Greenhouse gas emissions management method and greenhouse gas emissions management system

Abstract

According to the present invention, in the management of greenhouse gas emission amount in a fuel supply chain: a plurality of data sets are acquired from a plurality of companies which constitute a supply chain from producing a raw material to supplying a fuel, wherein in the plurality of data sets, identification data for identifying a raw material or the fuel is associated with emission amount specifying data for specifying the emission amount of greenhouse gas emitted in accordance with the implementation of a project related to the raw material or the fuel identified by the identification data; and the emission amount of greenhouse gas is calculated on the basis of the emission amount specifying data. In addition, by summing up the emission amounts of greenhouse gas for all companies which constitute one supply chain specified by the identification data, the total emission amount of greenhouse gas for the fuel supplied from the one supply chain is obtained.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for managing greenhouse gas emissions in a fuel supply chain. [Background technology]

[0002] Fuels are supplied to consumers such as factories and homes through a supply chain that includes the production of raw materials such as crude oil and natural gas, the manufacture of various fuel oils and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the raw materials, and the transportation of the manufactured fuels.From the perspective of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is necessary to accurately understand the GHG emissions in the process of supplying these fuels through the supply chain.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that processes sensory data measured by a measuring device to generate audit data related to energy consumption, carbon emissions, etc., and stores the audit data using a blockchain. Patent Document 2 also describes a fuel trading adjustment system that makes it possible to refer to the CO2 emissions intensity of each fuel when procuring fuels such as hydrogen from multiple fuel suppliers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 193583 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2021 / 192205 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, in order to grasp GHG emissions, each business in the supply chain is required to measure GHG emissions based on common rules, report the results (reporting), and then have the reported contents verified by a third-party organization through MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification).

[0006] In this regard, the above-mentioned prior art documents only describe a technology for guaranteeing the energy consumption and carbon emissions of individual businesses (Patent Document 1) and a technology for providing reference information for consumers when procuring product fuel (Patent Document 2). Meanwhile, there are multiple supply chains for fuels supplied as commodities, and each supply chain is made up of multiple businesses. However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose technology related to a platform that allows these multiple businesses to participate in MRV.

[0007] The present invention has been made under such a background, and provides a technology for managing greenhouse gas emissions from constituent businesses that make up the fuel supply chain. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a method for managing greenhouse gas emissions in a fuel supply chain, comprising: A company selected from a group of companies consisting of a production company that produces raw materials for the fuel, a raw material transport company that transports the raw materials, a manufacturing company that manufactures the fuel from the raw materials, a fuel transport company that transports the fuel, and a supply company that supplies the fuel to consumers, and which comprises a plurality of constituent companies that make up the supply chain from the production of the raw materials to the supply of the fuel, and which includes identification data for identifying the raw materials or the fuel that are sent downstream in the supply chain after the business operations of each constituent company are carried out, and a product identified by the identification data. canacquiring, via a data communication system, a plurality of data sets in which the raw materials or fuels are associated with emission specification data for specifying the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in connection with the implementation of the business; a step of calculating, by a computer, greenhouse gas emissions for the plurality of constituent businesses based on the emission amount identification data acquired from the plurality of constituent businesses; and a step of calculating, by a computer, the total greenhouse gas emissions for all of the constituent businesses that make up a supply chain identified by the identification data, thereby determining the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from that supply chain.

[0009] The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions may include the following features. (a) The identification data includes information indicating the destination of the raw materials or fuel from the producer or manufacturer, the transport section of the raw materials or fuel by the raw material transporter or fuel transporter, or the source of the fuel to the supplier, and all of the constituent businesses that make up the supply chain are identified based on the information indicating the destination, transport section, or source. (b) The emission specification data includes at least one type of original data or processed data thereof set forth in (1) to (4) below. amount (1) The concentration of the greenhouse gases emitted within the calculation boundary established according to the implementation area of ​​the business of the constituent enterprises, or the amount of greenhouse gases emitted within the calculation boundary calculated from the measured greenhouse gas concentrations. (2) The concentration of the greenhouse gas measured at the location of the greenhouse gas emission from the facilities used by the Constituent Business to carry out the business, or the greenhouse gas emissions from the facilities calculated from the measured greenhouse gas concentration. amount (3) The amount of activity specified in accordance with the operation of the business of the constituent enterprises. (4) The greenhouse gas emissions calculated by carrying out engineering calculations of the operation of the facilities used by the constituent companies to carry out the business. (c) In (b), the Constituent Business Operator acquires the raw data of the types described in (1) to (4) above. Complexand when the system has a number of data acquisition resources, the system includes a step of determining, by a computer, a combination of the data acquisition resources with the lowest cost within a range of preset selection constraints for the data acquisition resources.

[0010] (d) The method includes the steps of: (a) creating, by a computer, a business operator model showing the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of the raw material or the fuel handled under conditions in which the facility configuration is common to one of the constituent business operators selected from the plurality of constituent business operators; (b) estimating, by a computer, greenhouse gas emissions using the business operator model based on the actual amount of the raw material or the fuel handled that is specified in accordance with the implementation of the business when obtaining the emissions specification data for the one constituent business operator; and (c) comparing, by a computer, the greenhouse gas emissions calculated based on the emissions specification data obtained from the one constituent business operator with the greenhouse gas emissions estimated using the business operator model. The business operator model is created based on the results of machine learning of the correspondence between the emissions specification data included in the plurality of datasets previously acquired, the greenhouse gas emissions calculated from the emissions specification data, and the actual amount of the raw material or the fuel handled. (e) storing the greenhouse gas emissions of the plurality of constituent businesses calculated in the step of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions in a blockchain ledger. (f) In the step of calculating the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel, a new supply chain is created in which some of the constituent businesses that make up the one supply chain are replaced with constituent businesses that make up another supply chain, and the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from this new supply chain are calculated. (g) The fuel is one of the following: liquefied natural gas produced from raw natural gas; ammonia, hydrogen, or synthetic methane produced from raw natural gas; fuel oil produced from raw crude oil; or biomethane produced from raw organic waste. (h) the greenhouse gas is at least one of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention acquires multiple data sets from constituent businesses that make up a supply chain, which associate identification data that identifies raw materials or fuel sent downstream in the supply chain after the business is carried out with emission identification data that identifies the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted in connection with the business's implementation, thereby making it possible to manage the total greenhouse gas emissions for fuel supplied from each supply chain. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a fuel supply chain. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a GHG emission management system. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the GHG emissions of each constituent business and the total GHG emissions in the supply chain. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of data processing for calculating GHG emissions. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations for calculating the GHG emissions of each constituent business. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations for calculating the total GHG emissions in a supply chain. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a first schematic diagram showing an example in which a new supply chain is generated by replacing constituent businesses. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a second schematic diagram showing an example of generating a new supply chain by replacing constituent businesses. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations for searching for an optimum combination of data acquisition resources from among a plurality of types of data acquisition resources. [Figure 10]10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an operation for comparing an estimated value and a calculated value of GHG emission amount. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] First, an example of the configuration of a fuel supply chain (SC: Supply Chain) in which greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are managed using an emissions management system (hereinafter simply referred to as the "management system") according to an embodiment will be described. This management system can be applied to the management of GHG emissions in an SC that supplies to consumers fuels made from crude oil or natural gas, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced from natural gas, ammonia, hydrogen, or synthetic methane produced from natural gas, fuel oil (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, heavy oil, etc.) produced from crude oil, or biomethane produced from organic waste (food waste, paper waste, livestock manure, etc.).

