Environmental / societal awareness activity assistance system and environmental / societal awareness activity assistance method

Abstract

The present invention provides an environmental / societal awareness activity assistance system including a processor and a storage device, wherein the storage device retains producer activity history information about a product, product information associating a product with producer activity, and a degree of consumer interest in each of issue categories, and the processor computes an environmental / societal impact pertaining to each issue category on the basis of the activity history information and calculates the environmental / societal impact in each issue category for individual products on the basis of the product information to thereby compute a first score of the environmental / societal impact pertaining to each issue category for individual products, computes a second score by weighting the first score according to the degree of consumer interest in each issue category, and outputs the second score.

Description

Environmental and social consideration activity support system and environmental and social consideration activity support method

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for evaluating the impact of commodity transactions on the environment and society, and supporting environmentally and socially conscious activities based on the evaluation.

[0002] Regarding a technology for assessing the impact of consumer transactions on environmental and social concerns, for example, a technology disclosed in International Publication No. 2018 / 200265 (Patent Document 1) is known.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a system that determines an impact measurement score based on a consumer transaction, the impact score providing the consumer with insight into the impact of the consumer transaction on one or more areas of interest, for example environmental and social, and thereby enabling the consumer to more directly adapt their purchasing habits to align with their environmental and social interests.

[0004] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2018 / 200265

[0005] As mentioned above, by assessing the impact of consumer transactions, such as when consumers purchase products, and providing the results to consumers, it is expected that consumer behavior will be guided in the direction of improving environmental and social issues. However, in reality, the environmental and social issues that consumers are interested in and the strength of their interest vary from consumer to consumer. Therefore, in order to encourage more effective consumer behavior, it is desirable to assess the impact by taking into account the level of consumer interest. However, conventional impact assessments have not taken into account the differences in the level of interest among consumers.

[0006] In order to solve at least one of the above problems, the present invention provides an environmental and socially conscious activity support system, comprising a processor and a storage device, wherein the storage device holds activity performance information indicating the performance of the activities of a product producer, product information correlating the product with the activities of the producer, and a level of interest indicating the level of consumer interest in each issue category, and the processor calculates an environmental and social impact indicating the impact of the producer's activities on the environment or society related to each issue category based on the activity performance information, calculates the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product based on the product information, thereby calculating a first environmental and social impact score indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society related to each issue category for each product, and calculates a second environmental and social impact score for each issue category for each product according to the consumer's level of interest by weighting the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in each issue category, and outputs the second score.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the environmental and social impact of a product can be evaluated based on each consumer's level of interest in the issue, and it is expected that actions that are effective in improving the issue can be encouraged more effectively than conventional methods.

[0008] Other problems, configurations and effects will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration for realizing an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of details of processing executed by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of details of processing executed by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a coefficient based on the consumer interest level held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of environmental and social impact for each process held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the environmental and social impact of a final product held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the environmental and social impact of a final product held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a coefficient based on the consumer interest level held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the environmental and social impact of a final product held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the correspondence between issue categories and explanatory texts held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention displays environmental and social impacts to consumers. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of purchase history data held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example of the environmental and social impacts of a final product held by an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention displays a contribution level based on purchase history to consumers.FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention displays to a consumer a contribution level based on a purchase history. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention displays to a consumer a contribution level based on a purchase history. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention displays to a consumer a contribution level based on a purchase history. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention displays to a consumer a contribution level based on a purchase history.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an environmental and socially conscious activity support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] The environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 of this embodiment calculates the impact (hereinafter also referred to as environmental and social impact) of a series of related activities and transactions from production to purchase of products produced by producers and purchased by consumers on at least one of the environment and society, and provides this information to consumers. To this end, the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 has at least an analysis unit 110. The analysis unit 110 acquires data on the production of products by producers and data on the purchase of products by consumers.

[0013] Data on the production of a product may include, for example, information on the attributes of the producer itself and information on the activities that the producer undertook to produce the product. Note that, in this case, all businesses involved in the product up until the consumer purchases it are considered to be producers.

[0014] In this example, the product is a food product (e.g., coffee). In this case, producers include farmers who produce the agricultural products that are the raw materials, food manufacturers who process the agricultural products into food products, retailers who sell the food products to consumers, and logistics companies that transport the products between them. Figure 1 shows data related to the production of such food products as an example.

[0015] In this embodiment, the product is assumed to be a food product, but the type of product to which the present invention can be applied is not limited. For example, the product may be clothing or other types of products.

[0016] 1, producer data 151A-151D and activity performance data 152A-152D for each producer are acquired. These include producer data 151A and activity performance data 152A related to farmers, producer data 151B and activity performance data 152B related to food manufacturers, producer data 151C and activity performance data 152C related to logistics companies, and producer data 151D and activity performance data 152D related to retailers. In the following explanation, when describing data related to any business or when describing the data as a whole, they will be collectively referred to as producer data 151 and activity performance data 152.

[0017] The producer data 151 includes, for example, identification information of the producer, basic information about the producer, and information about the producer's environmental or social activities. The basic information about the producer may include, for example, information identifying the producer's corporation or individual, location (or information about the farm field in the case of a farm), items handled and their handling capabilities (main crops and production capabilities in the case of a farm), and information about existing evaluations, certifications, and qualifications. The information about the producer's environmental or social activities is information about the results of activities that the producer conducts, separate from production activities, that have an impact on the environment or society (e.g., a positive impact), and may include, for example, information about the results of activities such as the protection of nature or flora and fauna, education, tourism, landscape formation and conservation, local industry promotion, and job creation.

[0018] The producer data 151 may further include information on activities that the producer performs for production that cannot be classified for each product to be shipped. Examples of such information include information indicating whether appropriate labor management is being performed, information indicating whether an appropriate working environment is being established, information on the management of facilities and materials commonly used for production, information on the generation of electricity or solar sharing used for production, and information on evaluations from business partners.

[0019] The producer data 151 may further include the URL of a website introducing the producer and their activities, a social media account, and image and video files.

[0020] The activity performance data 152 includes, for example, a product shipping number, producer identification information, product identification information, process identification information, and information that can be used to classify the activities carried out by the producer for production by product to be shipped, etc. The process identification information is information that identifies, for example, whether the activity is the production of agricultural products, the production of food by processing agricultural products, transportation, retail, etc.

[0021] Among the activities carried out by producers for production, information that can be categorized by the products shipped includes, for example, in the case of a farming household, information on the results of harvesting, storage and shipping of agricultural products, quality inspections, the use of pesticides and fertilizers, the use of electricity, fuel and water, the use of materials, measures to prevent the outflow of waste into the environment, carbon storage in the soil, restoration of the same, and the use of equipment.

[0022] The activity record data 152 may further include, for example, in the case of a farmer, image or video files that record the cultivation of agricultural products through to their shipment.

