System and method for generating carbon emission values for mass balance products

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to generating carbon emission values for mass balance products to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or transmitting carbon emission values for mass balance products.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING CARBON EMISSION VALUES FOR MASS BALANCE PRODUCTS

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to generating carbon emission values for mass balance products to improve the environmental impact of chemical production networks by increasing transparency among value chain participants. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or transmitting carbon emission values for mass balance products.

[0004] TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0005] In the chemical manufacturing value chain, the calculation, monitoring, and exchange of carbon emission values is of great interest. Transparency between the participants can aid the collective improvement in showing compliance with applicable standards (which, in the case of sustainability-related standards can improve environmental impacts). The calculation, monitoring and sharing of emission values is hindered, however, by the lack of common data standards. The value chain is long, globalized, and includes many different types of stakeholders. There is a need to simplify data standards relating to the calculation, monitoring and sharing of emission values in the chemical manufacturing value chain.

[0006] The document “ Biomass Balance: An Innovative and Complementary Method for Using Biomass as Feedstock in the Chemical Industry: From Science to Innovation" by Kruger Christian et al, in Designing Sustainable Technologies, Products and Policies: From Science to Innovation”; 1 January 2018; Springer International Publishing, Cham, XP093123985, ISBN: 978-3-319-66981-6 discloses a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate quantitatively the environmental impacts of biomass-balanced (BMB) products. The disclosed calculation for BMB products is conducted in a software on the basis of an existing model for the fossil-based product. A material flow analysis is used that enables calculating the feedstock use in the final BMB product. The respective BMB product is calculated on the basis of the fossil product by replacing fossil-based naphtha and natural gas with biofeedstock derived naphtha (= bionaphtha) and biofeedstock derived natural gas (= biogas). The environmental burden B for biomass balance products is assumed to be the sum of the difference of the bio-based feedstocks and its fossil comparatives.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the method comprising: receiving mass balance certification data including a mass balance material demand value for a mass balance version of a product, receiving conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product, determining, based at least in part on the mass balance certification data and / or the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand, calculating, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for the mass balance version of the product, calculating a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, determining a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value, and outputting the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

[0008] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the method comprising: receiving conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product, calculating, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for a mass balance version of the product, calculating a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, determining a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the burden value, and the credit value, and outputting the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

[0009] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the method comprising: receiving conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product; determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand; calculating, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for a mass balance version of the product; calculating a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product; determining a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value; and outputting the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

[0010] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for automatically calculating a carbon emission value for two or more product identifiers, the method comprising: receiving a list of two or more product identifiers, for each of the two or more product identifiers, o receiving mass balance certification data including a mass balance material demand value for a mass balance version of a product, o receiving conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product, o determining, based at least in part on the mass balance certification data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand, o calculating, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for the mass balance version of the product, o calculating a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, o determining a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the burden value, and the credit value, and o storing the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product, gathering at least a subset of the stored carbon emission values, and outputting the at least the subset of the stored carbon emission values. In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for automatically calculating a carbon emission value for two or more product identifiers, the method comprising: receiving a list of two or more product identifiers, for each of the two or more product identifiers, o receiving conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product, o determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value on an amount of sustainable feedstock demand, o calculating, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for a mass balance version of the product, o calculating a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, o determining a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value, and o store the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product, gathering at least a subset of the stored carbon emission values, and outputting the at least the subset of the stored carbon emission values.

[0011] In another aspect the disclosure relates to a system for providing a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the system comprising: an input configured to receive conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product; a processor configured to (i) calculate, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for a mass balance version of the product (ii) calculate a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, and (iii) determine a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value; and an output configured to output the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

[0012] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a system for providing a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the system comprising: an input configured to receive mass balance certification data including a mass balance material demand value for a mass balance version of a product and conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of the product, a processor configured to (i) determine, based at least in part on the mass balance certification data and / or the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand (ii) calculate, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for the mass balance version of the product (iii) calculate a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, and (iv) determine a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value; and an output configured to output the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

[0013] In yet another aspect disclosed is a computer element, in particular a computer program product or a computer readable medium, with instructions, which when executed on one or more computing node(s) are configured to carry out the steps of any of the methods disclosed herein. In yet another aspect disclosed is a computer element, in particular a computer program product or a computer readable medium, with instructions, which when executed by a processor cause any of the apparatuses disclosed herein to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0014] Disclosed is in yet another aspect the use of one or more chemical products(s) associated with the digital credential representing certification of at least partial compliance with a standard and the digital representation of additional primary data associated with the standard as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein and / or produced by a chemical production network as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein to produce at least one discrete product or at least one end product associated with the one or more environmental attribute(s). The at least one discrete product or the at least one end product may be an intermediate or end product of a product supply chain. The at least one discrete product or the at least one end product may be based on one or more chemical products(s). The at least one discrete product or the at least one end product may be produced by discrete manufacturing. Disclosed is in yet another aspect a method for producing at least one discrete product or at least one end product associated with the input material demand calculation(s), wherein the target material associated with one or more of the input material demand calculation(s) as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein and / or produced by a chemical production network as provided by any of the methods disclosed herein is provided and / or used to produce the at least one discrete product or at least one end product associated with the one or more environmental attribute(s).

[0015] In yet another aspect the present disclosure relates to a computer element with instructions, which when executed on one or more computing node(s) is configured to carry out the steps of the method(s) of the present disclosure or configured to be carried out by the apparatus(es) of the present disclosure.

[0016] Any disclosure, embodiments and examples described herein relate to the methods, the systems, apparatuses, chemical products and computer elements lined out above and below. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the embodiments and examples equally apply to all other embodiments and examples.

[0017] EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The public, regulators, and financial investors are increasingly concerned with the environmental impacts of chemical production processes. Major companies, in turn, have announced ambitious plans to track and manage the environmental impacts associated with the production of their products. Transparency between the participants can aid the collective improvement in showing compliance with applicable standards (which, in the case of sustainability-related standards can improve environmental impacts). Mass balance schemes are typically directed to replacing a portion of fossil input material with a biogenic alternative.

[0019] This may involve gathering, processing, and tracking certification data related to quantities of fossil and biogenic materials and some of this data may be expressed in terms of energy content with, for example, the use of Lower Heating Value (LHV) or other suitable approaches.

[0020] Carbon emission schemes may involve gathering, processing, and tracking emission data and some of this data may be expressed in terms of carbon emissions with the use of CO2e or other suitable approaches. There is a need to integrate and process both certification data and emission data to enable automated solutions for digital systems to calculate and monitor carbon emission values for mass balance products.

[0021] The development of automated solutions for digital systems to calculate and monitor carbon emission values for mass balance products is hindered, however, by a number of factors. For example, the calculation and monitoring of an emission value for a mass balance product would be an extension of data standards relating to the calculation of emission values for conventional products and the extension should adhere to the requirements of the existing data standards.