[0014] Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the GHGs to be managed, but examples of GHGs that are of interest when supplying the above-mentioned fuel include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The management system may be configured to manage one type of GHG, or may be configured to manage multiple types of GHG.

[0015] This management system is configured so that it can be used by businesses selected from a group of businesses that make up the SC, from the production of raw materials to the supply of fuel to consumers, including producers that produce fuel raw materials, raw material transport companies that transport raw materials, manufacturers that manufacture fuel from raw materials, fuel transport companies that transport fuel, and supplier companies that supply fuel to consumers.

[0016] For example, Figure 1 shows examples of SCs (SC1 to SC3) that use raw materials produced overseas from the point of view of the consumer's location, produce fuel in the raw material production area, transport the produced fuel by sea to the consumer's location, and then supply it to each consumer. Examples of fuels that can be supplied through such SCs include LNG, ammonia, hydrogen-synthesized methane, and biomethane.

[0017] 1 includes producers that produce raw materials such as natural gas, manufacturers that produce fuels such as LNG and liquid ammonia from natural gas, fuel transporters that transport the produced fuels by sea to consumption areas, and suppliers that supply the transported fuels to each consumer. The fuels may be for consumer use, such as homes and office buildings, or for business use, such as factories and transportation facilities.

[0018] Each SC also has multiple constituent businesses, who supply each other with raw materials, fuel, and transportation services through individual contracts and market procurement. As a result, from the consumer's perspective, there are multiple SCs (SC1 to SC3) for one type of fuel.

[0019] Furthermore, the structure of the SC is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1. For example, when produced fuel is supplied directly to consumers via pipeline transport, and the pipeline facilities are operated by a supplier, an SC can be formed with constituent businesses in the order of "producer → manufacturer → supplier." In addition, when a wide variety of fuels are produced, such as fuel oil produced from crude oil, the raw materials may be transported to the consumption area where the users are located, and then the fuel may be produced. In this case, an SC may be formed with the constituent businesses in the order of "Producer → Raw Material Transporter → Manufacturer → Supplier."

[0020] When focusing on individual fuels such as LNG and ammonia, the SC structure is not limited to the single type shown in Figure 1 (producer → manufacturer → fuel transporter → supplier), but may include multiple types of SC, such as the example of pipeline transport mentioned above (producer → manufacturer → supplier).

[0021] As explained above, fuel is supplied to consumers via an SC that includes multiple constituent businesses. At this time, the constituent businesses carry out their own business within the SC using their own facilities. Specifically, producers use production facilities to produce raw materials such as natural gas and crude oil from production wells, and manufacturers use production facilities to manufacture fuel from raw materials. Furthermore, raw material transporters and fuel transporters use transportation facilities to transport raw materials and fuel, and suppliers use supply facilities to supply fuel to consumers.

[0022] Each member company that makes up the SC emits GHGs when using its facilities to carry out its business. For example, when fuel is burned to obtain the energy needed to operate the facilities, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are emitted. Even when energy such as electricity is procured from outside, if fuel is burned at the energy supplier, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are emitted as the energy is consumed.

[0023] Furthermore, natural gas is primarily composed of methane, and methane may also be present in the light gases generated during the crude oil processing process. During the production and processing of natural gas and crude oil, and the transportation and storage of LNG, small amounts of methane may leak from the facilities of each constituent company.

[0024] Therefore, by understanding the GHG emissions from each constituent business within the SC, it is possible to understand the GHG emissions for the entire SC, from the production of raw materials to the supply of fuel consumed by consumers. The management system of this embodiment is configured to be able to obtain data from multiple constituent businesses to identify the GHG emissions at the SC related to the supply of fuel supplied to a consumer.

[0025] In the following explanation of Figures 2 to 10, we will use as an example a case where LNG produced from the raw material natural gas is supplied to consumers as fuel via an SC consisting of ``Producer → Manufacturer → Fuel Transporter → Supplier'' as shown in Figure 1.

[0026] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system according to this embodiment. The management system 3 of this example is configured, for example, by a cloud computing system. Computer terminals of the constituent businesses and consumers of the plurality of SC1 to SC3 described with reference to Fig. 1 (producer terminal 11, manufacturer terminal 12, fuel transporter terminal 13, supplier terminal 14, and consumer terminal 15) are connected to the management system 3. A management computer 20 of an administrator who provides the management system 3 is also connected to the management system 3.

[0027] The management system 3 acquires, via a data communication system (data communication unit) not shown, a data set that associates identification data for identifying raw materials or fuel with emission identification data for identifying the amount of GHG emissions emitted in connection with the implementation of each constituent business's business from the computer terminals of the constituent businesses (producer terminal 11, manufacturer terminal 12, fuel transporter terminal 13, and supplier terminal 14) connected to the management system 3. Specific configuration examples of the "identification data" and "emission amount specification data" will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0028] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the GHG emissions of each constituent business of a certain SC and the total GHG emissions of the entire SC. As explained using Figure 1, all fuels are supplied to consumers via some of SC1 to SC3. Therefore, as shown schematically in Figure 3, each constituent business of a certain SC associates identification data with the raw materials and fuels sent downstream of the SC after carrying out their respective business. The identification data is structured to enable these raw materials and fuels to be identified and to indicate when the raw materials and fuels were produced, manufactured, transported, and received.