[0023] The environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 may further acquire final product data 153, which includes information on the product that will ultimately be purchased by the consumer (i.e., the final product), as data related to the production of the product. The final product data 153 is, for example, information for realizing so-called product traceability (food traceability in the case of food), and includes information that can identify which producer produced which product as a result of which activity for each predetermined management unit of the final product (for example, each unit or each lot).

[0024] Producer data 151, activity performance data 152, and final product data 153 are input into the data input unit 141 of the producer information terminal. Although only one producer information terminal is shown in Figure 1, the actual producer information terminal may be a computer system used by each producer, such as a server device that manages each business, a personal computer, or a smartphone. The information collection unit 131 of the food supply chain integrated management unit collects and integrates the data input into the data input unit 141 of each producer information terminal and transmits it to the analysis unit 110.

[0025] Among the data acquired by the analysis unit 110, data related to product purchases by consumers includes, for example, consumer data 154 and purchase history data 155. The consumer data 154 includes, for example, consumer identification information, consumer basic information, consumer interest information, and consumer social contribution information. The consumer basic information may include, for example, personal information such as the consumer's name, address, age, gender, family composition, and annual income, as well as cashless payment service account information. The consumer interest information is, for example, information indicating the level of interest each consumer has in environmental or social issues. Generally, the subject and level of interest differ for each individual consumer. This information will be described later. The social contribution information is, for example, information indicating the degree of contribution a consumer makes to society by actually purchasing products.

[0026] The purchase history data 155 includes information about the purchase history of a consumer. For example, every time a consumer purchases a product, information such as identification information of the purchase, identification information of the consumer who made the purchase, identification information and quantity of the purchased product, purchase date, purchase amount, and whether or not a premium was paid is accumulated as the purchase history data 155.

[0027] A premium payment is a payment made by a consumer on top of the price of a product. For example, the conditions, amount, and payee of the premium payment may be set in advance, and the consumer may add the premium payment amount to the original price of the product when purchasing the product, and when the set conditions are met, the premium payment amount is paid to the set payee. The purchase history data 155 may include information regarding whether or not a premium payment was made, such as the premium payment amount, payee, payment conditions, and payment history.

[0028] The consumer data 154 and the purchase history data 155 are input into the data input unit 142 of the consumer information terminal. Although only one consumer information terminal is shown in Fig. 1, the actual consumer information terminal may be a computer system used by each consumer, such as a personal computer or smartphone owned by each consumer. The information collection unit 132 of the consumer information management unit collects the data input into the data input unit 142 of each consumer information terminal and transmits it to the analysis unit 110.

[0029] The analysis unit 110 executes process-specific environmental and social impact calculation processing 111 based on data collected from the food supply chain integrated management unit 131. Here, a process corresponds to the activities of each producer (in other words, stakeholder), such as the production of agricultural products by farmers and processing by food manufacturers. The analysis unit 110 calculates the environmental and social impact for each producer based on producer data 151 and activity performance data 152, and stores the calculated results as process-specific environmental and social impact 118. At this time, the analysis unit 110 may cooperate with an external system to acquire global indicators, calculation formulas, etc. 161, and calculate the process-specific environmental and social impact 118 based on the acquired global indicators, calculation formulas, etc. 161. Examples of the process-specific environmental and social impact 118 will be described later.

[0030] The analysis unit 110 executes a process 112 for calculating the environmental and social impact of a final product based on the process-specific environmental and social impact 118 and the global indicators, calculation formulas, etc. 161. Here, the analysis unit 110 calculates the environmental and social impact of each issue category per unit quantity (e.g., one unit) of the final product. Here, the issue category refers to a category of environmental or social issue, such as climate change or child labor. The analysis unit 110 stores the calculated environmental and social impact as the environmental and social impact of the final product 119. Examples of the environmental and social impact of the final product 119 will be described later.

[0031] The analysis unit 110 executes a coefficient calculation process 113 for each issue category for each consumer. For example, the consumer data 154 may include information indicating the degree of interest of each consumer in each issue category, and the analysis unit 110 may calculate the coefficient based on that information. The calculated coefficient is added to the consumer data 154. Examples of the coefficients calculated here will be described later.

[0032] The analysis unit 110 executes a process 114 for calculating the environmental and social impact of the final product according to the consumer interest level, based on the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product calculated in process 112 and the coefficient calculated in process 113, and stores the result as the environmental and social impact of the final product according to the consumer interest level 120. Details of this process 114 and examples of the environmental and social impact of the final product according to the consumer interest level 120 will be described later.

[0033] Based on the results of process 114, analysis unit 110 executes process 115 for calculating the degree of contribution for each consumer, and adds the calculated degree of contribution to consumer data 154. Furthermore, analysis unit 110 outputs the environmental and social impact of the final product according to the consumer's interest level calculated in process 114 and the degree of contribution calculated in process 115 to each consumer via data output unit 144 of the consumer information terminal.

[0034] The analysis unit 110 executes an activity / impact monitoring process 116, and based on the results of the process, executes a premium payment condition compliance evaluation process 117. Specifically, in process 116, the analysis unit 110 monitors the activities of each producer and the resulting environmental and social impacts based on the environmental and social impacts obtained as a result of processes 111 and 112 and the data integrated by the food supply chain integrated management unit 131. Then, in process 117, the analysis unit 110 determines whether the monitored activities and environmental and social impacts of each producer satisfy the premium payment conditions set by each consumer.

[0035] If the premium payment conditions are met, the analysis unit 110 works in cooperation with an external cashless payment system 162 to pay the set premium amount to the target producer, and outputs information indicating this to the consumer corresponding to the payment via the data output unit 144 of the consumer information terminal, and to the producer to whom the payment is made via the data output unit 143 of the producer information terminal.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration for realizing the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] The environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 can be realized by a computer system. Fig. 2 shows a computer system 200 as an example.

[0038] The computer system 200 includes a processor 201, a memory (main storage device) 202, an auxiliary storage device 203, an output device 204, an input device 205, and a communication interface (I / F) 206. The above components are connected to each other via a bus. The memory 202 and the auxiliary storage device 203 are storage devices that store programs and data used by the processor 201.

[0039] 1 are stored in the auxiliary storage device 203, and at least a portion of them may be stored in the memory 202 as needed for processing. Furthermore, all or a portion of the producer data 151, activity history data 152, final product data 153, consumer data 154, and purchase history data 155 (e.g., portions collected by the food supply chain integrated management unit 131 and the consumer information management unit 132) may be stored in the auxiliary storage device 203, and at least a portion of them may be stored in the memory 202 as needed for processing.

[0040] The memory 202 is configured, for example, from a semiconductor memory, and is used mainly to hold running programs and data. For example, programs and data stored in the auxiliary storage device 203 are loaded into the memory 202 at startup or when needed. The processor 201 executes various processes in accordance with the programs stored in the memory 202. The processor 201 operates in accordance with the programs and controls each unit in the computer system 200 as needed, thereby realizing various functional units, such as the analysis unit 110 shown in FIG. 1 , the information collection unit 131 of the food supply chain integrated management unit, and the information collection unit 132 of the consumer information management unit.