[0022] Also, the calculation and monitoring of emission values for mass balance products would generate new production data which could be used to improve the sustainability characteristics of products but this may be hindered when stakeholders do not have access to this information.

[0023] In addition, several data points used to calculate and monitor the emission value for a mass balance product are the results of complex calculations spanning a wide range of source data and the development of automated solutions may be hindered by the need to retain logical consistency in the calculation base of these results.

[0024] The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure may enable the extension of data standards relating to the calculation of emission values for conventional products to automate the calculation and monitoring of emission values for mass balance products. The certification systems for calculating emission values and mass balancing may use different reference entities. For example, certification schemes for mass balancing may use Lower Heating Value (LHV) and certification schemes for calculating emission values may use CO2 equivalents (CO2e). The difference in reference entities can lead to calculations that might include effects that are physically unrealistic. The calculation of an upper bound value associated with the total carbon content of a product can help to ensure the calculation of an emission value for a mass balance product that follows the certification rules without physically unrealistic effects. The upper bound value may be automatically applied to both a burden value and a credit value to increase transparency and trust in the automatic calculation of an emission value for a mass balance product.

[0025] The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure may generate new production data that can be used to improve the sustainability characteristics of products. For example, the calculation of the upper bound value based on the carbon content of a product can be converted to a value representing a feedstock demand from the output perspective. This value may be compared with a value representing purchased feedstock (the input perspective) providing two frames of reference to increase transparency on the relation between, for example, a value representing purchased (or input) feedstock demand and the output feedstock demand (based on carbon content). This can increase transparency and efficiency in the certification system, as stakeholders use new production data to help improve the sustainability characteristics of products. The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure may enable the extension of data standards to automate the calculation and monitoring of emission values for mass balance products by retaining logical consistency in the calculation base for complex datasets that are based on different reference entities. For example, mass balance certification may be based on data points such as a product identifier and site identifier. Conventional emission values, however, may based on data points such as product identifier, company code, and production process code. The present disclosure may enable the extension of data standards relating to the calculation of emission values for conventional products to automate the calculation and monitoring of emission values for mass balance products by conforming and aggregating datasets from different reference entities to retain logical consistency in the calculation base.

[0026] This can increase transparency, efficiency and trust in a certification system, by enabling stakeholders to leverage the results of complex calculations spanning a wide range of source data.

[0027] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be outlined by way of examples. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to said embodiments and / or examples.

[0028] The term carbon emission value refers to a quantitative measure of the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, typically expressed in units of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), that are associated with a specific product. Examples of a carbon emission value include carbon footprint or Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) which refer to a quantitative measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted or removed in a production process at a manufacturing facility, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. The PCF can be assessed from cradle-to-gate (partial PCF) or from cradle-to-grave (total PCF). The PCF can include emissions from all stages of the product's life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal. It may be used to assess and reduce the environmental impact of a company’s products and to communicate this information to consumers. The term greenhouse gases (GHG) refers to a gas that is capable of absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere, and contributing to the greenhouse effect.

[0029] The most common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases.

[0030] Carbon emission values such as PCF values may be represented in a structured data format, such as XML or JSON, which allows for easy exchange of PCF information between different digital systems. The digital representation of a PCF may also include metadata, such as the date of the PCF calculation, the standards or protocols used in the calculation, and any assumptions or uncertainties associated with the PCF calculation. This metadata may help to ensure transparency and accuracy in the PCF calculation and reporting process. These values can be stored as a numeric data type and can be associated with other relevant data points, such as the name of the product, the date of manufacture, and the supplier information. They can also be displayed in a user interface or dashboard as a graph, chart, or other visual representation to help users understand and compare the environmental impact of different products or processes. Additionally, the values can be integrated into digital tools and platforms to help individuals and organizations make more informed decisions around sustainability.

[0031] Mass balance refers to a chain-of-custody approach to account for materials entering and leaving a system. In the chemical industry, renewable or recycled (collectively, “sustainable”) input material is mixed in a continuously operating production process and allocated to the end products after chemical transformations have taken place. The mass balance approach is designed to track the amount and the sustainable characteristics of sustainable input material and attribute it based on verifiable bookkeeping. A mass balance product refers to a product that has been manufactured using a mass balance approach, which involves tracking the flow of sustainable materials entering and leaving a system and allocating them to the production of specific products. A conventional product refers to a product to which sustainable characteristics have not been allocated under a mass balance scheme (e.g., under a mass balance certification system). A given product may have a mass balance version (with sustainable characteristics allocated to under a mass balance scheme) and a conventional version (without sustainable characteristics allocated to under a mass balance scheme).

[0032] Conventional product sustainability data refers to data about the sustainability characteristics of conventional products. The conventional product sustainability data may include data such as: conventional product numbers, conventional PCF values (i.e. , PCF values for conventional products), scope 3 PCF values for an amount of input material of a conventional product that is to be substituted when make a mass balance product, non-thermal emissions and waste (NTEW) values (i.e., direct process emissions) for conventional products, and the like. The conventional product sustainability data may be located in a data store. That data store may be a system, or database that provides the data or information to a digital system or application. It can be a file, a database, a web service, an application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to a digital application. The data source may be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. The data source can be internal or external to the system, and it can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, network access, and APIs.

[0033] Mass balance certification data refers to data associated with the certifications under one or more mass balance certification schemes. The mass balance certification data may include certification product data and sustainable feedstock demand data. The certification product data may include: production site certification data, conventional product identifiers for conventional products that are enriched by sustainable material substitution, mass balance product identifiers, certification scheme data (e.g., ISCC Plus, REDcert, etc.), and the like. The sustainable feedstock demand data may include: the type of sustainable input material(s) that are used, amount(s) of sustainable input material(s) to be acquired (e.g., under a certification scheme), percentage of fossil input material that is being substituted, and the like. The mass balance certification data may be located in a data store. That data store may be a system, or database that provides the data or information to a digital system or application. It can be a file, a database, a web service, an application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to a digital application. The data source may be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. The data source can be internal or external to the system, and it can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, network access, and APIs.

[0034] More generally, mass balance certification data may include input material data (data on the origin, quantity, quality, and characteristics of all input materials used in the production process), production data (data on the quantity, quality, and characteristics of products produced in the production process), transaction data (data on transactions involving input materials, products, and byproducts, including purchases, sales, transfers, and waste disposal), certification data (data on the certification status of input materials, products, and byproducts, including information on the certification body, certification type, and certification number), and / or traceability data (data on the traceability of input materials, products, and byproducts throughout the production process, including information on the batch number, lot number, and date of production).