[0029] Furthermore, the identification data may include information indicating the destination of the raw materials or fuel from the producer or manufacturer, the transport section of the raw materials or fuel by the raw material transporter or fuel transporter, or the source of the fuel to the supplier. For example, in the case of the SC shown in Figure 3, this corresponds to information identifying the manufacturer to which the raw materials are to be sent from the producer, the supplier to which the fuel is to be sent from the manufacturer, the transport section by the fuel transporter (the manufacturer that receives the fuel, the supplier to which the fuel is to be transported), and the manufacturer that is the source of the fuel to the supplier.

[0030] By acquiring this identification data via the terminals 11-15 of each constituent business, the management system 3 can identify when and by which constituent business the fuel supplied to the consumer was produced, manufactured, transported, and received, and to which constituent business the fuel was sent / received. As a result, it is possible to identify all constituent businesses that make up the SC related to the fuel supplied to the consumer.

[0031] If it is possible to identify the SC for fuel supplied from a supplier to a consumer, it will be possible to identify the GHG emissions E1 to E4 emitted by the constituent businesses of the SC through their operations related to production, manufacturing, transportation, and receipt, as shown in Figure 3. Then, by adding up the GHG emissions of these individual constituent businesses, it will be possible to determine the total GHG emissions E for fuel supplied by the SC.

[0032] Next, we will explain the emission specification data acquired together with the identification data from each constituent company. The emission specification data is the GHGGHG emission data E from each constituent company shown in Figure 3. n (n=1 to 4) is used to calculate For fuel supply industries, there are publicly-established methods for calculating GHG emissions. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals (2006), its 2019 revised version, and guidelines established by various national environmental policy authorities (e.g., Japan's Ministry of the Environment) provide detailed, publicly available methods for calculating GHG emissions from fossil fuel combustion in manufacturing and from oil, natural gas, and other energy production, tailored to the production, refining, storage, transportation, and supply of energy. Another proposed method for calculating GHG emissions is the "Compendium of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimation Methodologies for the Oil and Gas Industry (2021)" developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

[0033] The calculation method stipulated in these guidelines is based on the basic concept of calculating GHG emissions by multiplying "activity amounts" specified according to business operations such as raw material production, manufacturing (refining), transportation, and supply by a predetermined emission coefficient (coefficient multiplication method). Examples of activity amounts include the energy consumption of each constituent business and the number of valves, flanges, and vents (number of leak sources) installed in each business's equipment. Examples of activity amounts specific to each constituent business include the production volume of natural gas and crude oil in the case of raw material production, the amount of raw material and fuel processed in the case of manufacturing and transportation, and the amount of fuel supplied to consumers (sales volume) in the case of supply.

[0034] In addition to the methods described in these guidelines, more accurate calculation methods have also been proposed. One highly accurate calculation method is to actually measure GHG emissions from the equipment of each constituent company using an infrared camera or similar device (actual measurement method). The results of actual GHG emissions measurements can also be used to update the emission coefficients in the coefficient multiplication method described above. In other words, the GHG emissions of each piece of equipment to be measured are determined through actual measurements. Next, the emission coefficient for that equipment can be determined and updated based on the relationship between the results of the actual measurements and the activity amount that represents the operating state of that equipment.

[0035] Another method is to use simulations to reproduce the internal state of the equipment and understand the mass balance of raw materials and fuels when they are input into and output from the equipment, thereby carrying out engineering calculations of the operation of each piece of equipment and calculating GHG emissions (engineering calculation method).

[0036] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram that schematically summarizes the various GHG calculation methods mentioned above, for example, for a fuel manufacturer. The GHG calculation methods mentioned above can be broadly divided into top-down methods, which collectively grasp the GHG emissions from the manufacturer's facilities, and bottom-up methods, which grasp and add up the individual GHG emissions from multiple locations within the facilities.

[0037] The actual measurement method can be applied to both the top-down method and the bottom-up method. When applying the infrared actual measurement method to the top-down method, a calculation boundary for GHG emissions is set for the business implementation area where the manufacturing company's equipment is installed. This calculation boundary is photographed from the sky using an infrared camera 44 mounted on a drone 41, satellite 42, or aircraft 43, and infrared images of the wavelengths emitted by GHGs are obtained. The GHG concentration in the area is then calculated from the intensity of the detected infrared light, and GHG emissions are calculated from this concentration. Details of the business implementation area and calculation boundary will be explained later.

[0038] Furthermore, when applying the actual infrared measurement method to the bottom-up approach, infrared images are acquired of individual locations where GHGs are assumed to be emitted (in the example of Figure 4, vents of raw material or fuel storage tanks, chimneys, and pipe flanges). Examples of methods for acquiring infrared images include taking pictures using an infrared camera 44 mounted on a drone 41 or installed on-site. Then, based on the same concept as the top-down approach, the amount of GHG emissions from each individual location is calculated.

[0039] The top-down and bottom-up methods of actual measurement do not necessarily have to be used alone. For example, the bottom-up method can be used for major GHG emission locations, and high-precision, high-resolution infrared images can be acquired at close range from the emission locations to calculate GHG emissions. On the other hand, to comprehensively grasp GHG emission locations, the top-down method can be used to acquire infrared images from above the calculation boundary where the equipment is installed, and for locations where individual images have not been taken, GHG emissions can be calculated from the image results of the calculation boundary. An example of a procedure can then be given: adding up the GHG emissions calculated using the bottom-up and top-down methods while avoiding duplication of the same GHG emission locations.

[0040] Furthermore, the bottom-up approach can also apply the coefficient multiplication method or engineering calculation method. The coefficient multiplication method calculates activity data by integrating the results of measurements of the operations of each business, such as the supply flow rate of raw materials and intermediate materials at individual fuel manufacturing facilities, the production flow rate of manufactured fuel, and the consumption of fuel and electricity. If the number of GHG leak sources is used as the activity data, the number of valves, flanges, and vents that are GHG leak sources within the calculation boundary is calculated. GHG emissions can then be calculated by multiplying the activity data by a coefficient based on the calculation formula specified in the guidelines.