[0041] The auxiliary storage device 203 is configured by a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive, and is used to store programs and data for a long period of time.

[0042] Processor 201 may be comprised of a single processing unit or multiple processing units and may include single or multiple arithmetic units or multiple processing cores. Processor 201 may be implemented as one or more central processing units, microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, state machines, logic circuits, graphics processing units, systems on a chip, and / or any device that manipulates signals based on control instructions.

[0043] The input device 205 is a hardware device through which a user inputs instructions and information, etc. The output device 204 is a hardware device that presents various images for input and output, such as a display device or a printing device, and the communication I / F 206 is an interface for connection to a network (not shown).

[0044] The computer system 200 may include two or more processors 201. The functions of the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 may be implemented in multiple computer systems 200. In this case, the multiple computer systems 200 communicate with each other via a network. For example, some of the functions of the system of this embodiment may be implemented in one computer system 200, and other functions may be implemented in other computer systems 200.

[0045] Specifically, for example, the analysis unit 110, the food supply chain integrated management unit 131, and the consumer information management unit 132 may be realized by a single computer system 200, or each may be realized by an independent computer system 200. Furthermore, each process in the analysis unit 110 may be realized by a separate computer system 200.

[0046] The computer system 200 may be, for example, a server device or a personal computer owned by the administrator of the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100, or may be a server device accessed by the administrator via a communication network. In the latter case, the computer system 200 may be a virtual server on a cloud. In this case, the computer system 200 shown in FIG. 2 is realized by computer resources on the cloud.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] A producer (e.g., a farmer, food manufacturer, retailer, etc.) registers his / her activity record (step 301). This corresponds to inputting the activity record data 152 shown in Fig. 1. This registration may be performed manually by the producer, automatically by a system related to the producer's production, or a combination of these.

[0049] The environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 calculates the impact of each producer's efforts on the environment and society and presents the results to each stakeholder (e.g., other producers) and consumers (step 302). This impact calculation corresponds to process 111 shown in Figure 1.

[0050] The consumer registers his / her level of interest in the environmental or social issue category (step 303). The registered level of interest information is included in the consumer data 154 and stored.

[0051] The environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 calculates the environmental and social impact of the final product according to the consumer's interest level and presents it to the consumer (step 304). This calculation of the environmental and social impact corresponds to steps 112 to 114 shown in FIG. 1.

[0052] The above steps 301 to 304 are executed before the consumer purchases the product.

[0053] Next, the consumer purchases the product by referring to the information presented by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 (step 305). The actual purchase of the product is recorded as purchase record data 155.

[0054] Thereafter, the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 calculates the degree of social contribution through consumption behavior and presents it to the consumer (step 306). For example, the analysis unit 110 may calculate the degree of social contribution through consumption behavior of each consumer by referring to the purchase history data 155, etc., and present the result to the consumer.

[0055] 4A and 4B are flowcharts showing an example of details of the processing executed by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] First, the data input unit 141 of the producer information terminal accepts registration of producer information and transmits the accepted producer information to the information collection unit 131 of the food supply chain integrated management unit (step 401). The analysis unit 110 registers the information obtained from the information collection unit 131 as producer data (step 402). For example, the data input unit 141 of each producer's information terminal may accept producer data 151 and transmit it to the information collection unit 131, and the information collection unit may collect, integrate, and transmit the data to the analysis unit 110, which then registers the data.

[0057] Meanwhile, the consumer registers consumer information, including their own level of interest, in the data input unit 142 of the consumer information terminal (step 403). This consumer information includes basic information such as the consumer's name, gender, age, and address, as well as information on their level of interest in environmental or social issue categories. There are no limitations on the method for registering the level of interest information; for example, the consumer may directly input their level of interest in each environmental or social issue into the data input unit 142. Alternatively, the data output unit 144 of the consumer information terminal may output a questionnaire regarding environmental or social issues, and the consumer may input their responses to the questionnaire into the data input unit 142.

[0058] The data input unit 142 of the consumer information terminal accepts the registration of consumer information and transmits it to the information collection unit 132 of the consumer information management unit (step 404). The analysis unit 110 registers the information obtained from the information collection unit 132 as consumer data 154 (step 402).

[0059] Next, the analysis unit 110 calculates a coefficient indicating each consumer's level of interest in the issue category based on the interest level information included in the consumer data 154 (step 406). This coefficient is used as a weighting coefficient when later calculating the environmental and social impact 120 of the final product according to the consumer's level of interest. While the specific calculation method is not limited, in general, the coefficient corresponding to a certain issue category is calculated so that the higher the consumer's level of interest in that issue category, the larger the value of the coefficient corresponding to that issue category.

[0060] The data input unit 141 of the producer information terminal further accepts registration of product information and producer activity record information (step 407). Specifically, the data input unit 141 of the producer information terminal accepts registration of activity record data 152 and final product data 153 of each producer, and transmits them to the information collection unit 131 of the food supply chain integrated management unit.

[0061] The analysis unit 110 acquires the activity record data 152 and the final product data 153 from the information collection unit 131, and by referring to these data and the previously acquired producer data 151, registers the producer data 151 and the activity record data 152 in association with the final product data 153 (step 408). Specifically, the analysis unit 110 identifies, for each predetermined management unit of the final product (e.g., each unit or each lot), which producer produced the product as a result of which activity, and registers the information on the identified producer and the activity record in association with the information on the final product.

[0062] The producer's activities registered here may include activities that the producer engages in to produce the product in question (for example, watering, fertilizing, spraying pesticides, etc. for agricultural products), as well as activities that are not directly related to the production of the product in question (for example, reforestation, education and awareness-raising for nature conservation, etc.).

[0063] Next, the analysis unit 110 refers to the information registered in step 408, calculates the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each process, and registers the results as the environmental and social impact by process 118 (step 409). Examples of the environmental and social impact by process 118 will be described later.

[0064] Next, the analysis unit 110 calculates the environmental and social impact of the final product from the process-specific environmental and social impact 118 registered in step 409, associates it with the final product data, and registers it as the environmental and social impact of the final product 119 (step 410). Examples of the environmental and social impact of the final product 119 will be described later.

[0065] Next, the analysis unit 110 calculates and registers the environmental and social impact 120 of the final product according to the consumer interest level, based on the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product registered in step 410 and the coefficient registered in step 406 (step 411). Examples of the environmental and social impact 120 of the final product according to the consumer interest level and details of the calculation method will be described later.