[0035] The term “biogenic carbon” refers to carbon of renewable origin like agricultural, plant, animal, fungi, microorganisms, marine, or forestry materials living in a natural environment in equilibrium with the atmosphere. The term “fossil carbon” refers to carbon that is derived from nonrenewable sources, such as fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. The term mass balance material demand value refers to a quantitative measure of the amount of sustainable input material used in the production process of a mass balance product to comply with a mass balance certification system (or other mass balance scheme). The mass balance material demand may be expressed in terms of LHV or other measures that may be suitable for a particular certification system or scheme. Examples of a mass balance material demand value include an MMD which refer to a quantitative measure of the amount of sustainable input material that is purchased under some certification schemas to create mass balance products. It may be used to assess and reduce the environmental impact of a company’s products and to communicate this information to consumers.

[0036] Mass balance material demand values such as MMD values may be represented in a structured data format, such as XML or JSON, which allows for easy exchange of information between different digital systems. The digital representation of a mass balance material demand value may also include metadata, such as the date of the calculation, the standards or protocols used in the calculation, and any assumptions or uncertainties associated with the mass balance calculation. This metadata may help to ensure transparency and accuracy in the calculation and reporting process. These values can be stored as a numeric data type and can be associated with other relevant data points, such as the name of the product, the date of manufacture, and the supplier information. They can also be displayed in a user interface or dashboard as a graph, chart, or other visual representation to help users understand and compare the environmental impact of different products or processes. Additionally, the values can be integrated into digital tools and platforms to help individuals and organizations make more informed decisions around sustainability.

[0037] The term “upper bound value” refers to the highest possible value or limit that a particular quantity or parameter can reach within a given context. In other words, it represents the maximum value that can be attained by a particular variable or parameter. An upper bound value can be used to set limits or constraints on certain processes or activities. For example, in the context of manufacturing, an upper bound value may be set for the amount of carbon that can substituted. An upper bound value can also be used in mathematical modeling to represent the maximum value of a particular variable within a given range. In this context, an upper bound value can help ensure that the model remains within realistic and feasible parameters.

[0038] A standard may refer to a set of guidelines, rules, or requirements that establish a common framework or a consistent way of doing things. It may be a formal document that provides specifications, procedures, or criteria for products, services, processes, or systems, with the aim of ensuring quality, safety, reliability, interoperability, or other desirable characteristics. Standards may be developed and maintained by standards setting organizations (SSOs), which can be national, regional, international bodies or industry consortia. Standards are typically based on consensus among stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and other sectors. Standards can be voluntary or mandatory, and can be adopted by governments, businesses, or other organizations as a basis for regulation, procurement, or quality management. Standards can cover a wide range of topics, such as information technology, manufacturing, environmental management, and sustainability. They can be developed for specific industries, products, or processes, or can be general in nature, applicable to a wide range of applications.

[0039] The term “carbon content” or “carbon content value” refers to the amount of carbon present in a substance or material. It may be expressed as a percentage or a weight fraction of the total mass of the substance. In the context of chemical products, carbon content values can be used to determine the environmental impact of a particular product. For example, the carbon content of a fuel can be used to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that will be produced when the fuel is burned. Similarly, the carbon content of a material can be used to determine the environmental impact of its production and use.

[0040] A sustainability standard may refer to a set of requirements, guidelines, and criteria that define sustainable practices for a specific industry or product. Sustainability standards may be developed by organizations such as REDcert, ISCC, and RSPO, which are responsible for setting the criteria and may also oversee the certification process. These organizations may work with stakeholders from industry, civil society, and other sectors to develop standards that promote sustainable practices. Sustainability standards typically cover a wide range of topics, such as land use, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, water management, mass balance, recycling, and circularity. They may document specific requirements and indicators for sustainable practices, and establish a certification process to verify compliance with these practices.

[0041] A certification system refers to the set of standards and guidelines for verifying the use of a standard (e.g., mass allocation to allocate sustainable feedstocks to sustainable products).

[0042] Examples of certification systems may include REDcert2 and ISCC+. A certification body refers to the organization that conducts the actual certification process (e.g., applies the certification system to the candidate site, process and / or product). The certification body may be an independent third party who is accredited by a certification system (accreditation body) to perform audits, inspections and issue certificates according to the standards set in the scheme. A Certification Body refers to the organization that conducts the actual certification process (e.g., applies the Certification System to the candidate product)

[0043] A certification body may be an independent organization that is responsible for verifying compliance with sustainability standards. Certification bodies may be authorized by an SSO to conduct audits and inspections of companies that seek certification under a standard. They may be accredited by third-party accreditation bodies to ensure that they meet certain criteria for impartiality, competence, and reliability. Certification bodies work with companies to assess their compliance with standards (e.g., sustainability standards) which can include requirements related to environmental performance. Certification bodies may evaluate companies' management systems, processes, and performance indicators to determine whether they meet the requirements of a standard. If a company meets the requirements of a standard, the certification body may issue a certificate that indicates the company (or a site(s), process(es), product(s) of the company) comply with the requirements of a standard (or standards). Partial compliance may refer to meeting at least some of the requirements of a standard. The certification body may also be responsible for ensuring the ongoing compliance of the certified company through regular audits and inspections.

[0044] Digital systems may use authentication and / or authorization technologies to control access to resources and to verify the identity of users. Authentication may refer to the process of verifying the identity of a user or a system. It may involve presenting credentials, such as a username and password, a digital certificate, or a biometric sample, and comparing them with records or standards to determine whether the user or system is authorized to access a particular resource or perform a specific action. Authorization may refer to the process of granting or denying access to a resource or a system based on the authenticated identity and the level of permission assigned to that identity. It may involve defining roles, rules, or policies that specify what actions or resources a user or system is allowed to access, and what actions or resources are restricted or prohibited.

[0045] Public and private keys may be used in digital systems to provide secure access to resources and to verify the identity of users. Public and private keys are part of a cryptographic system known as public-key cryptography. In this system, each user has a pair of keys - a public key and a private key - that are mathematically related but cannot be derived from one another. The public key may be used to encrypt data and may be available to others who may want to send encrypted data to the user. The private key may be kept secret and may be used to decrypt data that has been encrypted with the public key. There may be various types of audits including: on-site audits, remote audits, paper audits and / or virtual audits. An on-site audit may refer to a third party (or customer) comes to the manufacturing site to perform an audit. A remote audit may be conducted remotely by the third party (or customer) using digital platforms for meetings and to gather data and other information. A paper audit may involve (1) an auditor providing a questionnaire to the manufacturer and (2) the manufacturing completing and returning the questionnaire to the auditor. A virtual audit may refer to the use of digital platforms to enable an auditor to conduct the audit remotely. A virtual audit may use virtual reality and remotely accessible data stores to significantly reduce (or even eliminate) the need for interaction between the auditor and the plant personnel.

