the unit emission amount of the affiliated store itself is not recorded in the affiliated store master data, the emission amount derivation unit 32 may derive the GHG emission amount related to the purchase indicated by the settlement data by using the unit emission amount of the affiliated store sector to which the affiliated store belongs, as described in the first embodiment. According to this aspect, the scope 3 emission amount in the corporate supply chain emission amount can be derived more accurately. In addition, an incentive can be given to the affiliated store to reduce the GHG emission amount so as to be selected by the enterprise.

[0037] Modification Example 1-2: FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the information processing system 10 of the modification example. In the information processing system 10 of this modification example, based on the accounting data held by the corporate card-using enterprise, the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase is classified into any one of a plurality of categories in the scope 3 criteria defined by the GHG Protocol.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional blocks included in the information processing apparatus 18 of the modification example. The information processing apparatus 18 of the modification example further includes an accounting data acquisition unit 38 in addition to the functional blocks shown in FIG. 4. The accounting data acquisition unit 38, as the second acquisition unit, acquires the enterprise's accounting data (for example, management accounting data) related to the purchase of goods or services using the corporate card from the enterprise apparatus 12 (for example, the enterprise's accounting system).

[0039] For example, the accounting data acquisition unit 38 extracts data (such as a combination of a settlement ID, date and time, card number, franchise store ID, purchase amount, etc.) that can uniquely identify the purchase of goods or services using a corporate card from the settlement data. The accounting data acquisition unit 38 may request and acquire, from the enterprise device 12, accounting data related to the purchase specified by the extracted data using the extracted data as a key. The accounting data shall include account item names related to the purchase of goods or services using a corporate card (such as travel expenses, commuting allowance, tools and equipment, etc.).

[0040] Based on the accounting data acquired by the accounting data acquisition unit 38, the emission amount derivation unit 32 of the information processing device 18 classifies the GHG emission amount related to the purchase into any one of a plurality of categories (the 15 categories shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)) in the Scope 3 criteria defined by the GHG Protocol. Specifically, the emission amount derivation unit 32 classifies the GHG emission amount related to the purchase indicated by certain settlement data into any one of the categories of the Scope 3 criteria based on the account item name indicated by the accounting data related to the purchase.

[0041] For example, when the account item name is "travel transportation value", the GHG emission amount related to the purchase may be classified into Category 6 (business trip). Also, when the account item name is "commuting allowance", the GHG emission amount related to the purchase may be classified into Category 7 (commuting of employees). Further, when the account item name is neither "travel expenses" nor "commuting allowance", the GHG emission amount related to the purchase may be classified into Category 1 (purchased products and services).

[0042] The information providing unit 34 of the information processing device 18 transmits to the enterprise device 12 the GHG emission amount information in which the GHG emission amount related to the purchase derived by the emission amount derivation unit 32 is associated with the specific category of the Scope 3 criteria classified by the emission amount derivation unit 32. According to the information processing system 10 of this modification example, the category of the Scope 3 criteria to which the GHG emission amount related to the purchase belongs can be presented to the enterprise, and the management of the GHG emission amount in the enterprise can be supported more effectively.

[0043] Note that when the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission amounts based on each of a plurality of settlement data, the GHG emission amounts based on each of the plurality of settlement data may be totaled in category units. For example, the emission amount derivation unit 32 may derive the GHG emission amounts (total values) for each of Category 1, Category 6, and Category 7 according to the Scope 3 standard. The information providing unit 34 may transmit GHG emission amount information indicating the GHG emission amounts (total values) for each of Category 1, Category 6, and Category 7 according to the Scope 3 standard to the enterprise device 12.

[0044] Modification Example 1-3: The master data storage unit 26 of the information processing device 18 may store the Scope 3 standard categories for each franchise store and / or the Scope 3 standard categories for each franchise store sector. When the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission amount related to a purchase at a certain franchise store, if a specific Scope 3 standard category for each franchise store is associated with the franchise store, the derived GHG emission amount may be classified into the specific Scope 3 standard category associated with the franchise store. On the other hand, when deriving the GHG emission amount related to a purchase at a certain franchise store, if a specific Scope 3 standard category for each franchise store is not associated with the franchise store, the emission amount derivation unit 32 may classify the derived GHG emission amount into the specific Scope 3 standard category associated with the franchise store sector to which the franchise store belongs. The information processing system 10 of this modification example also has the same effects as those of the above Modification Example 1-2.