[0066] When a consumer is considering purchasing a product, the consumer inputs information about the product into the data input unit 142 of the consumer information terminal. For example, if the consumer browses information about the product on a website and is considering purchasing the product, the consumer may select the product under consideration. Alternatively, if the consumer is considering purchasing a product while looking at the product in a physical store, the consumer may have the barcode or the like of the product under consideration scanned into the data input unit 142 of the consumer information terminal (specifically, a camera, for example). The consumer information terminal acquires information about the product, and the data output unit 144 displays the information (step 412).

[0067] Next, the consumer information terminal refers to the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product registered in step 410, and the data output unit 144 displays the activity results of each stakeholder (i.e., each producer at each step) related to the target product, the environmental and social impact, and the environmental and social impact of the final product as a whole (step 413).

[0068] Furthermore, the consumer information terminal refers to the environmental and social impact 120 of the final product according to the consumer's level of interest registered in step 411, and the data output unit 144 displays the environmental and social impact of the target product according to the consumer's level of interest (step 414).

[0069] Based on the environmental and social impact 120 of the final product corresponding to the consumer interest level registered in step 411 and the consumer attributes (e.g., place of residence) included in the consumer data 154, the analysis unit 110 extracts activity results related to the consumer attributes from the activity results corresponding to the target product, converts the environmental and social impact, and registers the result in the environmental and social impact 120 of the final product corresponding to the consumer interest level (step 415).

[0070] The consumer information terminal acquires the activity results and environmental and social impacts related to the consumer attributes registered in step 415, and the data output unit 144 displays them (step 416).

[0071] The consumer can use the information displayed in steps 413 and 414 as a basis for deciding whether or not to purchase the target product. As a result, if the consumer purchases the target product (step 417), the analysis unit 110 associates information indicating the purchase of the target product with the consumer data 154 of the consumer and registers it in the purchase history data 155 (step 418).

[0072] The analysis unit 110 then registers the consumer's social contribution level in the consumer data 154 based on the purchase history (step 419). The data output unit 144 of the consumer information terminal acquires and displays the social contribution level based on the purchase history included in the consumer data 154 (step 420).

[0073] The data output unit 143 of each producer's producer information terminal refers to the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product registered in step 410 and displays the activity results and environmental and social impact of each stakeholder (e.g., each producer) (step 421). At this time, the data output unit 143 of each producer's producer information terminal may display only information about that producer, or may also display information about other producers. However, although there are no specific limitations on the method, depending on the information, the producer may set the scope of disclosure of the information, such as not disclosing it to anyone other than business partners.

[0074] Furthermore, the analysis unit 110 may analyze the activity record of each producer based on the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product registered in step 410, and extract a representative activity status of each producer (step 422). The data output unit 144 of the consumer information terminal may acquire and display the representative activity status of each producer extracted in step 422 (step 423). The consumer can refer to this information and register their level of interest. For example, the options or questionnaire presented to the consumer in step 403 may include the activity status information extracted in step 422.

[0075] Next, the processing executed in steps 405 to 414 will be described with reference to example data.

[0076] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a coefficient based on the consumer interest level held by the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] The coefficient 500 based on the consumer interest level shown in Fig. 5 is part of the consumer data 154, and is an example of data registered in step 406. Specifically, the coefficient 500 based on the consumer interest level shown in Fig. 5 includes a consumer ID 501, a CO2 emission interest level 502, a deforestation interest level 503, and an animal welfare interest level 504.

[0078] The consumer ID 501 is identification information for each consumer. The CO2 emission interest level 502, deforestation interest level 503, and animal welfare interest level 504 indicate coefficients calculated based on each consumer's interest in CO2 emissions, deforestation, and animal welfare (i.e., animal dependency) from the environmental issue category or the social issue category, respectively.

[0079] There are no limitations on the method for identifying each consumer's level of interest in each issue category and the method for calculating a coefficient based on the identified level of interest, but the coefficient is calculated so that the higher the level of interest in an issue category, the larger the coefficient for that issue. For example, the consumer may input a numerical value indicating the level of interest in each issue category, or the consumer may be presented with a questionnaire containing questions about each issue category, and the level of interest in each issue category may be evaluated by analyzing the responses to the questionnaire.

[0080] In the example of Figure 5, the CO2 emissions interest level 502, deforestation interest level 503, and animal welfare interest level 504 of the consumer whose consumer ID 501 is "0100000002" (hereinafter simply referred to as consumer "0100000002", the same applies to other consumers) are "0.6", "0.1", and "0.1", respectively. This indicates that this consumer has the highest interest in CO2 emissions. The interest level of consumer "0100000004" also shows a similar trend, but compared to consumer "0100000002", there is a smaller difference between his interest level in CO2 emissions and his interest level in other issue categories. On the other hand, consumer "0100000003" has the highest interest in animal welfare and the lowest interest in CO2 emissions.

[0081] Note that Figure 5 shows three representative issue categories: CO2 emissions, deforestation, and animal welfare, and provides examples of coefficients for the degree of interest in these categories. However, in reality, coefficients for the degree of interest in other environmental and social issue categories, such as air pollution, waste, water consumption, and child labor, may also be included.

[0082] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the environmental and social impact 118 by process held by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] 6 is an example of information included in the process-specific environmental and social impact 118 registered in step 409. Specifically, the process-specific environmental and social impact table 600 includes a process 601, a CO2 emission amount 602, deforestation 603, and animal welfare 604.

[0084] Process 601 shows the process through which each product passes until it is purchased by a consumer as a final product. As an example, Fig. 6 shows the process for a product "A" (hereinafter referred to as "product A"; the same applies to other products), namely, the process of producing crops, the process of transporting the produced crops to a processing plant, the process of processing the crops, the process of transporting the processed crops to a store, etc., and the retail process. Although omitted from Fig. 6, similar information is actually registered for other products.

[0085] The CO2 emissions 602, deforestation 603, and animal welfare 604 indicate examples of the environmental and social impacts of each product process. For example, if the quantity of agricultural products used in the production of a certain lot of product A and the farmer and farm that produced them are identified based on the final product data 153, the analysis unit 110 calculates the amount of CO2 emitted in the production of the agricultural products and registers it in the CO2 emissions 602 corresponding to the crop production. At this time, the analysis unit 110 may calculate the CO2 emissions based on records of resources used for production at the farm, such as fuel, electricity, fertilizer, and water. Note that while the CO2 emissions 602 indicate the amount of CO2 emitted by the process, if the producer engages in activities that contribute to CO2 absorption, such as carbon sequestration, the CO2 emissions can be offset by these activities. At this time, known global indicators, calculation formulas, etc. 161 may be used for the calculation.

[0086] CO2 emissions from processes other than crop production for Product A are calculated in the same way. Deforestation 603 and animal welfare 604 for each process of Product A can also be calculated in the same way. Deforestation 603 indicates the area of ​​forest destroyed by the process, but if the producer engages in activities that contribute to forest regeneration, such as afforestation, this can offset the deforestation. Deforestation 603 for crop production of Product A is a negative value because it indicates that the farmer producing that crop engaged in afforestation activities, and as a result, the area of ​​forest regenerated is greater than the area of ​​forest destroyed.