[0046] A certificate may refer to a credential issued by the certification body to indicate that the company (or a site, location, plant, product, legal entity, etc. of the company) or product has met the requirements of the certification system. The certificate serves as evidence that the company or product has been audited by an independent third-party certification body and has been found to comply with the relevant standards and requirements. The certificate typically includes information such as the name and address of the certified company, the scope of the certification (e.g., which products or processes are covered), the name of the certification body, the date of issue, and the date of expiration. The certificate is usually valid for a specific period of time and may require ongoing audits or surveillance to maintain certification. The certificate can be an important marketing tool for the certified company, as it demonstrates a commitment to quality and compliance with industry standards.

[0047] A digital identifier is a unique code or set of characters that is assigned to a specific entity, such as a person, organization, or resource, to distinguish it from others. Digital identifiers may serve as labels or handles that enable digital systems to recognize and track entities across different contexts and applications. They can be used to retrieve or link to digital resources, such as data, documents, images, videos, or web pages, and to manage access or permissions to these resources. Digital identifiers can take various forms, such as email addresses, usernames, domain names, IP addresses, or digital certificates. They can be assigned by different organizations or authorities, such as domain registrars, social media platforms, or government agencies, and can be used for different purposes, such as authentication, authorization, or identification. The use of digital identifiers may enable efficient and secure communication and data exchange among different entities.

[0048] Digital proof may refer to a cryptographic mechanism that provides verifiable evidence of the authenticity of a digital credential without revealing the underlying data. Digital proofs may be generated by combining the digital credential with a cryptographic proof, such as a digital signature or a zero-knowledge proof, to create a tamper-evident, cryptographically secure record that can be shared with others. The digital proof may include metadata about the credential, such as the issuer, the credential holder, the date of issuance, and other relevant information, as well as a cryptographic signature that verifies the integrity of the data.

[0049] A network node may refer to a device or computer that is connected to a network and is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding data. The network node be any type of device that is connected to the network, such as a server, a router, a switch, a mobile device, an loT device, or a personal computer. In the context of the digital credential scheme, each entity (e.g., Issuer, Holder, and Verifier) may have its own network node that may allow it to interact with a distributed ledger that stores the digital credentials. The network nodes may communicate with each other to ensure the integrity and security of the system, and to facilitate the exchange of digital credentials between the different entities.

[0050] Environmental characteristic(s) may specify or quantify ecological criteria associated with the products environmental impact. Environmental characteristic(s) may be or may be produced or derived from measurements taken during the lifecycle of one or more product(s). Environmental characteristics may be determined at any stage of the product lifecycle and may characterize the environmental impact of the product for such stage or up to such stage. Environmental characteristic(s) may for example include impact categories such as fossil footprint, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions or global warming potential, primary energy demand, cumulative energy demand, biotic and abiotic resource consumption, air emissions, stratospheric ozone depletion potential, ozone formation, terrestrial and / or marine acidification, water consumption, water depletion, water availability, water pollution, noise pollution, freshwater and / or marine eutrophication potential, human carcinogenic and / or non-carcinogenic toxicity, photochemical oxidant formation, particulate matter formation, terrestrial, freshwater and / or marine ecotoxicity, ionizing radiation, agricultural and / or urban land occupation, land transformation, land use, indirect land use, deforestation, biodiversity, mineral resource consumption, fossil resource consumption, and / or feedstock demand (e.g., sustainable feedstock demand and / or fossil feedstock demand).

[0051] Environmental characteristic(s) may be calculated from combinations of one of more environmental characteristics. Environmental characteristic(s) may for example include product or material characteristics related to the production of the material or product like renewable, bio based, vegan, halal, kosher, palm oil-free, natural or the like. In an embodiment, the carbon emission value for the conventional version of the product is a PCF value for the conventional version of the product.

[0052] In an embodiment, the mass balance material demand value is an MMD value.

[0053] In an embodiment, determining, based at least in part on the mass balance certification data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand comprises: determining, based at least in part on (i) the mass balance certification data and (ii) the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand.

[0054] In an embodiment, the computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product further comprises: determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value on an amount of sustainable feedstock demand.

[0055] In an embodiment, determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand comprises: determining, based at least in part on (i) the conventional product sustainability data and (ii) mass balance certification data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand.

[0056] In an embodiment, determining the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the burden value, and the credit value comprises: determining the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value.

[0057] In an embodiment, determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand comprises: determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand, wherein the conventional product sustainability data includes a carbon content value for the conventional version of the product. In an embodiment, determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand, wherein the conventional product sustainability data includes a carbon content value for the conventional version of the product comprises: determining, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand, wherein the conventional product sustainability data includes (i) the carbon content value for the conventional version of the product and (ii) a carbon content value of the non-thermal direct process emissions for the conventional version of the product.

[0058] In an embodiment, the computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product further comprises: storing (i) the carbon content value and (ii) the carbon content value of the non-thermal direct process emissions for the conventional version of the product.

[0059] In an embodiment, the computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product further comprises: providing (i) the carbon content value and (ii) the carbon content value of the non-thermal direct process emissions for the conventional version of the product to a user.

[0060] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] In the following, the present disclosure is further described with reference to the enclosed figures. The same reference numbers in the drawings and this disclosure are intended to refer to the same or like elements, components, and / or parts.

[0062] FIG. 1a-c illustrate examples of chemical processes with multi input-multi output relations.

[0063] FIG. 2 illustrates a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0064] FIG. 3 illustrates a sub-cluster of a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0065] FIG. 4. Illustrates multiple sub-clusters forming a chemical production network.

[0066] FIG. 5. is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of providing a carbon emissions value for a mass balance product, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0067] FIGs. 6A illustrates selected aspects of a data model for mass balance certification data according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGs. 6B illustrates selected aspects of a data model for conventional product sustainability data according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of determining whether to apply a cap on the amount of sustainable feedstock demand.

[0069] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of providing an input material burden value, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0070] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of providing a substituted carbon credit value, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0071] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a system for generating and providing carbon emission values for mass balance products, according to embodiment of the invention.

[0072] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of another example of a system for generating and providing carbon emission values for mass balance products, according to embodiment of the invention.

[0073] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0074] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] The present disclosure is in the field of computer-implemented systems and methods for generating and monitoring emission values for mass balance products. The disclosed systems and methods may enable the extension of data standards relating to the calculation of emission values for conventional products to automate the calculation and monitoring of emission values for mass balance products.

[0076] The disclosed system and process can be applied to a wide variety of products that are made from input materials, such as chemical products or precursor products. The term "product" may refer to any commodity that can be sold to others at any point in the value chain. This may include end products for end users (e.g., cars, paints, toys, or medicines). This may also include goods that are typically sold to other companies for further processing (e.g., steel parts for machinery, plastic pellets for extrusion, or chemical compounds such as acrylic acid to make superabsorbents for diapers). This may also include goods that are very early in the value chain such as crude oil fractions (e.g., naphtha), agricultural products (e.g., soybeans), or purified sand for glass production. Figs. 1a-c illustrate examples of chemical processes with multi input-multi output relations.