[0041] In addition, with the engineering calculation method, GHG emissions can be calculated by inputting the results of measurements of the supply flow rate of raw materials and intermediate materials, the production flow rate of manufactured fuel, and the consumption of fuel and electricity at individual facilities into a simulation model or mass balance model that has been created in advance. There is no requirement that the coefficient multiplication method and the engineering calculation method be used either exclusively or exclusively with the actual measurement method. These methods may be used together, provided that double counting of GHG emissions is avoided.

[0042] The method for calculating GHG emissions for a fuel manufacturer, as illustrated above with reference to Figure 4, can also be similarly applied to calculating GHG emissions for other constituent businesses within the SC shown in Figure 3. In this case, the management system 3 of this example acquires at least one type of raw data or processed data described in the following (1) to (4) from each constituent business as emission amount identification data.

[0043] (1) Actual Measurement Method (Top-Down Approach): This refers to the GHG concentration emitted within the calculation boundary established according to the business operation area of ​​each constituent company, or the GHG emissions within the calculation boundary calculated from the measured GHG concentration. Here, the "business operation area" can be, for example, the area where the production facilities for natural gas or crude oil are located for a production company, or the area where the manufacturing facilities for fuel are located for a manufacturer. For raw material transport companies and fuel transport companies, examples of this include the transport facilities themselves if they transport raw materials or fuel using ships, or the area where the transport facilities are located if they transport using pipelines. For supply companies, examples of this include the area where fuel tanks, pumps, and other supply facilities for supplying fuel to consumers are located. Each constituent company sets a "calculation boundary" for the business operation area listed above as the scope of its GHG emissions reporting. Based on the aforementioned guidelines, this calculation boundary is set to include GHG emission sources and the areas where the business operations related to the aforementioned "activity data" are carried out.

[0044] (2) Actual measurement method (bottom-up method): GHG concentrations measured at the GHG emission location from the equipment used to carry out the business of the constituent business, or GHG emissions from the equipment calculated from the measured GHG concentrations. (3) Coefficient multiplication method: Activity volume determined according to the operations of the constituent companies. (4) Engineering calculation method: GHG emissions calculated based on calculations (simulation model, mass balance model) that represent the operation of facilities used to carry out the business of the constituent companies.

[0045] In (1) to (4), raw data can be exemplified by GHG concentration measurement results obtained using the actual measurement method, activity data obtained using the coefficient multiplication method, and various input values ​​entered into simulation models and mass balance models obtained using the engineering calculation method. Furthermore, processed data can be exemplified by GHG emission values ​​from individual emission locations and facilities calculated using the actual measurement method, coefficient multiplication method, and engineering calculation method.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, when raw data is acquired, GHG emissions are calculated using each method. When GHG emissions are acquired as processed data, GHG emissions are calculated by adding up the GHG emissions including the calculation results from the raw data while avoiding double counting, and the GHG emissions E for the constituent company are calculated. n Figures 3 and 4 show the GHG emissions E n is an example of calculation as an emission intensity [kg / ton] (GHG emissions per unit amount of raw material / fuel).

[0047] On the other hand, the actual measurement method (top-down method / bottom-up method), coefficient multiplication method, and engineering calculation method each require different data acquisition resources. For example, the actual measurement method requires the use of infrared image acquisition services using drones 41, satellites 42, and aircraft 43. Furthermore, if a constituent business operator wishes to acquire infrared images themselves, they must prepare the drones 41 and infrared cameras 44 and secure personnel to take the images.

[0048] On the other hand, the coefficient multiplication method requires the construction of a computer with means for acquiring each activity amount (e.g., a means for measuring energy consumption, raw material and fuel processing volume, and supply volume, and a management database for identifying the number of valves, flanges, and vents that are GHG leak sources) and a calculation system for calculating GHG emissions based on the calculation method specified in the guidelines. On the other hand, the engineering calculation method requires the construction of a simulation model or mass balance model on the computer, as well as measurement means for acquiring various input values ​​to be input into these models. Note that if the management system 3 of the present disclosure acquires raw data for the coefficient multiplication method or the engineering calculation method as emission identification data, the management system 3 may also be constructed with a calculation system for the coefficient multiplication method, a simulation model for the engineering calculation method, or a mass balance model.

[0049] Each member company will select a method for calculating GHG emissions and prepare data acquisition resources appropriate to each method so that it can calculate GHG emissions with the required accuracy within cost and time constraints. In this regard, the management system 3 of this example has a function to execute calculations to find the optimum combination of data acquisition resources according to a preset purpose, within the range of selection constraints of the data acquisition resources that can be adopted by the constituent enterprises. The specific content of this function will be described later.

[0050] The management system 3 of this example acquires the emission specification data via the terminals 11 to 15 of each of the constituent businesses, thereby calculating the GHG emission amount E n (n=1 to 4) can be calculated. n The calculation results may be stored in a blockchain ledger, for example, to ensure their authenticity.

[0051] Blockchain ledger allows for the tracking of GHG emissions n When managing GHG emissions E n is verified and recorded between these constituent businesses using known blockchain technology. For example, the blockchain ledger is managed using a management application installed on the terminals of each constituent business connected to the management system 3 (producer terminal 11, manufacturer terminal 12, fuel transporter terminal 13, supplier terminal 14, and consumer terminal 15). Here, the blockchain ledger is shared by all constituent businesses connected to the management system 3, and the GHG emissions E of each constituent business are recorded. n In addition, the scope of sharing of the blockchain ledger may be limited, for example, different blockchain ledgers may be set up for SC1 to SC3 shown in Figure 1, and GHG emissions E may be shared only among the constituent businesses of each of SC1 to SC3. n The terminal for verifying and recording the blockchain ledger may include the administrator's management computer 20.

[0052] As explained above, it is possible to identify the GHG emissions emitted by each constituent business when it produces, manufactures, transports, and receives raw materials and fuels based on the emissions identification data contained in the dataset obtained from the constituent business. In addition, it is possible to identify the SC for fuel supplied to a consumer by a supplier based on the identification data associated with this emissions identification data.

[0053] The management system 3 can then calculate the total GHG emissions for fuel supplied from the SC by adding up the GHG emissions for all constituent businesses that make up the SC identified based on the identification data. From this perspective, the management system 3 in this example has the function of a total emissions calculation unit.