[0087] 6 lists CO2 emissions 602, deforestation 603, and animal welfare 604 as typical examples of environmental and social impacts, but these are examples of issue categories, and the process-specific environmental and social impacts 118 may include information on environmental and social impacts related to other issue categories (for example, air pollution, waste, water consumption, child labor, etc., as described with reference to FIG. 5). The same applies to FIGS. 7 and 8, which will be described later.

[0088] 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the environmental and social impact 119 of a final product held by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] 7A and 710, respectively, are examples of information included in the environmental and social impact of final products 119 registered in step 410. The environmental and social impact of final products table 700 is generated by aggregating information on the environmental and social impact by process 118 for each final product, and the scored environmental and social impact of final products table 710 is generated by scoring the information in the environmental and social impact of final products table 700 based on a predetermined index or formula, etc.

[0090] The environmental and social impact table 700 of final products shown in Figure 7A includes a product ID 701, a lot number 702, CO2 emissions 703, deforestation 704, and animal welfare 705. The product ID 701 and the lot number 702 are identification information for the product item and lot for which the environmental and social impact is to be calculated, respectively. The CO2 emissions 703, deforestation 704, and animal welfare 705 indicate the values ​​of the environmental and social impact calculated for each product.

[0091] For example, the values ​​of CO2 emissions 703, deforestation 704, and animal welfare 705 for product A are calculated by aggregating the values ​​of CO2 emissions 602, deforestation 603, and animal welfare 604 for each process of product A shown in Figure 6. Here, the aggregation method is not limited, and may be, for example, a simple sum, an average, a weighted sum or average, or another method (for example, some statistical method). In this case, a known global indicator / calculation formula, etc. 161 may be used for the calculation.

[0092] In the examples of Figures 6 and 7A, the value of CO2 emissions 703 is calculated by summing the values ​​of CO2 emissions 602 for each process. Similarly, the value of deforestation 704 is the sum of the values ​​of deforestation 603. Meanwhile, the value of animal welfare 705 is calculated by averaging the values ​​of animal welfare 604 for each process.

[0093] 7B includes a product ID 711, a lot number 712, CO2 emissions 713, deforestation 714, and animal welfare 715. The product ID 711 and the lot number 712 correspond to the product ID 701 and the lot number 702, respectively, in the final product environmental and social impact table 700. The CO2 emissions 713, deforestation 714, and animal welfare 715 correspond to the CO2 emissions 703, deforestation 704, and animal welfare 705, respectively, in the final product environmental and social impact table 700, and the values ​​registered for each are scores of the CO2 emissions 703, deforestation 704, and animal welfare 705 values.

[0094] In this embodiment, the score is calculated within a range from 0 to 100, with the environmental and social impact value being higher as the value becomes more desirable for the environment or society. In other words, the score can be considered an index showing the degree to which the activities of the producer of the product contribute to improving environmental or social issues. For example, the smaller the CO2 emissions, the more desirable they are. For this reason, among products A to E shown in FIG. 7A , product C, which has the largest CO2 emissions 703, has the smallest CO2 emissions 713, and product D, which has the smallest CO2 emissions 703, has the largest CO2 emissions 713. Similarly, product B, which has the largest deforestation 704, has the smallest deforestation 714, and product A, which has the smallest deforestation 704, has the largest deforestation 714.

[0095] On the other hand, in this example, animal welfare 705 is a value that indicates that a higher value is more desirable (for example, a lower dependency on animals). For this reason, animal welfare 715 for product D, which has the smallest animal welfare 705, is also the smallest, and animal welfare 715 for product B, which has the largest animal welfare 705, is the largest.

[0096] The specific scoring method is not limited, but for example, global indicators, calculation formulas, etc. 161 acquired from a linked external system may be used. These indicators or calculation formulas may be those generally used to evaluate environmental impacts, etc.

[0097] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the environmental and social impact 120 of a final product according to the consumer interest level held by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] 8 is an example of information included in the environmental and social impact of final products according to consumer interest level 120 registered in step 411. Specifically, the environmental and social impact of final products according to consumer interest level table 800 includes a consumer ID 801 and the environmental and social impact of each product.

[0099] In the example of Fig. 8, the environmental and social impacts of each product are shown as an environmental and social impact 802 of lot 000001 of product A, an environmental and social impact 803 of lot 000495 of product B, and an environmental and social impact 804 of lot 000521 of product C. These are calculated by performing a weighting operation on the scores shown in Fig. 7B based on the coefficients shown in Fig. 5.

[0100] For example, the environmental and social impact of a final product according to a consumer's level of interest may be calculated using the following formula (1):

[0101] Y=aX1+bX2+cX3+...+nXn (1)

[0102] where Y is the environmental and social impact score of the final product according to the level of consumer interest; X1, X2, X3, ... Xn are the environmental and social impact scores of each issue category; and a, b, c, ... n are the coefficients according to the level of interest.

[0103] For example, based on the examples of FIGS. 5 and 7B, the environmental and social impact of product A according to the interest level of consumer "0100000002" is calculated as follows:

[0104] Y=0.6×40+0.1×90+0.1×80+...=40

[0105] As mentioned above, issue categories other than CO2 emissions, deforestation, and animal welfare are omitted from Figures 5 to 7B, but the result of calculating all of them is the above-mentioned "40." Similarly, the environmental and social impacts of products B and C according to the interest level of consumer "0100000002" are calculated to be "80" and "15," respectively. These environmental and social impacts are displayed to consumer "0100000002" (step 414).

[0106] Similarly, the environmental and social impacts of products A, B, and C according to the interest level of consumer "0100000003" are calculated to be "70," "90," and "55," respectively, and are displayed to consumer "0100000003." The environmental and social impacts of products A, B, and C according to the interest level of consumer "0100000004" are calculated to be "45," "75," and "20," respectively, and are displayed to consumer "0100000004."

[0107] In the example of Figure 5, consumer "0100000002" is highly concerned about CO2 emissions and less concerned about other issue categories. Therefore, when comparing the environmental and social impacts of products A to C according to consumer "0100000002's" level of interest, product B, which emits less CO2, has the greatest impact.

[0108] Similarly, consumer "0100000004" is highly concerned about CO2 emissions, but less so about other issue categories. However, the difference is small compared to consumer "0100000002." Therefore, when comparing the environmental and social impacts of products A to C according to consumer "0100000002's" level of interest, product B, which emits less CO2, has the greatest impact, but the difference with products A and C is small.

[0109] Consumer "0100000003" has little concern about CO2 emissions, but is highly concerned about deforestation and animal welfare. For this reason, in terms of the environmental and social impact according to the level of interest of consumer "0100000003," the values ​​for products A and C, which have high CO2 emissions but low deforestation and relatively good animal welfare, are also fairly large.

