Environmental load information collection device and environmental load information collection method

Abstract

To allow a company which collects information to acquire environmental load information of a company which provides information, without requiring time and labor to collect information and input.SOLUTION: An environmental load information collection device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a linkage setting program 302 for providing a second organization server 2 with a linkage information setting screen for receiving an input of information on the permission of linkage of environmental load information; and a linkage program 303 for collecting the environmental load information from an environmental load information database 301 of the second organization server 2 and sending the information to a first organization server 1 of a first organization which has been permitted to link.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an environmental load information collecting device and an environmental load information collecting method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of protecting the environment on a global scale and curbing global warming, there has been a demand to grasp and curb greenhouse gas emissions resulting from corporate activities. However, companies that are unable to manage their emissions are beginning to face situations where this affects their transactions with other companies.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an environmental information aggregation and analysis system including an organizational hierarchy definition database that stores definition information of hierarchical relationships between multiple different organizations, an aspect hierarchy definition database that stores definition information of hierarchical relationships between multiple different aspects, an aspect database that stores aspect data, and an aggregation processing unit that aggregates aspect data according to the aspect hierarchy and organizational hierarchy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-62471 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By using conventional technology such as the technology described in Patent Document 1 to collect and compile environmental impact information within one's own organization, it is possible to understand the amount of direct emissions associated with one's own organization's fuel use, etc.

[0006] On the other hand, in recent years, there has been a growing trend to evaluate emissions throughout the entire supply chain in corporate activities, in addition to the direct and indirect emissions of one's own organization. Emissions throughout the supply chain include, for example, emissions associated with the production of raw materials used to manufacture one's own products, emissions associated with the distribution of goods to upstream and downstream processes, and emissions associated with the processing and use of sold products.

[0007] However, the environmental load information of these other organizations is managed by those other organizations, and a system that is within an organization's own group, such as the environmental information aggregation and analysis system described in Patent Document 1, cannot collect the environmental load information of other organizations.

[0008] It is possible to grasp the environmental impact information of both one's own organization and other organizations by collecting information separately from other organizations and manually inputting the collected information into one's own organization's environmental information collection system or by separately tabulating and managing the information. However, this method requires a lot of work to collect and input the information.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable information-gathering companies to collect environmental impact information from information-providing companies, without requiring them to go through the trouble of collecting and inputting information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] An environmental load information collecting device according to one aspect of the present invention is an environmental load information collecting device connected via a network to a first device having a first environmental load information database storing first environmental load information, which is environmental load information resulting from business activities by a first organization that is an information collecting side, and a second device having a second environmental load information database storing second environmental load information, which is environmental load information resulting from business activities by a second organization that is an information providing side. The environmental load information collecting device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an interface providing unit that provides the second device with a first input interface that accepts input of information regarding permission for linking the second environmental load information to the first environmental load information, and a collecting unit that collects the second environmental load information from the second environmental load information database of the second device where the information permitting the link has been input to the first input interface, and transmits the second environmental load information to the first device for which the link has been permitted. The collection unit transmits a request to transmit the second environmental load information to a second device of the second organization which is an input source of the information for which linkage is permitted, and transmits a request to register the second environmental load information transmitted from the second device in the first environmental load information database to the first device for which linkage is permitted, and the first input interface is provided with a first environmental aspect item information input receiving unit which receives input of environmental aspect item information of the second environmental load information, and the collection unit transmits a request to transmit the second environmental load information corresponding to the environmental aspect item information received via the first environmental aspect item information input receiving unit of the first input interface to the second device, and the interface providing unit provides ... a second input interface for receiving an input of corresponding information of a first organization as a link destination is provided to the first device, and the collection unit transmits a request for sending second environmental load information to a second device owned by a second organization associated with the first organization via the second input interface, the second device having received information permitting linkage from the first input interface, the second input interface further having a second environmental aspect item information input receiving unit for receiving input of environmental aspect item information of the first environmental load information and corresponding information of the environmental aspect item information of the second environmental load information, and further having a linkage history management table for storing information on the results of registration of the second environmental load information transmitted from the second device in the first environmental load information database; If the implementation result stored in the linkage history management table is a failure, the collection unit re-sends a request to send the second environmental load information whose registration failed to the second device, and the first input interface further has a linkage frequency information input receiving unit that receives input of information on the frequency of linkage, which is a process in which the collection unit collects the second environmental load information from the second device and registers it in the first environmental load information database, and a linkage period information input receiving unit that receives input of information on the period during which linkage is permitted. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to at least one aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible for an information-gathering company to collect environmental load information from an information-providing company, without requiring the time and effort of collecting and inputting information. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an environmental load information collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of each device constituting an environmental load information collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a linkage information setting screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a linkage information setting screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a cooperation permission information table according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a linkage item management table according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a collaboration history management table according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of linkage settings of environmental aspect items according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an environmental load information collection process performed by the environmental load information collection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, examples of modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various numerical values ​​in the embodiments are merely examples. In addition, in this specification and drawings, the same components or components having substantially the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0014] <Outline of the Environmental Load Information Collection System> First, a configuration of an environmental load information collection system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the environmental load information collection system 100.