[0077] Chemical processes may include different process steps for producing one or more output material(s) from one or more input material(s). The chemical process may include at least one process step involving at least one chemical reaction. The chemical process may produce from multiple input materials multiple output materials. Chemical process steps include for example oxidation, reduction, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrolysis, hydration, dehydration, halogenation, nitrification, sulfonation, amination, alkylation, dealkylation, esterification, polymerization, polycondensation, catalysis, fermentation, mixing, separation, purification or the like. The process steps may be performed sequentially in time and / or space to chemically transform of input materials to output materials.

[0078] Fig. 1a illustrates input materials 102 and 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102 and 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106 and 108. The output materials 106 and 108 may include one main product and at least one by-product. In chemical reactions, the yield of one output material is typically below 100 %, because of side reactions and losses upon purifications. Hence chemical processes may produce multiple output materials. The main product may signify the product of interest and the by-product may signify the further output product that is unavoidably obtained by the chemical process. The by-product may be an intermediate which can be used as reagent in another chemical process. The chemical process including the feed of input materials and the produced quantity of output materials may be monitored by sensors 110 providing production monitoring data.

[0079] Fig. 1b illustrates input materials 102, 103, 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102, 103, 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106, 108 as described in the context of Fig. 1a. In addition to the output materials 106, 108 a waste stream 112 may be produced by the chemical process. The waste stream may include any output material that cannot be used as reagent in another chemical process.

[0080] Fig. 1c illustrates input materials 102, 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102, 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106, 108 as described in the context of Figs. 1a and 1b. In addition to the output materials 106, 108 a refeed stream of input material 112 may be produced and reused by the chemical process.

[0081] Fig. 2illustrates a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes. Fig. 2 illustrates the networked nature of the chemical production network. Multiple chemical processes are interlinked via their input-output material relation. For example, the output materials 206, 208 of chemical process 204 may be the input material of chemical processes 214, 216. Chemical process 214 may produce from the input materials 210 and 206 the output materials 218, 220 and waste stream 220. Output material 218 may exit the chemical production network as end products. The input material 210 may be fed to the chemical process 214 from the outside of the chemical production network. The input material 206 may be fed to the chemical process 214 from the chemical process 204 of the chemical production network.

[0082] Similarly chemical process 216 may produce from the input materials 208 and 212 the output materials 224-230. Output materials 228 and 230 may exit the chemical production network as end products. Chemical process 232 may produce from the input materials 222, 224, 226 the output materials 234, 236. Output materials 234, 236 may exit the chemical production network as end products. This way the chemical production network may use interlinked or interrelated chemical processes to produce output products leaving the chemical production network. The interlinking or interrelation may include at least one intermediate of one chemical process being used as input material to one or more chemical process(es) downstream the one chemical process.

[0083] Fig. 3 illustrates a sub-cluster of a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0084] A chemical production network may include multiple plants performing chemical processes 312, 310, 318 and forming sub-clusters 300 of the chemical production network. The input material 302, 304 may be fed into chemical process 310. The input materials 306, 308 may be fed into chemical process 312. The output materials 320, 324 may be provided as end products of the subcluster 300 and exit the subcluster 300. The output materials 314 and 316 of chemical processes 310, 312 may be provided as input materials to chemical process 318. The output materials 322, 324 may be provided as end products of the subcluster 300 and exit the subcluster 300.

[0085] Fig. 4 illustrates multiple sub-clusters forming a chemical production network.

[0086] The chemical production network 400 may include multiple subclusters 410, 412, 422. The input materials 402, 404, 406, 408 may be fed to subclusters 410, 412. The output material 416 from subcluster 416 and the output material 418 from subcluster 412 may be fed as input material to subcluster 422. In addition, input material 414 may enter the chemical production network 400 and be fed to subcluster 422. The output materials 424, 426, 428 may exit the chemical production network as end products.

[0087] As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 the chemical production network 400 may include multiple chemical processes 100, which may be arranged in subclusters 410, 412, 422. The chemical processes 100 or subclusters 410, 412, 422 may be connected to form a network with multiple production chains interrelated via their material flow. The chemical production network may form part of a discrete product supply chain, wherein the discrete product is produced from one or more chemical outputs or output materials proved by the chemical production network.

[0088] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of providing a carbon emissions value for a mass balance product, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0089] Method 500 includes (i) mass balance certification data and (ii) conventional product sustainability data provided, respectively, at 505 and 510. Mass balance certification data refers to data associated with the certifications under one or more mass balance certification schemes. The mass balance certification data may include certification product data and sustainable feedstock demand data. Mass balance certification data 505 may include multiple fields for data shown by FIG. 6A. Examples of the types of data fields that may be included in mass balance certification data include (i) certification product data (602) and (ii) sustainable feedstock demand data (612). Certification product data (602) may, for example, include: production site certification data (604), conventional product identifiers (606), mass balance product identifiers (608), certification scheme data (610), mass balance material demand value (611), and the like. Sustainable feedstock demand data (612) may, for example, include: type of sustainable input material(s) used (614), amount(s) of sustainable input material(s) to be acquired (616), percentage of fossil input material that is being substituted (618), and the like. In alternative embodiments, mass balance certification data 505 may have more data fields, fewer data fields, and / or different data fields. Data elements 602-618 may be structured as key-value pairs, where the key represents the name of the attribute and the value represents the actual information. For example, a filed for a certification scheme could have a key of "certification scheme" and a value of "123456789." Data elements 602-618 may be digitally signed using a cryptographic key to ensure their integrity and authenticity. In an embodiment, data elements 602-618 can be selectively disclosed to different parties depending on the needs and the requirements of stakeholder.

[0090] Conventional product sustainability data 510 may include multiple fields for data shown by FIG. 6B. Examples of the types of data fields that may be included in conventional product sustainability data include: conventional product numbers (620), conventional PCF values (622), scope 3 PCF values for amount of input material of a conventional product that is to be substituted to make a mass balance product (624), non-thermal emissions and waste (NTEW) values (i.e. , direct process emissions) for conventional products (626), and the like. In alternative embodiments, conventional product sustainability data 510 may have more data fields, fewer data fields, and / or different data fields. Data elements 620-626 may be structured as key-value pairs, where the key represents the name of the attribute and the value represents the actual information. For example, a field for a conventional product number could have a key of "conventional product number" and a value of "123456789." Data elements 620-626 may be digitally signed using a cryptographic key to ensure their integrity and authenticity. In an embodiment, data elements 620-626 can be selectively disclosed to different parties depending on the needs and the requirements of stakeholder.