[0054] By calculating the total GHG emissions, consumers can learn the total GHG emissions emitted at the SC related to the fuel when it is supplied from the supplier via consumer terminal 15. Similarly, constituent businesses of each SC can learn the total GHG emissions emitted at the SC related to their own business via terminals 11 to 15.

[0055] Furthermore, the management system 3 of this example calculates the individual GHG emissions for each of the constituent businesses that make up multiple SCs 1 to 3. With this configuration, it is also possible to create a new SC' by replacing some of the constituent businesses that make up a certain SC with constituent businesses that make up another SC, and to calculate the total GHG emissions that would be emitted if fuel were supplied from this new SC'.

[0056] The operation of the management system 3 having the above-mentioned configuration and functions will be explained below with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows the operation of acquiring emission specification data from each constituent business and calculating and storing GHG emissions, while Figure 6 shows the operation of calculating the total GHG emissions for the selected SC.

[0057] 5, communication is performed with terminals 11-15 of each constituent business via the communication system of the management system 3 (start), a data set is acquired, and the identification data and emission specification data are updated (step S101, a process of acquiring a data set). Next, the GHG emissions for each constituent business are calculated from the acquired emission specification data (step S102, a process of calculating GHG emissions). The calculated GHG emissions are associated with the identification data and stored in the blockchain ledger (step S103).

[0058] Then, the system waits for the timing for the shipment of raw materials and fuel from each constituent business operator (step S104; NO), and once the shipment has been made (step S104; YES), it executes the above-mentioned steps S101 to S103 to recalculate the GHG production amount.

[0059] Here, the timing of shipment can be exemplified as the timing when a manufacturer releases fuel to a transporter's transport ship, the timing when a raw material transporter or fuel transporter unloads raw materials or fuel from a transport ship, or the timing when a supplier supplies fuel from the supplier's supply facility to a consumer. Furthermore, there are cases where shipments are made continuously via pipelines between a producer and a manufacturer, or between a supplier and a consumer. In such cases, GHG emissions may be recalculated at preset intervals (for example, daily or weekly).

[0060] Using the GHG emissions of each constituent business calculated in this way, the GHG emissions of the SC related to the fuel supplied to the consumer are calculated (FIG. 6, START). In this operation, first, the selection of the SC for which total GHG emissions are to be calculated is accepted (step S201). At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, multiple selectable SCs 1 to 3 may be displayed on the terminals 11 to 15 connected to the management system 3, and the selection of a specific SC may be accepted directly. On the other hand, for example, when a consumer selects a supplier of fuel that is currently being supplied or that the consumer is planning to receive in the future, the SC related to that fuel may be identified based on the latest identification data.

[0061] Next, a selection is made as to whether or not to replace the constituent businesses of the selected SC (step S202). The case where the constituent businesses are replaced will be explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8, so here we will explain the case where replacement is not performed (step S202; NO).

[0062] In this case, for example, the latest GHG emissions for the constituent businesses that make up the selected SC are read (step S203). Next, the read GHG emissions are totaled to calculate the total GHG emissions for the selected SC (step S206, process of calculating the total GHG emissions), and the result is output to the requesting terminal 11-15, and the operation is completed (step S207, end). By the above-described operation, the total GHG emission amount E for the selected SC can be calculated as shown in FIG. 3, and the result can be notified to the requesting party.

[0063] When fuel is supplied from a supplier to a consumer, fuels with different GHG emission calculation timings may be stored in the storage tanks that store the fuel to be supplied to the consumer, for example, due to differences in the timing of unloading. In such cases, the GHG emissions of each constituent company may vary between fuels with different calculation timings. Furthermore, there are cases where fuels that have undergone a plurality of different SC1 to SC3 are mixed in one storage dunk.

[0064] In these cases, the proportion of fuels associated with each identification data stored may be determined, and a weighted sum of the total GHG emissions of these fuels may be calculated according to the proportion of the fuels stored. The proportion of each fuel contained in the storage tank is determined by acquiring, as emission specification data, information relating to the amount of fuel contained in the storage tank with the identification data and the timing and amount of fuel supplied to consumers, in addition to information indicating "when the fuel was received" contained in the identification data. Based on this information, the proportion of each fuel in the storage tank can be determined using, for example, the first-in, first-out method or the moving average method of inventory valuation.

[0065] In addition, when volatile liquid fuel such as LNG is stored in a storage tank, the composition of the fuel may change during storage due to the evaporation of light components. In this case, the evaporated light components are also associated with the GHG emissions emitted by the upstream constituent businesses of the SC (producers, manufacturers, fuel transporters). Therefore, if the composition of the fuel in a storage tank changes due to the evaporation of light components, the total GHG emissions for that fuel will also change. In the process of calculating total GHG emissions described above, the calculation of total GHG emissions may include the impact of such changes in fuel composition in the storage tank.

[0066] The management system 3 according to this embodiment has the following advantages: It acquires multiple data sets from the constituent businesses that make up the SC, which associate identification data that identifies the raw materials and fuel sent downstream from the SC after the business is completed with emission specification data that identifies the GHG emissions emitted as a result of the business. This makes it possible to manage the total GHG emissions for the fuel supplied from each SC.

[0067] Next, a description will be given of the case where constituent businesses are replaced in step S202 of Fig. 6 (step S202; YES). In this case, a change in constituent businesses of the SC that performs calculations for total GHG emissions is accepted (step S204).

[0068] Figure 7 shows an example of generating a new SC1' surrounded by a solid line by replacing the fuel transport business for SC1 surrounded by a dashed line. Figure 8 shows an example of generating a new SC2' surrounded by a solid line by replacing the producer and the manufacturing business that receives raw materials from this producer via a pipeline for SC2 surrounded by a dashed line.

[0069] In this way, for the new SC1' and SC2' created by replacing the constituent businesses, for example, the latest GHG emissions are read (step S205). After that, the total GHG emissions for these SC1' and SC2' are calculated and the results are output in the same way as when the constituent businesses are not changed (steps S206 and S207).

[0070] The management system 3 in this example stores the GHG emissions of each of the constituent companies of the SC, so it can also calculate the total GHG emissions for a new SC' in which the constituent companies in the SC have been changed. This makes it possible to carry out studies to understand in advance the impact on total GHG emissions of changes to chartered vessels for raw material transport companies and fuel transport companies, and changes to production companies and manufacturers that procure raw materials and fuel.