[0110] Therefore, when each consumer selects a product to purchase based on the environmental and social impact presented to them, they are more likely to select a product that contributes to improving the issues they are interested in. In the example of Figure 8, it can be said that all consumers tend to select product B, but the magnitude of this tendency is greatest for consumer "0100000002" and least for consumer "0100000003."

[0111] In this way, even for the same product, different environmental and social impacts are displayed depending on the consumer's level of interest, which is expected to have the effect of encouraging each consumer to make choices that contribute to improving the issues that they are interested in. In other words, it is expected to be more effective in encouraging behavior that contributes to improving issues than presenting a uniform environmental and social impact regardless of the consumer's level of interest.

[0112] In particular, when producers are engaged in activities that contribute to the improvement of environmental or social issues, the costs may be passed on to the price of the product, or a premium may be set to support such activities, which may increase the financial burden on consumers when they purchase the product. Even in such cases, if it is made clear that purchasing the product will contribute to the improvement of issues that concern consumers, consumers will be motivated to accept the financial burden.

[0113] Next, the processing executed in steps 415 and 416 will be described with reference to example data.

[0114] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the coefficient based on the consumer interest level held by the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] The coefficient 900 shown in Fig. 9 is an example of data registered in step 406, similar to the coefficient 500 shown in Fig. 5, but for the purpose of explaining the display related to consumer attributes, an example different from that shown in Fig. 5 is shown. Specifically, Fig. 9 shows an example of a coefficient based on the interest level of one consumer whose consumer ID is "X00001".

[0116] 9 includes an identification number 901, an issue category 902, and an importance level 903. For each issue category registered in the issue category 902, a coefficient calculated based on the consumer's interest level is registered as the importance level 903. The identification number 901 is a serial number that uniquely identifies a combination of an issue category and an importance level (i.e., a coefficient).

[0117] In the example of Figure 9, items such as climate change (CO2 emissions), air pollution (PM2.5), photochemical ozone, waste, water consumption, land use, resource consumption (minerals, fossil fuels), forest resource consumption (wood), biodiversity loss, child labor, and animal welfare are registered as issue categories (in other words, indicators of environmental and social impact) 902. Coefficients corresponding to each issue category are registered in importance 903. In the example of Figure 9, the coefficient for climate change (CO2 emissions) is the largest, followed by the coefficients for resource consumption (minerals, fossil fuels), forest resource consumption (wood), and biodiversity loss, and the coefficients of the other issue categories are small.

[0118] Of the above issue categories, climate change (CO2 emissions) corresponds to CO2 emissions shown in Figure 5 and other figures. It is not limited to CO2 (carbon dioxide), and greenhouse gases in general may be included. Furthermore, forest resource consumption (trees) corresponds to deforestation shown in Figure 5 and other figures.

[0119] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product held by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0120] The final product environmental and social impact table 1000 shown in Figure 10 is an example of information included in the final product environmental and social impact 119 registered in step 410, similar to that shown in Figures 7A and 7B, but shows an example different from that shown in Figures 7A and 7B for the purpose of explaining the display related to consumer attributes. Specifically, Figure 10 shows an example of the final product environmental and social impact calculated for a product with a product ID of "FP00038".

[0121] The final product environmental and social impact table 1000 shown in FIG. 10 includes an identification number 1001, an issue category 1002, a unit 1003, an environmental and social impact (before scoring) 1004, and an environmental and social impact (after scoring) 1005. For each issue category registered in the issue category 1002, the environmental and social impact of the final product (product FP00038 in this example) is registered. The environmental and social impact (before scoring) 1004 is the social impact of the final product before scoring calculated in step 410, and the unit 1003 indicates the unit of the numerical value registered in the environmental and social impact (before scoring) 1004. The environmental and social impact (after scoring) 1005 is the social impact of the final product after scoring calculated in step 411. The identification number 1001 is a serial number that uniquely identifies a combination of an issue category and an environmental and social impact.

[0122] In the example of FIG. 10, the same items as those in the assignment category 902 shown in FIG. 9 are registered in the assignment category 1002.

[0123] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the issue category and the explanation stored in the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] In this embodiment, among the issue categories to be evaluated, for items that can be expressed numerically, such as CO2 emissions, the environmental and social impact of the final product can be calculated and displayed to consumers. However, for example, if a product that a consumer is considering purchasing is displayed with a CO2 emission amount of 100 kg throughout the entire process from raw material production to retail sales in order to produce one lot of that product, the average consumer would not know how to evaluate that number, or, for example, the extent to which that number has a positive or negative impact on the environment or society. Therefore, the displayed information may not be useful as a basis for consumers' product selection decisions.

[0125] Therefore, the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 of this embodiment converts the calculated environmental and social impact figures into figures that are easy for consumers to understand and displays them together with explanatory text. At this time, the converted figures and the explanatory text to be displayed can be selected according to the consumer's interests.

[0126] 11, a formula for converting the calculated environmental and social impact values ​​into other values ​​for explanatory purposes, and an explanatory text for displaying the converted values ​​to consumers are registered. This correspondence 1100 may be stored, for example, as part of the analysis unit 110, in the auxiliary storage device 203 of the computer system 200 that realizes the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100.

[0127] Specifically, the correspondence 1100 includes identification information 1101, an assignment category 1102, a converted explanation 1103, and a calculation formula 1104. Specifically, the correspondence 1100 registers a calculation formula 1104 for converting the numerical values ​​of each item in the assignment category 1102, and an explanation 1103 for displaying the numerical values ​​converted by the calculation formula 1104. Multiple calculation formulas may be registered for one assignment category. The identification information 1101 is a serial number that uniquely identifies the combination of an assignment category, explanation, and calculation formula.

[0128] In the example of Figure 11, the following is registered as a converted explanation 1103 corresponding to the issue category 1102, "Climate Change (CO2 Emissions)": "The CO2 emissions in this product's life cycle are [Formula 1] g less than those of general products, and if the entire world population were to consume at a similar rate, CO2 emissions would be reduced by [Formula 2] tons per year. This is expected to have the effect of reducing the rate of global temperature rise by approximately [Formula 3]%." Although omitted in Figure 11, the above [Formula 1], [Formula 2], and [Formula 3] are registered as formulas 1104, etc.

[0129] Similarly, as converted explanatory text 1103 corresponding to issue category 1102, "loss of biodiversity," the following is registered: "The CO2 emissions over the life cycle of this product are [Formula 1] g less than those of general products, and if the entire world population were to consume at a similar rate, CO2 emissions would be reduced by [Formula 2] tons per year. This is expected to have the effect of reducing the extinction risk of one animal species, the extinction of which may be caused by climate change, by approximately [Formula 4]%." The above [Formula 1], [Formula 2], and [Formula 4] are registered as formulas 1104, etc.