[0091] The present disclosure comprises the step (512) receiving mass balance certification data including a mass balance material demand value for a mass balance version of a product (as shown in FIG. 5). In an embodiment, a digital system may receive an instruction to generate one or more PCF values for one or more mass balance products along with any relevant metadata (e.g., via text and / or a graphical user interface). The digital system may then access selected aspects of (i) mass balance certification data 505 and (ii) conventional product sustainability data (510) to retrieve the applicable data. Accessing 505 and 510 (as well as receiving the instruction) may involve additional steps, such as verifying the identity of the user, checking the validity and status of the instruction, and establishing a secure connection with the data sources for 505 and 510.

[0092] The present disclosure comprises the step (515) receiving conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product (as shown in FIG. 5). In an embodiment, a digital system may receive an instruction to generate one or more PCF values for one or more mass balance products along with any relevant metadata (e.g., via text and / or a graphical user interface). The digital system may then access selected aspects of (i) mass balance certification data 505 and (ii) conventional product sustainability data (510) to retrieve the applicable data. Accessing 505 and 510 (as well as receiving the instruction) may involve additional steps, such as verifying the identity of the user, checking the validity and status of the instruction, and establishing a secure connection with the data sources for 505 and 510.

[0093] In response to the instruction to generate one or more PCF values for one or more mass balance products, the digital system may apply a calculation that draws on the wide range of source data provided by 505 and 510. In general, the PCF calculation for a mass balance product may involve translating values corresponding to the sustainable input material used for mass balance (and typically expressed in terms of LHV) one-to-one from the mass balance logic to the PCF logic. For example, the amount of sustainable feedstock used in the calculation may be equivalent to the purchased amount for the mass balancing. The whole amount of the biogenic carbon content of the purchased sustainable feedstock may be reflected in the PCF calculation. At a high level, the PCF calculation for a mass balance product may include three primary terms as shown below in Equation 1. Where PCFBMB is the PCF of the mass balance product and PCFCP is the PCF of the corresponding conventional product.

[0094] PCFBMB—PCFcp + BurdenrawMaterial - CreditsubstitutedCarbon (1)

[0095] The conventional PCF (PCFCP) may be retrieved from conventional product sustainability data 505. In an embodiment, the conventional PCFs may be generated by a digital system that gathers and processes a wide range of data (e.g., input material data, production data, network data, and the like) and applies a logical framework for generating PCF values such as the Product Carbon Footprint Guideline from Together for Sustainability (or other suitable framework for calculating the conventional PCFs for conventional chemical products).

[0096] As shown by Equation 1 , the conventional PCF may be subject to two conditions (1) the raw material burden (BurdenrawMateriai or, simply “burden value”) and (2) the substituted carbon credit (CreditsubstitutedCarbon or, simply “credit value”). The burden value and credit value are further discussed below with reference to FIGs. 5, 8, and 9.

[0097] The present disclosure comprises the step (520) determining, based at least in part on the mass balance certification data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand. In an embodiment, it is possible that the amount of purchased sustainable feedstock (e.g., 1222 shown in FIG. 12) under a certification scheme exceeds the amount of carbon that can be physically attributed to a mass balance product. The digital system may mitigate this risk by determining a capping value such as the upper bound value.

[0098] In general, the amount of carbon that the digital system can physically attribute to a mass balance product is defined as the sum of fossil carbon content in the conventional product and the non-thermal carbon process emissions waste, wastewater and residue. In addition, the digital system may apply a factor to account for the carbon content in the biogenic feedstock (CCBF). Therefore, the PCFBMB calculation shown in Equation 1 may be subject to the constraint shown in Equation 2. X S (CCCP+CCNTEW) I CCBF (2)

[0099] Where:

[0100] - X is the upper bound value.

[0101] - CCCP is the fossil carbon content of the conventional product.

[0102] - CCNTEW is the non-thermal carbon process emissions waste, wastewater and residue.

[0103] - CCBF is the carbon content in the biogenic feedstock.

[0104] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of determining whether to apply a cap on the amount of sustainable feedstock demand. The digital system retrieves values for CCCP, CCNTEW, and CCBF from conventional product sustainability data 510 at 710. The digital system may then calculate the amount of fossil carbon that can be physically attributable to the product by summing CCCP and CCNTEW at (715) and applying CCBF (at 720) as shown in Equation 2. In some embodiments, the digital system retrieves the applicable Mass Balance Material Demand (or MMD) at 705. The MMD refers to the amount of sustainable input material that is purchased under the certification schema to create a mass balance product. Referring to 730, the digital system compares the MMD to the amount of fossil carbon that can be physically attributable to the product to determine whether capping is applied. In an embodiment, the digital system applies capping if the MMD is greater than the amount of fossil carbon that can be physically attributable to the product. The digital system then determines an amount of sustainable feedstock demand based, in part, on whether capping is applied at 735.

[0105] In an embodiment, both CCCP and CCNTEW may be expressed in the units (kg Carbon) / (kg Product) or kgC / kgP. The term CCBF may have the same units as MMD which may have units that result from a translation to LHV (or similar factor) as may be used in a mass balance scheme. Such a translation may enable the upper bound value to have the same units a sustainable feedstock demand.

[0106] Returning to FIG. 5, the present disclosure comprises the step (525) calculating, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for the mass balance version of the product. In an embodiment, the production of the sustainable feedstock may generate more carbon emissions than the production of the corresponding amount of fossil feedstock. The reasons for this difference may include factors such as fertilizer usage, energy usage, processing, and transportation associated with the production of the sustainable feedstock. In an embodiment, the digital system may account for this by calculating a burden value (or raw material burden or BurdenrawMateriai). Equation 3 illustrates the calculation of a burden value, according to embodiment of the invention.

[0107] BurdenrawMateriai - X * (PCFBF ' PCFFF) (3)

[0108] Where:

[0109] - BurdenrawMateriai is the burden value

[0110] - X is the upper bound value.

[0111] - PCFBF is the PCF associated with producing the sustainable feedstock.

[0112] - PCFFF is the PCF associated with producing the fossil feedstock.

[0113] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of calculating the burden value, according to an embodiment of the invention. The digital system retrieves a value for the sustainable feedstock emissions data associated with producing the product (or PCFBF) at 805. Similarly, the digital system retrieves a value for the fossil feedstock emissions data associated with producing the product (or PCFFF) at 810. The digital system may then calculate the burden value by determine the difference between PCFBF and PCFFF at (815) and applying the upper bound value (or X) at 820. With reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 together, the digital system may then return the burden value (at 825) for use in the PCFBMB determination at 525.

[0114] Returning to FIG. 5, the present disclosure comprises the step (530) calculating a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product. In an embodiment, there is a positive environmental impact associated with the amount of biogenic carbon in the sustainable feedstock used to substitute for fossil feedstock because it is offset by the amount of carbon absorbed during the growth of the sustainable feedstock. Therefore, Equation 1 includes a credit value corresponding to the amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon. Equation 4 illustrates the calculation of a credit value, according to embodiment of the invention.