[0071] Next, two examples of application functions of the management system 3 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of a constituent business to optimize the selection of data acquisition resources for acquiring raw data. As explained in detail with reference to Figure 4, the raw data is used as is or processed into processed data to be used as emissions identification data. On the other hand, as already explained, each constituent business selects a GHG emissions calculation method and prepares data acquisition resources appropriate for each method so that it can calculate GHG emissions with the required accuracy within the scope of cost constraints, etc.

[0072] On the other hand, raw data is collected from many locations within the facilities of constituent companies, resulting in a correspondingly large number of data collection resources. Furthermore, the data collection resources to be adopted will differ depending on which calculation methods, such as the actual measurement method (top-down method / bottom-up method), coefficient multiplication method, or engineering calculation method, are applied to calculate GHG emissions from which location in which facility. Furthermore, the selection of data collection resources will affect the cost and the accuracy of the calculated GHG emissions. In such cases, each constituent company may not be able to easily identify the optimal combination of data collection resources for obtaining raw data.

[0073] Therefore, the management system 3 in this example has the function of determining the lowest-cost combination of data acquisition resources within the range of pre-set data acquisition resource selection constraints when it has multiple data acquisition resources related to the acquisition of original data. With regard to this function, for example, the management system 3 lists the raw data items required for calculating GHG emissions for each constituent business operator using the above-mentioned actual measurement method (top-down method / bottom-up method), coefficient multiplication method, or engineering calculation method. Specific examples of raw data items include the items described in (1) to (4) above.

[0074] Furthermore, obtaining infrared images using a top-down method, for example, using satellites 42 or aircraft 43, allows for a comprehensive understanding of GHG emissions from each location of a facility, so the cost of obtaining infrared images is relatively low when considering individual emission locations. However, due to the reduced resolution that accompanies obtaining infrared images from a remote location, the accuracy of GHG emission calculations tends to be low. In contrast, obtaining infrared images using a bottom-up method requires photographing each emission location, so the cost of obtaining infrared images is relatively high. However, because infrared images can be obtained near the GHG emission locations, the accuracy of GHG emission calculations tends to be high. Therefore, the management system 3 also acquires information regarding the cost of using the data acquisition resources required to acquire these raw data, as well as information regarding the accuracy of the GHG emissions calculated based on the emission specification data obtained from the raw data.

[0075] Under the condition that this information has been prepared in advance, a request for optimization search is received from the terminals 11 to 14 of each constituent business (start). Then, for each of the raw data listed in advance, information on data acquisition resources that can be used by the constituent business that made the request is obtained (step S301). At this time, if multiple data acquisition resources are available, as in the actual measurement methods of the top-down and bottom-up methods described above, information on all available data acquisition resources is obtained.

[0076] Once the information has been acquired, the combination of data acquisition resources that will result in the lowest cost when calculating the GHG emissions of the constituent business's facilities using these available data acquisition resources is searched for (step S302, a process of determining a combination of data acquisition resources). The search for a combination of data acquisition resources that meets these conditions can be executed by the management system 3 using general-purpose optimization software. Examples of such software include modeFRONTIER from ESTECO, HyperStudy from Altair, Optimas from Noesis Solutions, and HEED from Red Cedar Technology. Here, it is not essential to execute the search for a combination of data acquisition resources using general-purpose optimization software, and the search for the optimal combination may be executed using a search tool developed specifically for that purpose.

[0077] The search for the optimal combination can be performed using such optimization software or search tools, using a genetic algorithm or particle swarm optimization method. Specific examples of algorithms for implementing these optimization methods include NCGA (Neighborhood Cultivation Genetic Algorithm), NBI (Normal Boundary Intersection), and IOSO (Indirect Optimization on the Basis of Self-Organization). However, the search for the optimal combination is not limited to using these exemplified methods, and any method capable of searching for a combination that results in the lowest cost when using a large number of data acquisition resources can be used.

[0078] Here, a lower limit may be set for the accuracy of each emission amount specification data, and a search may be made for a combination of data acquisition resources that will result in the lowest cost within this accuracy constraint.On the other hand, in contrast to the above example, an upper limit may be set for the total cost of the combination of data acquisition resources, and a search may be made for a combination of data acquisition resources that will result in the highest accuracy of each emission amount specification data within this cost constraint.

[0079] When the above search is completed, the search result, that is, the combination of data acquisition resources with the lowest cost, is presented to the requesting constituent business (step S303), and the operation is terminated (END).

[0080] Next, Figure 10 is a flowchart related to the operation of verifying GHG emissions calculated based on the emissions identification data. As shown in Figure 2, the management system 3 is configured to acquire emissions identification data from multiple constituent businesses that share common business content, such as production businesses and manufacturing businesses. Even among constituent businesses that share common business content, the emissions identification data will differ if the configuration and scale of the equipment used to carry out the business are different. On the other hand, these multiple constituent businesses may include businesses with similar equipment configurations. Furthermore, as explained using Figure 5, emissions identification data is repeatedly acquired, for example, each time raw materials or fuel is shipped, and GHG emissions are calculated.

[0081] By repeatedly acquiring emission specification data from businesses with similar facility configurations in this way, it becomes possible to specify the relationship between the amount of raw materials and fuel handled and GHG emissions for each constituent business with a common facility configuration. Therefore, by creating a business model that shows the above relationship and inputting the actual amounts of raw materials and fuel handled into this business model, it is possible to specify standard GHG emissions according to the actual amounts handled for constituent businesses with a common facility configuration.

[0082] Regarding the above-described function, the management system 3 (start) creates a business operator model that indicates the relationship between GHG emissions and the past amounts of raw materials and fuel handled for multiple business operators with the same equipment configuration (step S401). The business operator model can be created based on the results of machine learning of the correspondence between emissions identification data contained in multiple data sets acquired in the past, GHG emissions calculated from the emissions identification data, and the actual amounts of raw materials or fuel handled. There are no particular limitations on the machine learning method, and well-known techniques such as deep neural networks, support vector regression, random forest regression, and partial least squares can be used. Creating a business operator model using machine learning is not a necessary requirement. For example, the business operator model may be created using a relationship equation obtained by least squares using the emissions identification data and the amount of raw materials or fuel handled as explanatory variables and GHG emissions as an estimated variable.