[0015] 1, the environmental load information collection system 100 includes a first organization server 1, second organization servers 2_1 to 2_n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2), and an environmental load information collection device 3. These devices are connected via a network N.

[0016] The first organization server 1 (an example of a first device) is a server owned by the first organization, and the second organization server 2 (an example of a second device) is a server owned by the second organization. The first organization is an organization that needs to collect information on environmental load information in the entire supply chain, and the first organization is, for example, a manufacturing company.

[0017] The second organization is an organization that provides environmental load information in response to a request from the first organization, and the second organization corresponds to each company connected to the first organization via a supply chain. Note that in this embodiment, the first organization is a manufacturing company, and the second organization is a manufacturer that purchases raw materials, a logistics company for goods, etc., as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0018] The environmental load information indicates the amount (actual value) of the environmental load caused as a result of the business activities of an organization, and includes, for example, greenhouse gas emissions, electricity consumption, kerosene consumption, waste incineration volume, etc. In this embodiment, the environmental load information is managed as the total value of the actual values ​​of each environmental aspect item such as "electricity-derived," "fuel-derived," "heat-derived," etc.

[0019] The environmental load information collection device 3 is a device that provides an environmental load information linking service to a first organization that links environmental load information (an example of second environmental load information) in a second organization with environmental load information (an example of first environmental load information) in a first organization, and is installed, for example, on a cloud.

[0020] The environmental load information linking service is realized by the environmental load information collection device 3 acquiring environmental load information from a second organization server 2 of a second organization that is set to allow linking, and transmitting the information to the first organization server 1.

[0021] 1 shows an example in which there is one first organization, the destination of the environmental load information sharing service may be a plurality of first organizations. In addition, when the environmental load information collection device 3 is operated only by a specific first organization, the environmental load information collection device 3 may be configured as an on-premise server.

[0022] [First organization server] The first organization server 1 includes a storage unit 10, a control unit 11, a display unit 12, and an input unit 13. The storage unit 10 stores an environmental load information database 101 and a linking program 102 .

[0023] The environmental load information database 101 (an example of a first environmental load information database) stores data that compiles environmental load information of a first organization and environmental load information of a second organization collected by the environmental load information collection device 3, i.e., environmental load information for the entire supply chain.

[0024] The linkage program 102 is a program that performs control such as displaying the linkage information setting screen Sc2 (see Figure 4) on the display unit 12 and controlling the transmission of information entered via the linkage information setting screen Sc2 to the environmental load information collection device 3 via the network N.

[0025] The control unit 11 controls the operation of each unit constituting the first organization server 1 . The display unit 12 displays a linkage information setting screen Sc1 (see FIG. 3) and the like on its screen. The input unit 13 receives an operation input by a user, generates an operation signal according to the content of the operation input, and supplies the operation signal to the control unit 11 .

[0026] [Second organization server] The second organization server 2_1 is, for example, a server operated by a second organization that is a raw material supplier manufacturer for the first organization, and the second organization server 2_n is a server operated by a second organization that is a logistics company that transports products produced by the first organization. Since the configuration of the second organization server 2_1 and the configuration of the second organization server 2_n are the same, only the configuration of the second organization server 2_1 will be described here. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the second organization servers 2_1 and 2_2, they will be collectively referred to as the second organization server 2.

[0027] The second organization server 2_1 includes a storage unit 20_1, a control unit 21_1, a display unit 22_1, and an input unit 23_1. The storage unit 20_1 stores an environmental load information database 201_1 and a link program 202_1.

[0028] The environmental load information database 201_1 (an example of a second environmental load information database) stores environmental load information of a second organization. The linkage program 202_1 is a program that performs control such as displaying the linkage information setting screen Sc1 on the display unit 22_1 and controlling the transmission of information input via the linkage information setting screen Sc1 to the environmental load information collecting device 3 via the network N.

[0029] The control unit 21_1 controls the operation of each unit constituting the second organization server 2_1. The display unit 22_1 displays the linkage information setting screen Sc2 and the like on its screen. The input unit 23_1 accepts an operation input by a user, generates an operation signal according to the content of the operation input, and supplies the operation signal to the control unit 21_1.

[0030] In the following description, when it is not necessary to individually identify the storage units 20_1 to 20_n, they are collectively referred to as storage unit 20, and when it is not necessary to individually identify the control units 21_1 to 21_n, they are collectively referred to as control unit 21. Similarly, when it is not necessary to individually identify the display units 22_1 to 22_n, they are collectively referred to as display unit 22, and when it is not necessary to individually identify the input units 23_1 to 23_n, they are collectively referred to as input unit 23.