[0130] Here, the details of the calculation formula are not limited, and any calculation formula, such as one generally used in this field, can be used. For example, [Calculation Formula 1] is [CO2 emissions from a general manufacturing method - CO2 emissions from the target product], [Calculation Formula 2] is [CO2 emissions from the target product x annual consumption of the world population], and [Calculation Formula 3] and [Calculation Formula 4] may be calculation formulas based on the above [Calculation Formula 2] and the global indicators / calculation formulas, etc. 161.

[0131] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, if consumer X00001 has the highest level of interest (i.e., importance 903) in the issue category "climate change (CO2 emissions)," in order to provide an explanation about CO2 emissions to consumer X00001, explanatory text 1103 corresponding to the issue category "climate change (CO2 emissions)" from the correspondence relationship 1110 shown in FIG. 11 is displayed in step 416.

[0132] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen on which the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention displays environmental and social impacts to consumers.

[0133] The example in Figure 12 shows explanatory text 1201 that is displayed on consumer information terminal 1200 of consumer X00001 when, as shown in Figures 9 to 11, it is registered in step 405 that consumer X00001 has the highest level of interest in the issue category "climate change (CO2 emissions)" and information on product FP00038 is read in step 412.

[0134] In this example, each calculation formula is calculated based on the calculated environmental / issue impact value and, as necessary, global indicators / calculation formulas, etc. 161, and based on explanation 1103 corresponding to the issue category "climate change (CO2 emissions)" from correspondence 1110 shown in FIG. 11, explanation 1201 is displayed, stating, "The amount of CO2 emissions in the life cycle of this product is 5g less than that of a typical product. If the entire world population were to consume at a similar rate, it would result in a reduction of CO2 emissions of 5,000 tons per year. This is expected to have the effect of reducing the rate of rise in global temperature by approximately 0.00001%."

[0135] The above is an example in which the level of interest in the issue category "climate change (CO2 emissions)" is the highest, but if the level of interest in the issue category "loss of biodiversity" is the highest, then the explanatory text 1103 corresponding to the issue category "loss of biodiversity" in the correspondence relationship 1110 shown in Figure 11 is displayed together with the calculation result based on the calculation formula.

[0136] By displaying such an explanatory statement, consumer X00001 can easily understand the relationship between the environmental and social impact of the product he or she is considering purchasing and the issues that interest him or her, thereby helping him or her decide whether or not to purchase the product.

[0137] Next, the processing executed in steps 417 to 420 will be described with reference to example data.

[0138] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the purchase record data 155 held by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0139] 13 is an example of information included in the purchase history data 155 registered in step 418. Specifically, the purchase history data table 1300 includes a purchase ID 1301, a consumer ID 1302, a purchase date 1304, a purchase quantity 1305, and a purchase price 1306.

[0140] The purchase ID 1301 is identification information for each consumer's product purchase behavior. The consumer ID 1302 is identification information for the consumer who made the purchase. The final product ID 1303 is identification information for the item of the purchased product. The purchase date 1304 indicates the date on which the purchase was made. The purchase quantity 1305 and the purchase price 1306 indicate the quantity and price of the product purchased by the consumer, respectively. Each time a consumer purchases a product, information about the purchase is accumulated in the purchase history data table 1300.

[0141] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example of the environmental and social impact 119 of the final product held by the environmental and social consideration activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0142] The final product environmental and social impact table 1400 shown in Figure 14 is an example of information included in the final product environmental and social impact 119 registered in step 410, similar to that shown in Figure 7A, Figure 7B, or Figure 10, but for the purpose of explaining the display of the social contribution level based on purchase history, an example different from that shown in Figure 7A, Figure 7B, or Figure 10 is shown. Specifically, the example in Figure 14 shows an example of the environmental and social impact of multiple final products, including product FP00038 shown in Figure 10.

[0143] The environmental and social impact table 1400 of final products shown in FIG. 14 includes a final product ID 1401, environmental and social impact of each issue category 1402, fair trade certification 1403, and local production for local consumption 1404. The final product ID 1401 is identification information of the final product. The environmental and social impact of each issue category 1402 indicates the value of the environmental and social impact of each issue category before scoring, calculated for each final product. For example, the value of the environmental and social impact 1004 before scoring shown in FIG. 10 is registered in the environmental and social impact of each issue category 1402 corresponding to the value "FP00038" of the final product ID 1401.

[0144] The fair trade certification 1403 is a flag indicating whether each final product is fair trade certified. For example, if the producer data 151 relating to the producer of a certain final product includes information indicating that the producer has been fair trade certified by an existing certification body, a value indicating that the final product has been fair trade certified is registered as the fair trade certification 1403.

[0145] The local production for local consumption 1404 is a flag indicating whether or not each final product corresponds to so-called local production for local consumption. For example, by referring to the producer data 151, if the location of the producer of the raw materials for a certain final product and the location of the retailer that sold the final product (for example, the location of the store that sold the product) are within a predetermined range, a value indicating that the final product corresponds to local production for local consumption is registered as the local production for local consumption 1404.

[0146] Figure 14 shows examples of information indicating the attributes of each final product, such as whether or not it is fair trade certified and whether or not it is locally produced and consumed, but the environmental and social impact table 1400 of final products may also include information other than this.

[0147] 15A to 15E are explanatory diagrams showing examples of screens on which the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention displays to a consumer the degree of contribution based on the purchase record.

[0148] The analysis unit 110 tally up values ​​such as pre-scoring environmental and social impact 1402, fair trade certification 1403, and local production for local consumption 1404 of final products in each issue category purchased by each consumer over a predetermined period (e.g., the past week, month, year, or the entire past period) based on the purchase history of each consumer accumulated in the purchase history data table 1300. Then, the analysis unit 110 calculates each consumer's contribution to the environment or society based on the tally up values ​​and displays this to each consumer via the data output unit 144 of the consumer information terminal (step 420).

[0149] FIG. 15A shows an example of a display of impact compared with a typical manufacturing method. Specifically, FIG. 15A shows an example of the display results of aggregating the environmental and social impact values ​​before scoring for the issue category "Forestry Resource Consumption (Trees)" based on the target consumer's past purchase history over a specified period. Here, the difference between the forestry resource consumption calculated from the environmental and social impact of the manufacturing method of the product purchased by the consumer and the forestry resource consumption calculated from the environmental and social impact of a typical manufacturing method is displayed. In the example of FIG. 10, the environmental and social impact value before scoring for "Forestry Resource Consumption (Trees)" is the area (square meters) of forest consumed, but in FIG. 15A, the forest area is converted to the number of trees and displayed. This makes it easy to understand how much the target consumer's past actions have contributed to improving environmental or social issues (e.g., forest protection).

[0150] 15B shows an example of a display of the total purchase amount of locally produced and consumed products. Specifically, FIG. 15B shows an example of a display result of tallying up the purchase amounts of products flagged as locally produced and consumed 1404 based on the purchase history of the consumer of interest over a specified period in the past. This makes it easy to understand how much the past behavior of the consumer of interest has contributed to locally produced and consumed products.