[0083] Next, when obtaining emission specification data for a certain constituent enterprise, the GHG emissions are estimated using the aforementioned enterprise model based on the actual handling volume of raw materials or fuel specified in accordance with the implementation of the constituent enterprise's business (step S402, step of estimating GHG emissions). GHG emissions are also calculated based on the emission specification data obtained from the same constituent enterprise. Thereafter, the GHG emissions calculated from the emission specification data are compared with the estimated GHG emissions (step S403, step of comparing GHG emissions), and the comparison results are output to the constituent enterprise's terminals 11-14 or the management computer 20 (step S404), completing the operation (END).

[0084] As mentioned above, by comparing the standard GHG emissions estimated by the corporate model with the GHG emissions calculated based on the emissions specification data obtained from the constituent companies, the latter GHG emissions can be verified. In other words, if the calculated GHG emissions deviate significantly from the standard GHG emissions, it is possible to detect an input error in the emissions specification data or a problem with the data acquisition resources or the equipment itself.

[0085] Regarding the management system 3 described above, Fig. 2 shows an example in which a GHG emissions management function is provided in a cloud computing system, but the configuration of the management system 3 is not limited to this example. For example, the management system 3 may be configured in a server system of an administrator that provides the GHG emissions management function. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 11. Manufacturer terminal 12 Manufacturer terminal 13 Fuel transport company terminal 14 Supplier terminal 15 Consumer terminal 2 Management Computer 3 Management System 41 Drone 42 Satellite 43 Aircraft 44 Infrared Camera

Claims

1. 1. A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions in a fuel supply chain, comprising: a management system connected to a data communication system acquires, via the data communication system, a plurality of data sets from a plurality of constituent businesses that make up the supply chain from the production of the raw materials to the supply of the fuel, the constituent businesses being selected from a group of businesses consisting of producers that produce raw materials for the fuel, raw material transport businesses that transport the raw materials, manufacturers that manufacture the fuel from the raw materials, fuel transport businesses that transport the fuel, and suppliers that supply the fuel to consumers, the plurality of data sets associating identification data for identifying the raw materials or the fuel sent downstream in the supply chain after the implementation of a business by each constituent business with emission identification data for identifying the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted in connection with the implementation of the business for the raw materials or the fuel identified by the identification data; a step of calculating greenhouse gas emissions for the plurality of constituent businesses using the management system based on the emission amount identification data acquired from these constituent businesses; a step of calculating, by the management system, the total greenhouse gas emissions for all of the constituent businesses that make up one supply chain identified by the identification data, to determine the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from that one supply chain; A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions, comprising: a step of verifying the greenhouse gas emissions of one of the constituent businesses selected from the plurality of constituent businesses by comparing, under conditions where the equipment configuration is common to that of the constituent business, a standard greenhouse gas emission amount, which is an estimated value obtained from a business model showing the relationship between the greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of raw material or fuel handled, with the greenhouse gas emissions calculated based on emission specification data obtained from the constituent business.

2. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions described in claim 1, characterized in that the identification data includes information indicating the destination of the raw materials or fuel from the production company or manufacturing company, the transport route of the raw materials or fuel by the raw material transport company or the fuel transport company, or the source of the fuel to the supplier, and all of the constituent companies that make up the supply chain are identified based on the information indicating the destination, transport route, or source.

3. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions according to claim 1, characterized in that the emission specification data includes at least one type of original data or processed data thereof set forth in (1) to (4) below. (1) The concentration of the greenhouse gases emitted within the calculation boundary established according to the implementation area of ​​the business of the constituent enterprises, or the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the calculation boundary calculated from the measured concentration of the greenhouse gases. (2) The concentration of the greenhouse gas measured at the location of the greenhouse gas emission from the facilities of the Constituent Enterprises for implementing the business, or the amount of greenhouse gas emission from the facilities calculated from the measured concentration of the greenhouse gas. (3) The amount of activity specified in accordance with the operation of the business of the constituent enterprises. (4) The amount of greenhouse gas emissions calculated by carrying out engineering calculations of the operation of the facilities used by the constituent companies to carry out the business.

4. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions described in claim 3, characterized in that when the constituent business operator has multiple data acquisition resources for acquiring the types of raw data described in (1) to (4), the management system determines the combination of data acquisition resources with the lowest cost within the range of selection constraints of the data acquisition resources that have been set in advance.

5. The step of verifying greenhouse gas emissions comprises: creating, by the management system, a business operator model that indicates the relationship between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of raw material or fuel handled under conditions in which the facility configuration is common to one of the plurality of business operators selected from the plurality of business operators; When obtaining the emission specification data for the one constituent enterprise, a process of estimating greenhouse gas emissions using the enterprise model by the management system based on the actual handling volume of the raw material or the fuel specified in accordance with the implementation of the business; A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions as described in claim 1, characterized in that it includes a step of comparing, by the management system, the greenhouse gas emissions calculated based on the emission identification data obtained from one of the constituent businesses with the greenhouse gas emissions estimated using the business model.

6. 6. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions according to claim 5, wherein the enterprise model is created based on the results of machine learning of the correspondence between the emission identification data included in the plurality of data sets acquired in the past, the greenhouse gas emissions calculated from the emission identification data, and the actual handling amount of the raw material or the fuel.

7. A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions as described in claim 1, characterized in that the greenhouse gas emissions for the multiple constituent businesses calculated in the process of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions are stored in a blockchain ledger.

8. A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions as described in claim 1, characterized in that in the process of calculating the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel, a new supply chain is generated in which some of the constituent businesses that make up the one supply chain are replaced with constituent businesses that make up another supply chain, and the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from this new supply chain are calculated.