[0045] <Second Embodiment> Regarding the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, and the description of the common points will be omitted. Of course, the features of the second embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the features of the first embodiment and the modification examples. Among the components of the second embodiment, the components that are the same as or corresponding to the components of the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals as appropriate.

[0046] FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the information processing system 10 of the second embodiment. The information processing system 10 of the second embodiment includes a franchise store device 15 in addition to the configuration of the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment. The franchise store device 15 stores data on products or services sold from a franchise store to a company and settled with the company's corporate card (hereinafter also referred to as "sales data").

[0047] FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the sales data. The sales data includes a settlement ID that is also included in the settlement data, and information on the products or services sold (hereinafter also referred to as "product information" or "service information"). The product information includes the identification information of the products purchased with the corporate card, and the service information includes the identification information of the services purchased with the corporate card.

[0048] FIG. 10 shows the functional blocks included in the information processing device 18 of the second embodiment. The information processing device 18 of the second embodiment further includes a sales data acquisition unit 36 in addition to the functional blocks included in the information processing device 18 of the first embodiment.

[0049] The master data storage unit 26 stores the unit emission amount, which is the GHG emission amount per unit purchase amount for each of a plurality of products or services that can be purchased with the company's corporate card.

[0050] Specifically, the master data storage unit 26 stores product / service master data and unit emission amount master data. FIG. 11(a) shows the configuration of the product / service master data. The product / service master data is data that associates the identification information of a plurality of products with the product categories (stationery, PCs, books, etc.) to which each product belongs. Also, the product / service master data is data that associates the identification information of a plurality of services with the service categories (railway transportation service, air transportation service, delivery service, etc.) to which each service belongs.

[0051] Fig. 11(b) shows the configuration of the unit emission master data. The unit emission master data is data that associates a plurality of product categories and service categories with the unit emissions of GHGs in each category. The unit emissions of GHGs in each category may be set to values published by a predetermined organization or institution (e.g., a government agency). For example, the values shown in the "Emission Factor Database for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions, etc. of Organizations through the Supply Chain" published by the Ministry of the Environment may be set.

[0052] Returning to Fig. 10, the settlement data acquisition unit 30 and the sales data acquisition unit 36, as the first acquisition units, acquire the identification information of the product or service purchased by the corporate card and the purchase amount from the device of the franchise store that sold the product or service or the device of the credit card company.

[0053] The emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission amount related to the purchase based on the unit emission amount related to the purchased product or service stored in the master data storage unit 26 and the purchase amount of the purchased product or service. The information providing unit 34 provides information related to the GHG emission amount related to the purchase to the enterprise device 12.

[0054] The operation of the information processing system 10 of the second embodiment with the above configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The settlement data acquisition unit 30 of the information processing device 18 acquires settlement data including the settlement ID and the purchase amount from the credit card company device 16 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The sales data acquisition unit 36 of the information processing device 18 acquires sales data including product information or service information associated with the settlement ID using the settlement ID indicated by the settlement data as a key from the franchise store device 15.

[0055] In the second embodiment, while the purchase amount of the product or service is extracted from the settlement data acquired from the credit card company device 16, the identification information of the purchased product or service is extracted from the sales information acquired from the affiliated store device 15. As a modification, when both the identification information of the purchased product or service and the purchase amount are included in the settlement data, both the identification information of the purchased product or service and the purchase amount may be extracted from the settlement data. Or, when both the identification information of the purchased product or service and the purchase amount are included in the sales data, both the identification information of the purchased product or service and the purchase amount may be extracted from the sales data.

[0056] The emission amount derivation unit 32 of the information processing device 18 refers to the product / service master data in the master data storage unit 26 to identify the product category or service category associated with the product information or service information indicated by the sales information. The emission amount derivation unit 32 refers to the unit emission amount master data in the master data storage unit 26 to identify the unit emission amount associated with the identified product category or service category. The emission amount derivation unit 32 derives, as the GHG emission amount related to the purchase indicated by the settlement data, the result of integrating the identified unit emission amount and the purchase amount indicated by the settlement data.