[0031] Furthermore, when the environmental load information databases 201_1 to 201_n do not need to be individually identified, they are collectively referred to as the environmental load information database 201, and when the linkage programs 202_1 to 202_n do not need to be individually identified, they are collectively referred to as the linkage program 202.

[0032] [Environmental impact information collection device] The environmental load information collecting device 3 includes a storage unit 30 and a control unit 31 . The storage unit 30 stores a link information management database 301 , a link setting program 302 , and a link program 303 .

[0033] The linkage information management database 301 stores a linkage permission information table T1, a linkage item management table T2, and a linkage history management table T3.

[0034] The linkage permission information table T1 is a table that stores information on the correspondence between the information of a first organization that is a collector of environmental load information, i.e., a link destination of the environmental load information, and the information of a second organization that is a provider of the environmental load information, i.e., a linkage source of the environmental load information, information on the frequency of linkage, etc. The linkage permission information table T1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 below.

[0035] The linked item management table T2 is a table in which information on environmental aspect items to which environmental load information is linked is stored. The linked item management table T2 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. The linking history management table T3 is a table that stores information about the results (performance) of linking environmental load information. The linking history management table T3 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

[0036] The linkage setting program 302 (an example of an interface providing unit) performs a process of displaying a linkage information setting screen Sc1 on the display unit 12 of the first organization server 1, a process of displaying a linkage information setting screen Sc2 on the display unit 22 of the second organization server 2, etc. Also, the linkage setting program 302 performs a process of registering information inputted via each of these screens in various tables in the linkage information management database 301.

[0037] The collaboration program 303 (an example of a collection section) performs processes such as requesting the second organization server 2 to send environmental load information based on the contents of each table stored in the collaboration information management database 301, and sending the second environmental load information sent from the second organization server 2 to the first organization server 1.

[0038] <Example of computer hardware configuration> Next, the configuration (hardware configuration) of the control system of each device constituting the environmental load information collection system 100 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0039] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each device constituting the environmental load information collection system 100. A calculator 500 shown in Fig. 2 is hardware used as a so-called computer.

[0040] The computer 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a non-volatile storage 504, a communication I / F (Interface) 505, a display unit 506, and an operation input unit 507, each of which is connected to a bus B.

[0041] The CPU 501 reads out the program code of the software (the linkage programs 102, 502, 303, and the linkage setting program 302) that realizes each function of the environmental load information collecting system 100 according to this embodiment from the ROM 502, expands it in the RAM 503, and executes it. Alternatively, the CPU 501 directly reads out the program code from the ROM 502 and executes it as is. The computer 500 may include a processing device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU 501. Variables, parameters, and the like that are generated during the calculation processing by the CPU 501 are temporarily written into the RAM 503.

[0042] The functions of the control unit 11 of the first organization server 1 , the control unit 21 of the second organization server 2 , and the control unit 31 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 are realized by a CPU 501 .

[0043] The non-volatile storage 504 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a non-volatile memory card, etc. In addition to an operating system (OS) and various parameters, programs for operating the computer 500 are recorded in this non-volatile storage 504. The functions of the environmental load information database 101 of the first organization server 1, the environmental load information database 201 of the second organization server 2, and the linkage information management database 301 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 are realized by the non-volatile storage 504.

[0044] The program may be stored in the ROM 502. The program is stored in the form of a computer-readable program code, and the CPU 501 sequentially executes operations in accordance with the program code. In other words, the ROM 502 or the non-volatile storage 504 is used as an example of a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that stores a program executed by a computer.

[0045] The communication I / F 505 is configured with a communication device that controls communication with other devices. The network for which the communication I / F 505 controls communication includes, for example, a communication path such as Ethernet (registered trademark). The communication path also includes a wired communication path such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), and a wireless communication path such as a RAN (Radio Area Network).

[0046] The display unit 506 is, for example, a monitor configured with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays the results of processing performed by the computer 500. The functions of the display unit 12 of the first organization server 1 and the display unit 22 of the second organization server 2 are realized by the display unit 506.

[0047] The operation input unit 507 is configured with, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch sensor, etc., generates an operation signal according to an operation by a user, and supplies it to the CPU 501. Each function of the input unit 13 of the first organization server 1 and the input unit 23 of the second organization server 2 is realized by the operation input unit 507.

[0048] The display unit 506 and the operation input unit 507 may be integrated into a single unit as a touch panel.

[0049] <Configuration of the integration information setting screen> Next, the configurations of a linkage information setting screen Sc1 (an example of a first input interface) into which setting information by the second organization is input, and a linkage information setting screen Sc2 (an example of a second input interface) into which setting information by the first organization is input will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the linkage information setting screen Sc1, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the linkage information setting screen Sc2.

[0050] First, a configuration example of the linkage information setting screen Sc1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the linkage information setting screen Sc1 has a linkage company setting section button Bn1, a linkage frequency setting section button Bn2, a linkage period setting section button Bn3, and a linkage item setting section button Bn4. A balloon shown to the right of each button shows options and input items to be displayed on a screen (not shown) that is displayed after each button is pressed.