9. 1. A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions in a fuel supply chain, comprising: A plurality of business entities selected from a group of business entities consisting of a production business entity that produces raw materials for the fuel, a raw material transport business entity that transports the raw materials, a manufacturing business entity that manufactures the fuel from the raw materials, a fuel transport business entity that transports the fuel, and a supply business entity that supplies the fuel to consumers, wherein the plurality of business entities that make up the supply chain from the production of the raw materials to the supply of the fuel associates identification data for identifying the raw materials or the fuel that is sent downstream in the supply chain after the implementation of a business by each of the business entities with emission identification data for identifying the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted in connection with the implementation of the business for the raw materials or the fuel identified by the identification data. a management system connected to the data communication system acquires a dataset via the data communication system, and the management system calculates the greenhouse gas emissions of the plurality of constituent businesses based on the emission identification data acquired from the constituent businesses; the management system totals the greenhouse gas emissions of all the constituent businesses that make up a supply chain identified by the identification data, and the computer terminals of the constituent businesses connected to the data communication system provide the dataset for the constituent businesses to the management system in order to determine the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from the supply chain; A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions, characterized in that the computer terminal of the constituent business operator receives, through the management system, the results of verifying the latter greenhouse gas emissions by comparing, under conditions where the equipment configuration is common to one of the constituent business operators selected from the plurality of constituent business operators, a standard greenhouse gas emissions amount, which is an estimated value obtained from an operator model showing the relationship between the greenhouse gas emissions amount and the amount of raw material or fuel handled, with the greenhouse gas emissions amount calculated based on emission specification data obtained from the constituent business operator.

10. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions described in claim 9, characterized in that in the step of providing the dataset, information related to the business of the constituent enterprise is included in the identification data, among information indicating the destination of the raw material or fuel from the production enterprise or the manufacturing enterprise, the transportation route of the raw material or the fuel by the raw material transportation enterprise or the fuel transportation enterprise, or the source of the fuel to the supply enterprise.

11. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions described in claim 9, characterized in that in the step of providing the dataset, at least one type of raw data or processed data thereof set forth in (1) to (4) below is included in the emission specification data. (1) The concentration of the greenhouse gases emitted within the calculation boundary established according to the implementation area of ​​the business of the constituent enterprises, or the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the calculation boundary calculated from the measured concentration of the greenhouse gases. (2) The concentration of the greenhouse gas measured at the location of the greenhouse gas emission from the facilities of the Constituent Enterprises for implementing the business, or the amount of greenhouse gas emission from the facilities calculated from the measured concentration of the greenhouse gas. (3) The amount of activity specified in accordance with the operation of the business of the constituent enterprises. (4) The amount of greenhouse gas emissions calculated by carrying out engineering calculations of the operation of the facilities used by the constituent companies to carry out the business.

12. a step in which the constituent enterprises, which have a plurality of data acquisition resources relating to the acquisition of the types of raw data described in (1) to (4), provide information relating to selection constraints on the data acquisition resources via the computer terminals of the constituent enterprises; The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions described in claim 11, characterized in that it includes a step in which the constituent business acquires, via the constituent business's computer terminal, information indicating the lowest-cost combination of data acquisition resources determined by the management system within the selection constraints of the provided data acquisition resources.

13. A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions as described in claim 9, characterized in that it includes a step of obtaining information on the greenhouse gas emissions calculated for each of the multiple constituent businesses that make up the supply chain via the computer terminals of the constituent businesses, and storing the information in a blockchain ledger.

14. a step in which the constituent businesses or the consumers issue an instruction via a computer terminal of the constituent businesses or the consumers to generate a new supply chain in which some of the constituent businesses that make up the one supply chain are replaced with constituent businesses that make up another supply chain; The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions as described in claim 9, characterized in that it includes a step in which the constituent business or the consumer obtains information on the total greenhouse gas emissions calculated for the fuel supplied from the new supply chain via a computer terminal of the constituent business or the consumer.

15. 10. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions according to claim 1 or 9, wherein the fuel is any one of liquefied natural gas produced from natural gas as a raw material, ammonia, hydrogen or synthetic methane produced from natural gas as a raw material, fuel oil produced from crude oil as a raw material, and biomethane produced from organic waste as a raw material.

16. 10. The method for managing greenhouse gas emissions according to claim 1 or 9, wherein the greenhouse gas is at least one of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

17. A greenhouse gas emissions management system in a fuel supply chain, comprising: a data communication unit that acquires, from a plurality of constituent businesses that make up the supply chain from the production of the raw materials to the supply of the fuel, a plurality of data sets that associate identification data for identifying the raw materials or the fuel sent downstream in the supply chain after the implementation of a business by each constituent business, with emission identification data for identifying the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in connection with the implementation of the business for the raw materials or the fuel identified by the identification data; and a business operator emission calculation unit that calculates greenhouse gas emissions for the plurality of business operators based on the emission specification data for these business operators acquired by the data communication unit; a total emission calculation unit that calculates the total greenhouse gas emission amount for the fuel supplied from one supply chain by adding up the greenhouse gas emission amounts calculated by the business emission calculation unit for all of the constituent businesses that make up the one supply chain identified by the identification data; and A greenhouse gas emission management system characterized by comprising: a verification unit that verifies the greenhouse gas emission amount of a constituent business operator selected from the plurality of constituent businesses by comparing the standard greenhouse gas emission amount, which is an estimated value obtained from a business operator model that shows the relationship between the greenhouse gas emission amount and the amount of raw material or fuel handled, with the greenhouse gas emission amount calculated based on emission specification data obtained from the constituent business operator under conditions where the equipment configuration is common to that of the constituent business operator selected from the plurality of constituent businesses.

18. A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions in a fuel supply chain, comprising: a step in which a management system connected to a data communication system acquires, via the data communication system, a plurality of data sets from a plurality of constituent businesses that make up the supply chain from the production of the raw materials to the supply of the fuel, the constituent businesses being selected from a group of businesses consisting of producers that produce raw materials for the fuel, raw material transport businesses that transport the raw materials, manufacturers that manufacture the fuel from the raw materials, fuel transport businesses that transport the fuel, and suppliers that supply the fuel to consumers, the plurality of data sets associating identification data for identifying the raw materials or the fuel sent downstream in the supply chain after the implementation of a business by each constituent business with emission identification data for identifying the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted in connection with the implementation of the business for the raw materials or the fuel identified by the identification data; a step of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions of the plurality of constituent businesses by the management system based on the emission amount identification data acquired from these constituent businesses; and a step of calculating, by the management system, the total greenhouse gas emissions for all of the constituent businesses that make up one supply chain identified by the identification data, to determine the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from that one supply chain; A method for managing greenhouse gas emissions, characterized in that in the step of calculating the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel, a new supply chain is generated in which some of the constituent businesses that make up the one supply chain are replaced with constituent businesses that make up another supply chain, and the total greenhouse gas emissions for the fuel supplied from this new supply chain are calculated.

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