[0057] Similar to the first embodiment, the information providing unit 34 of the information processing device 18 transmits, to the enterprise device 12, GHG emission amount information indicating the GHG emission amount derived by the emission amount derivation unit 32 as the GHG emission amount based on the scope 3 criteria in the GHG Protocol. According to the information processing system 10 of the second embodiment, similar to the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to assist in deriving the scope 3 emissions in the enterprise's supply chain emissions based on the record of the enterprise's purchase of products or services. Also, in the information processing system 10 of the second embodiment, since the unit emission amount of GHG corresponding to the purchased product or service is used, the estimation accuracy of the GHG emission amount can be further improved.

[0058] The above has described the present disclosure based on the second embodiment. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the content described in the second embodiment is illustrative, and various modifications are possible for the combinations of the components and processing processes in the second embodiment, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0059] Modifications 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 related to the second embodiment will be described. Modification 2-1: In the second embodiment, the unit emission amount of GHG is determined for each product category or service category. As a modification, for at least some of the plurality of products or services, the unit emission amount of GHG may be determined for each product or service. In this case, the master data storage unit 26 of the information processing apparatus 18 stores the unit emission amount for each product category or service category, and further, for at least some of the products or services, may store the unit emission amount of the product or service itself.

[0060] For example, in the product / service master data of the master data storage unit 26, a product category may be recorded in association with product information, and the unit emission amount of the product itself may be recorded as an option. Also, in the product / service master data of the master data storage unit 26, a service category may be recorded in association with service information, and the unit emission amount of the service itself may be recorded as an option. In the master data storage unit 26, the unit emission amount published by the franchise store, the manufacturer of the product, or the provider of the service (or the value obtained by dividing the GHG emission amount of the product or service by the price of the product or service) may be recorded as the unit emission amount of the product or service itself.

[0061] When the unit emission amount of the purchased product or service itself is stored in the master data storage unit 26, the emission amount derivation unit 32 of the information processing apparatus 18 may derive the GHG emission amount related to the purchase using the unit emission amount of the product or service itself. On the other hand, when the unit emission amount of the purchased product or service itself is not stored in the master data storage unit 26, the emission amount derivation unit 32 may derive the GHG emission amount related to the purchase using the unit emission amount of the category of the product or service as described in the second embodiment. According to this aspect, the scope 3 emission amount in the enterprise's supply chain emission amount can be derived more accurately. In addition, an incentive can be given to the product manufacturer or service provider to reduce the GHG emission amount so as to be selected by the enterprise.

[0062] Modification Example 2-2: Similar to the above Modification Example 1-2, in the information processing system 10 of this modification example, based on the accounting data held by the corporate card-using enterprise, the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase is classified into any one of a plurality of categories in the scope 3 criteria defined by the GHG Protocol.

[0063] The information processing apparatus 18 of this modification example further includes an accounting data acquisition unit 38 shown in FIG. 7 in addition to the functional blocks shown in FIG. 10. The accounting data acquisition unit 38, as the second acquisition unit, acquires the enterprise's accounting data (for example, management accounting data) related to the purchase of products or services using corporate cards from the enterprise apparatus 12 (for example, the enterprise's accounting system).

[0064] Based on the accounting data acquired by the accounting data acquisition unit 38, the emission amount derivation unit 32 of the information processing apparatus 18 classifies the GHG emission amount related to the purchase into any one of a plurality of categories (15 categories shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)) in the scope 3 criteria defined by the GHG Protocol. Specifically, the emission amount derivation unit 32 classifies the GHG emission amount related to the purchase indicated by a certain settlement data into any one of the categories of the scope 3 criteria based on the account item name indicated by the accounting data related to the purchase.

[0065] The information providing unit 34 of the information processing apparatus 18 transmits to the enterprise apparatus 12 the GHG emission amount information in which the GHG emission amount related to the purchase derived by the emission amount deriving unit 32 is associated with a specific category of the Scope 3 standard classified by the emission amount deriving unit 32. According to the information processing system 10 of this modification example, similarly to the above-described modification examples 1-2, it is possible to present to the enterprise the category of the Scope 3 standard to which the GHG emission amount related to the purchase belongs, and it is possible to more effectively support the management of the GHG emission amount in the enterprise.