[0051] The partner company setting section button Bn1 (an example of a first organization information receiving section) is a button for the person in charge of the second organization to set information of the first organization, which is an information partner that is permitted to link environmental load information, i.e., the company that collects information. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the options for partner companies include "Manufacturing Industry A," "Manufacturing Industry B," and "Manufacturing Industry C." The person in charge of the second organization can select any one of these companies displayed as options on the screen after pressing the partner company setting section button Bn1 as a partner company that is permitted to link. Note that only one first organization can be selected (set) in one process, but the person in charge of the second organization may select multiple first organizations by repeating the process several times.

[0052] The link frequency setting section button Bn2 (an example of a link frequency information input receiving section) is a button for setting information on the frequency of linking environmental load information. Linking refers to a series of processes in which the environmental load information collecting device 3 collects environmental load information from the second organization server 2, transmits the collected environmental load information to the environmental load information of the first organization, and registers it in the environmental load information database 101 (see FIG. 1).

[0053] 3 shows an example in which there are three options for the link frequency: "daily," "monthly," and "yearly." The person in charge at the second organization can set the link frequency for the environmental load information by selecting the desired frequency for linking the environmental load information from the options displayed after pressing the link frequency setting button Bn2.

[0054] The linkage period setting section button Bn3 (an example of a linkage period information input receiving section) is a button for setting information on the period for which environmental load information will be linked. Fig. 3 shows an example in which, when the linkage period setting section button Bn3 is pressed, an interface for setting a linkage start date and a linkage end date is displayed. The person in charge at the second organization can set the period for which environmental load information will be linked with the first organization by pressing the linkage period setting section button Bn3 and inputting or selecting the linkage start date and linkage end date.

[0055] The linkage item setting section button Bn4 (an example of a first environmental aspect item information input receiving section) is a button for setting the environmental aspect code (an example of environmental aspect item information) of the environmental load information for which linkage is permitted. The person in charge of the second organization can permit (set) linkage of the environmental load information of the environmental load item corresponding to the selected environmental aspect code by selecting or inputting the "environmental aspect code" on the screen displayed after pressing the linkage item setting section button Bn4.

[0056] Various pieces of information entered by the person in charge of the second organization via the linkage information setting screen Sc1 are transmitted to the environmental load information collecting device 3 via the network N under the control of the linkage program 202 (see FIG. 1). Then, the information is stored in a linkage permission information table T1 and a linkage item management table T2 in the linkage information management database 301 of the environmental load information collecting device 3.

[0057] Next, a configuration example of the collaboration information setting screen Sc2 in which setting information by the first organization is input will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the collaboration information setting screen Sc2 has a collaboration source company setting section button Bn11, a collaboration frequency setting section button Bn12, a collaboration period setting section button Bn13, and a collaboration item setting section button Bn14.

[0058] The source company setting section button Bn11 is a button for setting information on the second organization which is the source of information collaboration, i.e., the company providing the information. Fig. 4 shows an example in which the source companies to choose from are "Raw Material Supplier A", "Logistics Company B", "Logistics Company C", and "Product Sales Destination D". The person in charge at the first organization can select any one of these companies displayed after pressing the source company setting section button Bn11 as the source company with which to collaborate on environmental impact information.

[0059] The link frequency setting section button Bn12 and the link period setting section button Bn13 have the same functions as the link frequency setting section button Bn2 and the link period setting section button Bn3 in the link information setting screen Sc1, respectively, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Note that the link information setting screen Sc2 may be configured as a screen that only displays information or a screen that only accepts changes to information in each screen displayed after pressing the link frequency setting section button Bn12 or the link period setting section button Bn13.

[0060] The linkage item setting section button Bn14 (an example of a second environmental aspect item information input receiving section) is a button for setting the environmental aspect code of the environmental load information to be linked. The person in charge of the first organization can link the environmental load information associated with both environmental aspect codes by setting a pair of "linkage source environmental aspect code" and "linkage destination environmental aspect code" on the screen displayed after pressing the linkage item setting section button Bn14. The person in charge of the first organization can set multiple pairs of environmental aspect codes for one linkage source company (second organization).

[0061] The method of setting the first organization that is permitted to cooperate by the second organization is not limited to the setting method via the cooperation source company setting section button Bn11 on the cooperation information setting screen Sc2. For example, when the second organization is selected as the cooperation source company on the cooperation information setting screen Sc1, the cooperation setting program 302 may notify the second organization server 2 of the target second organization to request cooperation permission. The notification to the second organization server 2 may be performed by using a method such as email or displaying a pop-up screen. Then, when a response to permit cooperation is received from the notified second organization, the cooperation setting program 302 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 may register the cooperation information in the cooperation permission information table T1 (see FIG. 3) and register the information of the environmental aspect code for which cooperation is set in the cooperation item management table T2 (see FIG. 4).