[0115] GreditsubstitutedCarbon—X (CCBF 44 / 12) (4)

[0116] Where:

[0117] - GreditsubstitutedCarbon is the credit value.

[0118] - X is the upper bound value.

[0119] - CCBF is the carbon content in the biogenic feedstock.

[0120] - 44 / 12 is a conversion factor to (approximately) translate carbon to CO2e. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of calculating the credit value, according to an embodiment of the invention. The digital system retrieves a value for the carbon content associated with the sustainable feedstock (CCBF) at 905. The digital system may then apply the conversion factor (e.g., 44 / 12) to translate the carbon content value to CO2e at 910 and then apply the upper bound value at 915 to determine the credit value. With reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 together, the digital system may then return the credit value (at 920) for use in the PCFBMB determination at 530.

[0121] Returning to FIG. 5, the present disclosure comprises the step (535) determining a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value. At step 535, in an embodiment, the digital system applies Equation 1 to the values determined in steps 515-530 to determine the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product (or PCFBMB). The digital system may retrieve the PCFCP value, the burden value and the credit value from memory or storage. The digital system may then determine the PCFBMB by adding the burden value to the PCFCP and subtracting the credit value as shown by Equation 1.

[0122] PCFBMB—PCFCP + BurdenrawMaterial - CreditsubstitutedCarbon (1)

[0123] Referring to 540, the present disclosure comprises the step of outputting the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product (or PCFBMB). In an embodiment, the digital system may select the PCFBMB and provide it to an output (e.g., input / output 1032 shown in FIG. 10). In an embodiment, the output comprises a user interface configured to display the PCFBMB. The user interface may provide a graph to visually represent one or more PCFBMB associated with mass balance products. In some embodiments, a user may use the user interface to analyze the environmental impact PCFBMB and to monitor, manage, and / or adjust the production process to, for example, minimize the PCFBMB for chemical products.

[0124] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of a system for generating and providing carbon emission values for mass balance products, according to embodiment of the invention. System 1000 includes network 1030, production operating system 1020, and data sources 1010. Network 1030 may be any combination of wired and wireless networks capable of interconnecting digital systems. Production operating system 1020 may monitor and / or control a production network (e.g., the chemical product networks shown in FIGs. 2-4). Data sources 1010 include mass balance certification data source 1012 and Conventional Product Sustainability Data Source 1014. A data source can be any type of system or technology that collects, stores, and / or provides access to data, such as a database, a file system, a web service, a sensor network, a camera, a satellite, an loT device, production equipment, and the like.

[0125] Applications or other systems within production operating system 1020 may access data sources 1012 and 1014 for example, through a query interface or through a data transfer mechanism such as a file transfer protocol (FTP), a web API, and / or a message queue. Data sources 1012 and 1014 can be either internal or external to a production operating system 1020, depending on the specific context and use case. For example, data sources 1012 and 104 could be internal databases that are used by an application(s) to store and retrieve data associated with mass balance certification and conventional product sustainability data, respectively.

[0126] In an embodiment, mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 retrieves data from data sources 1012 and 1014 to perform the methods described above with reference to FIGs. 5-9 (and apply the logic in Equations 1-4). Mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 may output the resulting PCFBMB to user 1038 via input / output 1032 (as shown by 1040). In an embodiment, mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 may also output auxiliary calculation results 1036 to internal user 1034. Auxiliary calculation results refer to secondary results from the PCFBMB methods (and equations) that can provide additional information about the calculation or insights into the underlying data.

[0127] In an embodiment, mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 includes automated bulk calculation logic 1026. Automated bulk calculation logic 1026 may be an automated program that pulls mass balance certification data 1012 and conventional product sustainability data 1014 in bulk and calculates the emission values for multiple mass balance products in a single run. For example, mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 may receive an instruction (e.g., from internal user 1034) to calculate the PCF value for two or more mass products. In response to the instruction, automated bulk calculation logic 1026 may identify data sources 1012 and 1014 as the appropriate data sources for the calculations. Logic 1026 may then retrieve the applicable data from data sources 1012 and 1014 using various methods such as database queries and API calls. Logic 1026 may then perform the calculations shown in FIG. 5 for each applicable mass balance product. Logic 1026 may store the results in database 1022 and / or output the results to input / output 1032.

[0128] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of another example of a system for generating and providing carbon emission values for mass balance products, according to an embodiment of the invention. System 1000 includes network 1030, production operating system 1020, and data sources 1010. Network 1030 may be any combination of wired and wireless networks capable of interconnecting digital systems. Production operating system 1020 may monitor and / or control a production network (e.g., the chemical product networks shown in FIGs. 2-4). Data sources 1010 include: certified company data 1102, conventional product data 1104, PCFBF 1106, PCFFF 1108, CCCP 1110, CCNTEW 1112, and CCBF 1114. A data source can be any type of system or technology that collects, stores, and / or provides access to data, such as a database, a file system, a web service, a sensor network, a camera, a satellite, an loT device, production equipment, and the like.

[0129] Applications or other systems within production operating system 1020 may access data sources 1102-1114 for example, through a query interface or through a data transfer mechanism such as a file transfer protocol (FTP), a web API, and / or a message queue. Data sources 1102-1114 can be either internal or external to a production operating system 1020, depending on the specific context and use case. For example, a data sources 1102-1114 could be internal databases that are used by an application(s) to store and retrieve data associated with mass balance certification and conventional product sustainability data. Data sources 1102-1114 may also include a mix of internal and external data stores.

[0130] In an embodiment, mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 retrieves data from data sources 1102-1114 to perform the methods described above with reference to FIGs. 5-9 (and apply the logic in Equations 1-4). Mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 may output the resulting PCFBMB to user 1038 via input / output 1032 (as shown by 1040). In an embodiment, mass balance PCF calculation logic 1024 may also output auxiliary calculation results 1036 to internal user 1034. Auxiliary calculation results refer to secondary results from the PCFBMB methods (and equations) that can provide additional information about the calculation or insights into the underlying data.

[0131] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating selected aspects of the data flow for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, according to an embodiment of the invention. Data flow 1200 shows the result of the calculation, a carbon emission value for a mass balance product (PCFBMB) at 1214. In an embodiment, the values used to calculate the PCFBMB include the PCF of the conventional version of the product (PCFCP) 1206, the burden value (Burdenrawmateriai) 1212, and the credit value (Creditsubstitutedcarbon) 1230.

[0132] Referring to the bottom-left of FIG. 12, there are two input values for PCFcp: CertifiedCompany

[0133] 1202 and Product Number 1204. In an embodiment, CertifiedCompany 1202 may be an identifier for the company that is certified to apply the mass balance system. Product number 1204, in turn, may be the identifier for the product that is certified under the mass balance system. In an embodiment, a digital system (e.g., production operating system 1020, shown in FIG. 10), may aggregate applicable values by the historic production volumes of the products and then average the data.