[0066] Modification Example 2-3: The master data storage unit 26 of the information processing apparatus 18 may store the category of the Scope 3 standard in units of products / services and / or the category of the Scope 3 standard in units of product categories / service categories. When deriving the GHG emission amount related to the purchase of a certain product / service, if a specific category of the Scope 3 standard in units of products / services is associated with the product / service, the derived GHG emission amount may be classified into the specific category of the Scope 3 standard associated with the product / service. On the other hand, when deriving the GHG emission amount related to the purchase of a certain product / service, if a specific category of the Scope 3 standard in units of products / services is not associated with the product / service, the emission amount deriving unit 32 may classify the derived GHG emission amount into the specific category of the Scope 3 standard in units of the product category / service category to which the product / service belongs. The information processing system 10 of this modification example also has the same effect as the above-described modification example 2-2.

[0067] Modification Example 3-1: This modification example relates to a combination of the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment and the information processing system 10 of the second embodiment. The information processing apparatus 18 of this modification example includes a master data storage unit 26, a settlement data acquisition unit 30, an emission amount deriving unit 32, an information providing unit 34, a sales data acquisition unit 36, and an accounting data acquisition unit 38.

[0068] When the category of the purchased product or service can be identified, for example, when the product information indicated by the sales data is associated with a specific product category in the product / service master data, the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emissions related to the purchase using the unit emissions corresponding to the identified product or service category. On the other hand, when the category of the purchased product or service cannot be identified, for example, when the product information indicated by the sales data is not recorded in the product / service master data, the GHG emissions related to the purchase are derived using the unit emissions corresponding to the franchise store indicated by the settlement data.

[0069] According to this modification example, even when the unit emissions cannot be specified based on the purchased product or service, the unit emissions can be specified based on the franchise store that sold the product or service, and the GHG emissions related to the purchase can be derived without omission. In Modification Example 3-1 as well, the emission amount derivation unit 32 may use the corporate accounting data acquired from the corporate device 12 to classify the GHG emissions related to the purchase into any of the categories based on the Scope 3 standard.

[0070] Modification Example 3-2: This modification example relates to a combination of Modification Example 1-1 related to the first embodiment and Modification Example 2-1 related to the second embodiment. The information processing apparatus 18 of this modification example includes a master data storage unit 26, a settlement data acquisition unit 30, an emission amount derivation unit 32, an information providing unit 34, a sales data acquisition unit 36, and an accounting data acquisition unit 38.

[0071] The emission amount derivation unit 32 executes any one of the following processes 1 to 4 in the priority order of processes 1 to 4. When the upper process is executed, the lower process is skipped. (Process 1) When the unit emissions are defined for the purchased product or service itself, the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emissions related to the purchase using the unit emissions of the product or service itself. (Process 2) If the unit emission amount is not defined for the purchased product or service itself, but the category of the purchased product or service can be identified, the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission amount related to the purchase using the unit emission amount corresponding to the identified category of the product or service.

[0072] (Process 3) If the category of the purchased product or service cannot be identified and the unit emission amount of the franchise itself indicated by the settlement data is defined, the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission amount related to the purchase using the unit emission amount of the franchise itself. (Process 4) If the category of the purchased product or service cannot be identified and the unit emission amount of the franchise itself indicated by the settlement data is not defined, the emission amount derivation unit 32 derives the GHG emission amount related to the purchase using the unit emission amount of the franchise sector to which the franchise belongs.

[0073] According to this modification example, according to the disclosure status of the GHG emission amount related to the purchased product or service or the franchise, the derivation accuracy of the GHG emission amount related to the purchase can be increased as much as possible. In Modification Example 3-2 as well, the emission amount derivation unit 32 may classify the GHG emission amount related to the purchase into any category of the Scope 3 standard using the corporate accounting data acquired from the corporate device 12.