[0062] Furthermore, the linkage of environmental load information by the linkage program 303 is performed when the settings on the linkage information setting screen Sc1 and the settings on the linkage information setting screen Sc2 match. That is, linkage is performed when the first organizational entity and the second organizational entity to be linked are the first organizational entity and the second organizational entity for which linkage is set on the linkage information setting screen Sc2, and are the first organizational entity permitted to link on the linkage information setting screen Sc1, and the second organizational entity that permitted the linkage.

[0063] In other words, even if a link has been set up for a second organization by a person in charge of the first organization on the link information setting screen Sc2, if a setting allowing linkage has not been entered on the link information setting screen Sc1, linkage between the environmental load information of the second organization and the environmental load information of the first organization will not be performed.

[0064] <Configuration of various tables in the federation information management database> Next, examples of the configurations of the linkage permission information table T1, the linkage item management table T2, and the linkage history management table T3 in the linkage information management database 301 of the environmental load information collection device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the linkage permission information table T1, Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the linkage item management table T2, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the linkage history management table T3.

[0065] [Linkage permission information table] First, a configuration example of the collaboration permission information table T1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the collaboration permission information table T1 has the following items: "Collaboration ID", "Collaboration destination", "Collaboration source", "Collaboration frequency", "Collaboration start date", and "Collaboration end date".

[0066] The "association ID" field stores an ID assigned to each pair of a first organization and a second organization for which association is set, that is, to each management unit of information of the associated organizations. The "Partner" field stores the name of the partner of environmental load information, that is, the name of the first organization that collects the information. The "collaboration source" field stores the name of the source of the environmental load information, that is, the name of the second organization providing the information.

[0067] The "linking frequency" field stores information on the frequency with which environmental load information is linked. The "Linkage Start Date" and "Linkage End Date" items store information on the date when linkage of environmental load information starts and ends, respectively. If the linkage end date is not set, the "Linkage End Date" field remains blank.

[0068] For example, the first record in the collaboration permission information table T1 shown in Figure 5 stores information corresponding to the collaboration ID "1" that the first organizational entity to which the environmental load information is to be collaborated is "Company X," the second organizational entity from which the collaboration is to be collaborated is "Company A," the collaboration frequency is "once a year," and the collaboration start date is "April 1, 2022."

[0069] [Linked item management table] Next, a configuration example of the linkage item management table T2 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, the linkage item management table T2 has the following items: "Linkage ID", "Data management ID", "Linkage destination environmental aspect code", and "Linkage source environmental aspect code".

[0070] The "associated ID" field stores information about the associated ID. The "data management ID" field stores an ID assigned to each set of linked environmental aspect codes, that is, to each unit in which linked information is managed. The "Partner environmental aspect code" field stores information on the environmental aspect code set by the partner of the environmental load information, that is, the first organization that is the information collector. The "source environmental aspect code" field stores information on the environmental aspect code set by the source of the environmental load information, that is, the second organization that is the information provider.

[0071] For example, the first record of the linkage item management table T2 shown in FIG. 6 stores correspondence information between the linkage destination environmental aspect code “X01” and the linkage source environmental aspect code “Y01”, in association with the linkage ID “1” and the data management ID “1”.

[0072] [Link history management table] Next, a configuration example of the collaboration history management table T3 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, the collaboration history management table T3 has the following items: "Data management ID", "Collaboration implementation date", "Collaboration result", and "Details".

[0073] In the "data management ID" item, information on the data management ID is stored. The "linkage implementation date" field stores information on the date on which linkage of environmental load information was implemented between the first organizational entity and the second organizational entity for which linkage has been set in the linkage permission information table T1. In the "Linkage Result" field, the characters "OK" are entered, indicating that the linkage was successful, or "NG" is entered, indicating that the linkage was unsuccessful. In the "Details" field, if the link result is NG, the reason for NG etc. is entered in text.

[0074] For example, the first record in the linkage history management table T3 shown in Fig. 7 indicates that a linkage managed by the data management ID "1" was performed on "2022 / 4 / 30" and the linkage result was "OK." The third record indicates that a linkage managed by the data management ID "3" was performed on "2022 / 4 / 30" and the linkage result was "NG," with the reason being "No registered data" listed in the "Details" section.

[0075] <Example of setting environmental aspects> Next, an example of linking environmental aspect items will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of linking environmental aspect items. The left side of Fig. 8 shows examples of environmental aspect items and environmental aspect codes set in the second organizational entity that is the source of information linkage, and the right side shows examples of environmental aspect items and environmental aspect codes set in the first organizational entity that is the destination of information linkage. Note that, as described above, setting information for linking environmental aspect items is stored in the linkage item management table T2 (see Fig. 6) in the linkage information management database 301 of the environmental load information collecting device 3.

[0076] In the second organization with which information is shared, the environmental aspect item "Greenhouse gas emissions" in the environmental impact information is shown to correspond to the environmental aspect code "Z." In addition, the subcategory items of "Greenhouse gas emissions" include three items, "Electricity-derived," "Fuel-derived," and "Heat-derived," and it is shown that the environmental aspect codes "Z01," "Z02," and "Z03" are respectively associated with these items.