[0134] Referring to the top-right of FIG. 12, there are three data points that provide inputs to sustainable feedstock demand value (SusFeed0UtPut) 1224. Those three values are: carbon content of the conventional product (CCCP) 1216, carbon content of the non-thermal emissions and waste (CCNTEW) 1218, and carbon content of the biogenic feedstock (CCBF) 1220. These three values may be combined to provide the “output perspective” on feedstock demand because they account for the carbon in the output product (with CCBF applied to account for the carbon content in the biogenic feedstock). Mass balance material demand (MMD) 1222 provides the “input perspective” because it refers to the amount of certified sustainable input material that may be substituted for conventional input material to create a mass balance product. Together, the input and output perspectives enable the digital system to cap the amount of sustainable feedstock. For example, a cap may be applied if MMD 1222 is greater than the amount of fossil carbon that is attributable to the mass balance version of the product (e.g., as calculated by Equation 2). The input and output perspectives may be used to determine upper bound value 1228 which is defined as MMD 1222 subject to the cap in 1226. The upper bound value 1228 may be used to specify the amount of input material (e.g., expressed in terms of LHV) that is being substituted. It is applied to both the burden value 1212 and credit value 1230 to express the burden and credit values in terms of the amount of input material that is being substituted (expressed, for example, in LHV).

[0135] The difference between the PCF of the biogenic feedstock (PCFBF) 1208 and the PCF of the fossil feedstock (PCFFF) 1210 accounts for the difference in carbon emissions between producing the biogenic feedstock and producing the fossil feedstock. The upper bound value is applied to the difference to enforce the cap.

[0136] In an embodiment, data flow 1200 may be applied to calculate the PCF of a mass balance product (PCFBMB). The calculation of PCFBMB may use the PCF of the conventional version of the product (PCFCP) 1206 as a base and then add the burden value (Burdenrawmateriai) 1212, and subtract the credit value (Creditsubstitutedcarbon) 1230. In some embodiments, data flow 1200 may include more data points, fewer data points, and / or different data points. In some embodiments, the flow data may differ from that shown in FIG. 12. The present invention further relates to a non-transitory computer readable data medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing steps of the method according to the present invention. Computer readable data medium include hard drives, for example on a server, USB storage device, CD, DVD or Blue-ray discs. The computer program may contain all functionalities and data required for execution of the method according to the present invention or it may provide interfaces to have parts of the method processed on remote systems, for example on a cloud system.

[0137] The present invention further relates to a system or apparatus for determining the environmental attribute of a product produced in a production process of a production plant.

[0138] Unless explicitly described differently hereafter, the description relating to the method also applies to the system or apparatus. The system or apparatus can be a computing device, for example a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or a distributed computing system or apparatus or apparatus such as a cloud system. Often the computing device has a network connection in order to communicate with other computing devices, such as servers or a cloud network.

[0139] The present disclosure has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments and examples as well. However, other variations can be understood and effected by those persons skilled in the art and practicing the claimed invention, from the studies of the drawings, this disclosure and the claims.

[0140] Any steps presented herein can be performed in any order. The methods disclosed herein are not limited to a specific order of these steps. It is also not required that the different steps are performed at a certain place or in a certain computing node of a distributed system, i.e. each of the steps may be performed at different computing nodes using different equipment / data processing.

[0141] As used herein “determining” also includes “initiating or causing to determine”, “generating” also includes “initiating and / or causing to generate” and “providing” also includes “initiating or causing to determine, generate, select, send and / or receive”. “Initiating or causing to perform an action” includes any processing signal that triggers a computing node or device to perform the respective action.

[0142] In the claims as well as in the description the word “comprising” or “including” or simi-lar wording does not exclude other elements or steps and shall not be construed limiting to the elements or steps lined out. The indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in the mutual different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous implementation or further elements may be included.

[0143] Providing in the scope of this disclosure may include any interface configured to provide data.

[0144] This may include an application programming interface, a human-machine interface such as a display and / or a software module interface. Providing may include communication of data or submission of data to the interface, in particular display to a user or use of the data by the receiving entity.

[0145] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein relate to methods, systems, apparatuses, devices, chemicals, materials, computer program elements lined out above and vice versa.

[0146] Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the embodiments and examples equally apply to all other embodiments and examples and vice versa.

[0147] All terms and definitions used herein are understood broadly and have their general meaning. Any disclosure and embodiments described herein are mere examples for implementing the method, the system or application device disclosed herein and shall not be considered limiting.

Claims

Claims:1 . A computer-implemented method for calculating a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the method comprising: receiving (512) mass balance certification data (505) including a mass balance material demand value for a mass balance version of a product, receiving (515) conventional product sustainability data (510) including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of the product, determining (520), based at least in part on the mass balance certification data (505) and / or the conventional product sustainability data (510), an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand, calculating (525), based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data (510), a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for the mass balance version of the product, calculating (530) a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, determining (535) a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value, and outputting (540) the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon emission value for the conventional version of the product is a PCF value for the conventional version of the product.

3. The computer-implemented method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the mass balance material demand value is an MMD value.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the conventional product sustainability data (510) comprises a carbon content value for the conventional version of the product.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the conventional product sustainability data (510) further comprises a carbon content value of the non-thermal direct process emissions for the conventional version of the product.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising: storing (i) the carbon content value and (ii) the carbon content value of the non- thermal direct process emissions for the conventional version of the product.

7. A non-transitory computer readable data medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing steps of the method according to any of the preceding claims.

8. A system (1000) for providing a carbon emission value for a mass balance product, the system comprising: an input configured to receive mass balance certification data including a mass balance material demand value for a mass balance version of a product and conventional product sustainability data including a carbon emission value for a conventional version of a product; a processor configured to (i) determine, based at least in part on the mass balance certification data and / or the conventional product sustainability data, an upper bound value of an amount of sustainable feedstock demand (ii) calculate, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, a burden value representing an increase in carbon emissions associated with the production of a sustainable input material for the mass balance version of the product (iii) calculate a credit value representing an amount of biogenic carbon substituted for fossil carbon in the mass balance version of the product, and (iv) determine a carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product based, at least in part, on the carbon emission value for the conventional version of a product, the upper bound value, the burden value, and the credit value; and an output configured to output the carbon emission value for the mass balance version of the product.

9. The system (1000) according to claim 8, wherein the carbon emission value for the conventional version of the product is a PCF value for the conventional version of the product.

10. The system (1000) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the processor configured to determine, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock comprises a processor configured to: determine, based at least in part on the conventional product sustainability data, the upper bound value of the amount of sustainable feedstock demand, wherein the conventional product sustainability data includes a carbon content value for the conventional version of the product.

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