[0074] Modification Example 3-3: A modification applicable to both the information processing system 10 of the first embodiment and the information processing system 10 of the second embodiment will be described. The information processing system 10 may be connected to a device of a carbon credit company via a communication network. The control unit 20 of the information processing device 18 may further include an offset unit. The offset unit may cooperate with the device of the carbon credit company to perform an offset process on the GHG emissions related to the purchase derived by the emissions derivation unit 32. The offset process may be a process of executing a transaction to obtain a carbon credit corresponding to the GHG emissions related to the purchase from the carbon credit company by paying an offset fee to the carbon credit company. The offset fee may be paid to the organization that holds the information processing device 18 by the company at a later date. According to this aspect, the company can reduce the GHG emissions related to the purchase to zero by using the service of the information processing device 18.

[0075] Modification 4: In the embodiments described so far, a method of deriving a company's GHG emissions from settlement data has been explained. However, in reality, environmental problems are occurring not only due to climate change caused by GHG emissions but also due to the excessive consumption of all natural resources (for example, plants, animals, air, water, soil, minerals, etc.). Therefore, it has been required to grasp, manage, and disclose the consumption amount of natural resources as "natural capital". Since some of these are consumed in all economic activities, it is possible to grasp them starting from settlement in the same way as GHG. For example, among the water on the earth, only about 0.01% of the fresh water resources available to humans, and there is concern about the depletion of fresh water resources due to the increase in its usage. On the other hand, the amount of water used in the production process of various foods, industrial products, and daily necessities can be grasped as the "water footprint". It is also possible to quantify the amount of water resources required when settling the same items as imported goods in the country domestically as "virtual water".

[0076] For example, in view of the above background, when grasping, managing, and disclosing the amount of water resources used in the economic activities of a specific region, the master data storage unit 26 of the information processing apparatus 18 may store the unit water resource usage amount in units of products / services and / or product categories / service categories. Then, the emission amount derivation unit 32 of the information processing apparatus 18 may derive, as the amount of water resources used in the purchase indicated by the settlement data, the result of integrating the unit water resource usage amount and the purchase amount indicated by the settlement data.

[0077] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modification examples is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. The new embodiments generated by the combination have the effects of the respective embodiments and modification examples combined. It is also understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be fulfilled by each constituent element described in the claims are realized by a single one of the constituent elements shown in the embodiments and modification examples or by the cooperation thereof.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0078] 10 Information processing system, 12 Enterprise device, 14 Settlement terminal, 15 Franchisee device, 16 Credit card company device, 18 Information processing apparatus, 26 Master data storage unit, 30 Settlement data acquisition unit, 32 Emission amount derivation unit, 34 Information providing unit, 36 Sales data acquisition unit, 38 Accounting data acquisition unit.

Claims

1. a memory unit that stores unit emissions, which are greenhouse gas emissions per unit sales amount, for each of a plurality of credit card member stores; a first acquisition unit that acquires, from a device of a credit card company, payment data relating to a purchase of a product or service using a corporate card of a company, the payment data including information on the affiliated store that sold the product or service and a purchase amount; a derivation unit that derives a greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase based on a unit emission amount related to the affiliated store indicated by the payment data and a purchase amount indicated by the payment data, the unit being stored in the storage unit; an offset unit that performs offset processing of greenhouse gas emissions related to the purchase in cooperation with a device of a carbon credit company connected via a communication network; An information processing system comprising:

2. A storage unit that stores unit emissions of greenhouse gases per unit purchase amount for each of a plurality of products or services that can be purchased using a corporate card of a company; a first acquisition unit that acquires identification information and a purchase amount of a product or service purchased with the corporate card from a device of the affiliated store that sold the product or service or a device of a credit card company; a derivation unit that derives a greenhouse gas emission amount related to the purchase based on a unit emission amount related to the purchased product or service and a purchase price of the purchased product or service stored in the storage unit; an offset unit that performs offset processing of greenhouse gas emissions related to the purchase in cooperation with a device of a carbon credit company connected via a communication network; An information processing system comprising:

3. The offset processing is a processing for executing a transaction in which an offset fee is paid to the carbon credit company to acquire carbon credits equivalent to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions related to the purchase from the carbon credit company.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a second acquisition unit that acquires accounting data of the company related to purchases of goods or services using the corporate card from a device of the company; The derivation unit classifies the greenhouse gas emissions related to the purchase into one of a plurality of categories in the Scope 3 Standard defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol based on the accounting data acquired by the second acquisition unit.

4. An information processing system according to claim 1.

Images