[0077] In the first organizational entity shown on the right side of Figure 8, the environmental aspect code "X" is associated with the environmental aspect item "Greenhouse gas emissions." In addition, the subcategory of the environmental aspect item "Greenhouse gas emissions" includes the items "Company greenhouse gas emissions" and "Business partner greenhouse gas emissions," and it is shown that the environmental aspect codes "X01" and "X02" are associated with each environmental aspect item.

[0078] Furthermore, the sub-items linked to the environmental aspect item "Greenhouse gas emissions from business partners" include three items: "Electricity-derived," "Fuel-derived," and "Heat-derived," and it is shown that each of these is associated with an environmental aspect code: "X02-01," "X02-02," and "X02-03."

[0079] When such a link is set in the linkage item management table T2 in the linkage information management database 301 of the environmental load information collection device 3, information on "electricity-derived" greenhouse gas emissions managed with code "Z01" in the second organizational entity is linked to information on "electricity-derived" business partner greenhouse gas emissions managed with code "X02-01" in the first organizational entity.

[0080] In addition, information on "fuel-derived" greenhouse gas emissions managed in the second organization under the code "Z02" is linked to information on "fuel-derived" business partner greenhouse gas emissions managed in the first organization under the code "X02-02." Furthermore, information on "heat-derived" greenhouse gas emissions managed in the second organization under the code "Z03" is linked to information on "heat-derived" business partner greenhouse gas emissions managed in the first organization under the code "X02-03."

[0081] In this way, the environmental load information collection device 3 links the environmental load information based on the contents recorded in the linkage item management table T2, so that the first organizational entity collecting the environmental load information can easily and reliably collect the environmental load information of each company (second organizational entity) connected to it in the supply chain.

[0082] <Method of collecting environmental impact information using the environmental impact information collection system> Next, a method for collecting environmental load information by the environmental load information collecting system 100 (see FIG. 1) will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for environmental load information collecting processing by the environmental load information collecting system 100.

[0083] First, when the environmental load information collecting device 3 is started or based on an operation by a user, the linking program 303 (see FIG. 1) of the environmental load information collecting device 3 is started (step SA1). Next, the linking program 303 refers to the linking permission information table T1 (see FIG. 5) in the linking information management database 301 (step SA2). Next, the linking program 303 determines whether or not there is environmental load information to be linked (exists) (step SA3).

[0084] The determination in step SA3 is YES if the day is an implementation date determined based on the implementation frequency of the integration defined in the "integration frequency" in the integration permission information table T1, and the environmental load information of the environmental aspect code to be integrated is in the environmental load information database 201 of the second organization server 2. Even if there is environmental load information of the environmental aspect code to be integrated, if the environmental load information is in a data-editing disabled state, the determination in step SA3 is NO.

[0085] If it is determined in step SA3 that there is no environmental load information to be linked (if step SA3 is judged as NO), the linking program 303 registers the registration result, i.e., the information of "Linkage NG", together with the information on the linkage implementation date and the detailed information of "No registered data" in the linkage history management table T3 (step SA4). After the processing of step SA4, the environmental load information collection processing by the environmental load information collecting system 100 ends. Note that the environmental load information for which "Linkage NG" has been set in step SA4 will be the target for the next linkage implementation. In other words, it will be the transmission target of the environmental load information transmission request to be sent from the environmental load information collecting device 3 when the next linkage is implemented.

[0086] On the other hand, if it is determined in step SA3 that there is environmental load information to be linked (YES in step SA3), the linking program 303 extracts the environmental aspect item (environmental aspect code) of the linking source to be linked from the linking item management table T2 (step SA5).The linking program 303 then transmits a request to the second organization server 2 of the second organization that is the linking source of the environmental load information to transmit the environmental load information corresponding to the environmental aspect item extracted in step SA5 (step SA6).

[0087] The second organization server 2 receives the request to send the environmental load information sent from the environmental load information collecting device 3 in step SA6 (step SB1). Next, the linking program 202 (see FIG. 1) of the second organization server 2 collects the environmental load information requested to be sent from the environmental load information database 201 (step SB2). Next, the linking program 202 transmits the environmental load information collected in step SB2 to the environmental load information collecting device 3 (step SB3). After the processing of step SB3, the processing by the second organization server 2 ends.

[0088] The environmental load information collecting device 3 receives the environmental load information transmitted from the second organization server 2 in step SB3 (step SA7). Next, the collaboration program 303 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 transmits the received environmental load information and a request to register the environmental load information to the first organization server 1 of the first organization that is the collaboration destination of the environmental load information (step SA8).

[0089] The first organization server 1 receives the registration request and the environmental load information transmitted in step SA8 (step SC1). Next, the linking program 102 (see FIG. 1) of the first organization server 1 registers the environmental load information received in step SC1 in the environmental load information database 101 (step SC2). Next, the linking program 102 transmits registration result information to the environmental load information collecting device 3 (step SC3). After the processing of step SC3, the processing by the first organization server 1 ends.

[0090] The linkage program 303 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 that has received the registration result information sent from the first organization server 1 in step SC3 performs the process of step SA4. Specifically, the linkage program 303 registers the registration result, i.e., the information that "Registration OK" and the information on the linkage implementation date, in the linkage history management table T3. After the process of step SA4, the environmental load information collecting process by the environmental load information collecting system 100 ends.

[0091] The environmental load information collecting device 3 according to the embodiment described above includes a link setting program 302 that provides (displays on the screen of the display unit 22) a link information setting screen Sc1 (see FIG. 3) that accepts input of information regarding permission for linking the environmental load information of the second organization with the environmental load information of the first organization to the second organization server 2. The environmental load information collecting device 3 also includes a linking program 303 that collects environmental load information from the environmental load information database 101 of the second organization server 2 where information regarding permission for linking has been input into the link information setting screen Sc1, and transmits the information to the first organization server 1 of the first organization that has been permitted to link.

[0092] Therefore, according to this embodiment, a first organization, which is an information collecting company, can collect environmental load information from a second organization, which is an information providing company, without requiring the effort of collecting and inputting information.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, the linkage information setting screen Sc1 is provided with a linkage item setting section button Bn4 for receiving input of an environmental aspect code of the environmental load information of the second organization. Then, the linkage program 303 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 transmits to the second organization server 2 a request for sending environmental load information corresponding to the environmental aspect code input on the screen displayed after pressing the linkage item setting section button Bn4. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to link the environmental load information of the second organization corresponding to a desired environmental aspect item with the environmental load information of the first organization.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the link setting program 302 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 provides the first organization server 1 with a link information setting screen Sc2 (see FIG. 4) that accepts input of corresponding information of the second organization that is the link source of the environmental load information and the first organization that is the link destination of the environmental load information (displayed on the screen of the display unit 12). The link program 303 transmits a request to transmit environmental load information to the second organization server 2 of the second organization associated with the first organization via the link information setting screen Sc2, the second organization server 2 having the second organization, and to which information permitting linkage has been input into the link information setting screen Sc1 (see FIG. 3).

[0095] That is, according to this embodiment, the first organization and the second organization, which share environmental load information, are associated with each other based on the input (setting) contents by the persons in charge of both the first organization and the second organization. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the environmental load information of the second organization, which does not wish to share the environmental load information of the first organization, from being unintentionally transmitted to the first organization.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, the linkage information setting screen Sc2 further includes a linkage item setting section button Bn4 that accepts input of the environmental aspect code of the environmental load information of the first organization and the corresponding information of the environmental aspect code of the environmental load information of the second organization. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the environmental aspect codes of the environmental load information to be linked are associated with each other via the linkage information setting screen Sc2, so that it is possible to prevent environmental load information of different environmental aspect codes from being linked and to prevent forgetting to link environmental aspect codes.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the environmental load information collecting device 3 includes a linkage history management table T3 in which information on the implementation result of the registration of the environmental load information transmitted from the second organization server 2 in the environmental load information database 101 of the first organization server 1 is stored. Then, when the implementation result stored in the linkage history management table T3 is failure, the linkage program 303 retransmits a transmission request for the environmental load information whose registration has failed to the second organization server 2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the environmental load information of the second organization is not transmitted to the environmental load information collecting device 3 for some reason, it is possible to prevent the environmental load information from remaining untransmitted.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the linkage information setting screen Sc1 has a linkage frequency setting section button Bn2 for receiving input of information on the frequency of linkage, and a linkage period setting section button Bn3 for receiving input of information on the period during which linkage is permitted. Therefore, the person in charge of the second organization who operates the linkage information setting screen Sc1 can execute linkage of environmental load information at a desired linkage frequency, and can set the period for linkage to a desired period.

[0099] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which environmental load information is linked based on the settings made on both the linkage information setting screen Sc2 (see FIG. 4) operated by the person in charge of the first organization and the linkage information setting screen Sc1 (see FIG. 3) operated by the person in charge of the second organization, but the present invention is not limited to this. Environmental load information may be linked based only on the contents set via the linkage information setting screen Sc1 (see FIG. 3) operated by the person in charge of the second organization. In other words, the present invention may be applied to a configuration in which the linkage program 303 of the environmental load information collecting device 3 provides only the linkage information setting screen Sc1 as a setting screen related to the linkage of environmental load information.

[0100] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments provide detailed and specific descriptions of the configurations of the devices and systems in order to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described.

[0101] In addition, the control lines or information lines shown by solid lines in Figure 1 are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all control lines or information lines in the product. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other.

[0102] In addition, in this specification, the processing steps describing chronological processing include not only processing that is performed chronologically in the order described, but also processing that is not necessarily performed chronologically but is performed in parallel or individually (for example, parallel processing or processing by objects).

[0103] Furthermore, each component of the environmental load information collection system according to the embodiment of the present invention described above may be implemented in any hardware as long as the respective hardware can transmit and receive information to each other via a network. Furthermore, the processing performed by a certain processing unit may be realized by a single piece of hardware, or may be realized by distributed processing by multiple pieces of hardware. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1...first organization server, 2...second organization server, 3...environmental load information collection device, 100...environmental load information collection system, 101...environmental load information database, 102...linkage program, 201...environmental load information database, 202...linkage program, 301...linkage information management database, 302...linkage setting program, 303...linkage program, T1...linkage permission information table, T2...linkage item management table, T3...linkage history management table

Claims

1. An environmental load information collecting device connected via a network to a first device having a first environmental load information database storing first environmental load information, which is environmental load information resulting from business activities by a first organization, and a second device having a second environmental load information database storing second environmental load information, which is environmental load information resulting from business activities by a second organization, an interface providing unit that provides the second device with a first input interface that receives an input of information regarding permission for linking the second environmental load information to the first environmental load information; a collection unit that collects the second environmental load information from the second environmental load information database of the second device where the information permitting the link has been input to the first input interface, and transmits the second environmental load information to the first device for which the link has been permitted, the collection unit transmits a request to the second device of the second organization that is an input source of the information permitting the linkage to transmit the second environmental load information, and transmits a request to register the second environmental load information transmitted from the second device in the first environmental load information database to the first device permitted to link with the second organization; the first input interface is provided with a first environmental aspect item information input receiving section that receives an input of environmental aspect item information of the second environmental load information; The collection unit receives a request to transmit the second environmental load information corresponding to the environmental aspect item information received via the first environmental aspect item information input receiving unit of the first input interface, transmitting to the second device; the interface providing unit provides the first device with a second input interface that receives input of correspondence information of the second organization that is a link source of the second environmental load information and the first organization that is a link destination of the second environmental load information; the collection unit transmits a request to transmit the second environmental load information to the second device, the second device being associated with the first organization via the second input interface and having received information permitting the linkage from the first input interface; the second input interface further includes a second environmental aspect item information input receiving unit that receives input of environmental aspect item information of the first environmental load information and corresponding information of environmental aspect item information of the second environmental load information; a linkage history management table for storing information on a result of registering the second environmental load information transmitted from the second device in the first environmental load information database, when the implementation result stored in the link history management table is failure, the collection unit retransmits a transmission request for the second environmental load information whose registration has failed to the second device; The first input interface further includes a linkage frequency information input receiving unit that receives input of information on an execution frequency of the linkage, which is a process in which the collection unit collects the second environmental load information from the second device and registers it in the first environmental load information database, and a linkage period information input receiving unit that receives input of information on a period during which the linkage is permitted. Environmental impact information collection device.

2. An environmental load information collecting method using an environmental load information collecting device connected via a network to a first device having a first environmental load information database storing first environmental load information, which is environmental load information resulting from business activities by a first organization, and a second device having a second environmental load information database storing second environmental load information, which is environmental load information resulting from business activities by a second organization, an interface providing unit providing the second device with a first input interface for receiving an input of information regarding permission to link the second environmental load information to the first environmental load information; a collection unit collecting the second environmental load information from the second environmental load information database of the second device in which the information permitting the link has been input to the first input interface, and transmitting the second environmental load information to the first device permitted to link; the collection unit transmits a request to the second device of the second organization that is an input source of the information permitting the linkage to transmit the second environmental load information, and transmits a request to register the second environmental load information transmitted from the second device in the first environmental load information database to the first device permitted to link with the second organization; the first input interface is provided with a first environmental aspect item information input receiving section that receives an input of environmental aspect item information of the second environmental load information; The collection unit receives a request to transmit the second environmental load information corresponding to the environmental aspect item information received via the first environmental aspect item information input receiving unit of the first input interface, transmitting to the second device; the interface providing unit provides the first device with a second input interface that receives input of correspondence information of the second organization that is a link source of the second environmental load information and the first organization that is a link destination of the second environmental load information; the collection unit transmits a request to transmit the second environmental load information to the second device, the second device being associated with the first organization via the second input interface and having received information permitting the linkage from the first input interface; the second input interface further includes a second environmental aspect item information input receiving unit that receives input of environmental aspect item information of the first environmental load information and corresponding information of environmental aspect item information of the second environmental load information; a linkage history management table for storing information on a result of registering the second environmental load information transmitted from the second device in the first environmental load information database, when the implementation result stored in the link history management table is failure, the collection unit retransmits a transmission request for the second environmental load information whose registration has failed to the second device; The first input interface further includes a linkage frequency information input receiving unit that receives input of information on an execution frequency of the linkage, which is a process in which the collection unit collects the second environmental load information from the second device and registers it in the first environmental load information database, and a linkage period information input receiving unit that receives input of information on a period during which the linkage is permitted. Methods for collecting environmental impact information.

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