[0151] Fig. 15C shows an example of the display of the number of producers who have been made to smile. Specifically, Fig. 15B shows an example of the display result of tallying the purchase amounts of products flagged as fair trade certified 1403 or local production for local consumption 1404 based on the past purchase history of the consumer to be displayed for a specified period of time. This makes it easy to understand how much the past actions of the consumer to be displayed have contributed to supporting producers who are committed to fair trade or local production for local consumption.

[0152] 15D shows an example of a display in comparison with the average for all consumers. Specifically, FIG. 15D shows an example of comparing the results of aggregating the environmental and social impact values ​​before scoring for a certain issue category (e.g., "Consumption of Forest Resources (Wood)") based on the purchase history of the target consumer over a specified period in the past with the results of aggregating the environmental and social impact values ​​before scoring for the same issue category over the same period for all consumers managed by the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100. This makes it easy to understand how much the past actions of the target consumer have contributed to improving environmental or social issues compared to the average for all other consumers.

[0153] 15E shows an example of displaying the results in comparison with the average of similar consumers. Specifically, FIG. 15E shows an example of displaying the results of aggregating the environmental and social impact values ​​before scoring for a certain issue category (e.g., "Consumption of forest resources (wood)") based on the purchase history of the consumer to be displayed for a specified period in the past, compared with the results of aggregating the environmental and social impact values ​​before scoring for the same issue category for the same period of time for consumers similar to the consumer to be displayed among all consumers managed by the environmental and socially conscious activity support system 100.

[0154] Here, the similarity between the consumer to be displayed and other consumers can be determined based on data included in the consumer data 154. For example, similarity may be determined based on at least one of the level of interest in each issue category, annual income, family structure, place of residence, etc. In the example of Fig. 15E, the results of a comparison between consumers with similar annual incomes and family structures are displayed.

[0155] This makes it easy to understand how much the past behavior of the consumer being displayed has contributed to improving environmental or social issues compared to the average of other consumers similar to that consumer, and can serve as a motivation for consumer behavior.

[0156] Furthermore, the system according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as follows.

[0157] (1) An environmental and social consideration activity support system, comprising a processor (e.g., processor 201) and a storage device (e.g., memory 202 and auxiliary storage device 203), wherein the storage device holds activity performance information (e.g., producer data 151 and activity performance data 152) indicating the performance of the activities of a product producer, product information (e.g., final product data 153) associating the product with the activities of the producer, and a level of interest (e.g., a coefficient based on the level of interest in consumer data 154) indicating the level of interest of consumers in each issue category, and the processor calculates, based on the activity performance information, an impact of the activities of the producer on the environment or society related to each issue category. The environmental and social impact of each product is calculated based on the product information (e.g., step 409), and a first environmental and social impact score indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society for each issue category for each product is calculated by calculating the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product based on the product information (e.g., step 410). The first score is weighted based on the consumer's level of interest in each issue category to calculate a second environmental and social impact score for each issue category for each product according to the consumer's level of interest (e.g., step 411), and the second score is output (e.g., step 414).

[0158] This makes it possible to evaluate the environmental and social impact of products according to each consumer's level of interest in the issues, and encourage effective action to improve the issues.

[0159] (2) In the environmental and social consideration activity support system described in (1) above, the storage device stores a formula and an explanatory text (e.g., correspondence 1100) for converting the environmental and social impact into a value indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society for each issue category and explaining the value to the consumer, and the processor converts the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product based on the formula for the issue category in which the consumer is most interested, and outputs the converted environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product and an explanatory text for the issue category in which the consumer is most interested to the consumer (e.g., steps 415 and 416).

[0160] This makes it easier to understand the relationship between the environmental and social impact of the product in question and the issues that concern consumers, helping them decide whether or not to purchase the product.

[0161] (3) In the environmental and socially conscious activity support system described in (1) above, the storage device stores the consumer's product purchase history (e.g., purchase history data 155), and the processor calculates and outputs the consumer's contribution to the environment or society for a specified period in the past by aggregating the environmental and social impact of products purchased by the consumer based on the purchase history (e.g., steps 417 to 420).

[0162] This makes it easy to understand how much the past behavior of the consumer being displayed has contributed to improving environmental or social issues compared to the average of other consumers similar to that consumer, and can serve as a motivation for consumer behavior.

[0163] (4) The environmental and socially conscious activity support system described in (1) above, wherein the products are at least one of food and clothing, and the producers include at least one of producers of raw materials for the products, businesses that process the raw materials to manufacture the products, businesses that sell the products to the consumers, and businesses that transport the raw materials and the products.

[0164] This allows us to evaluate the environmental and social impact of the entire product production process and link the results to consumer behavior.

[0165] (5) The environmental and social consideration activity support system described in (1) above, wherein the issue categories include at least two of climate change, air pollution, waste, water consumption, land use, mineral resource consumption, fossil fuel resource consumption, forest resource consumption, biodiversity, child labor, and animal dependency.

[0166] This will enable us to respond to the diverse interests of consumers and encourage them to take effective action to improve issues.

[0167] (6) In the environmental and social consideration activity support system described in (1) above, when the issue category includes climate change, the processor calculates greenhouse gas emissions as the environmental and social impact related to the issue category, calculates a first score for the environmental and social impact so that the smaller the greenhouse gas emissions, the higher the contribution, and weights the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in climate change; when the issue category includes consumption of forest resources, calculates the amount of forest resources consumed as the environmental and social impact related to the issue category, calculates a first score for the environmental and social impact so that the smaller the amount of forest resources consumed, the higher the contribution, and weights the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in the consumption of forest resources.

[0168] This allows the score of each product that addresses issues such as climate change or forest resource consumption to be calculated and output according to consumer interest.

[0169] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to provide a better understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0170] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in storage devices such as nonvolatile semiconductor memory, hard disk drives, and solid-state drives (SSDs), or in computer-readable, non-transitory data storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0171] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

Claims

1. An environmental and socially conscious activity support system comprising a processor and a storage device, wherein the storage device holds activity performance information indicating the performance of the activities of a product producer, product information matching the product with the producer's activities, and a level of interest indicating the level of consumer interest in each issue category, wherein the processor: calculates, based on the activity performance information, an environmental and social impact indicating the impact of the producer's activities on the environment or society related to each issue category, calculates, based on the product information, the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product, thereby calculating a first environmental and social impact score indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society related to each issue category for each product, calculates a second environmental and social impact score for each issue category for each product according to the consumer's level of interest by weighting the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in each issue category, and outputs the second score.

2. An environmental and socially conscious activity support system as described in claim 1, wherein the storage device stores a calculation formula and an explanatory text for converting the environmental and social impact into a value indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society for each issue category and explaining the result to the consumer, and the processor converts the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product based on the calculation formula for the issue category in which the consumer is most interested, and outputs to the consumer the converted environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product and an explanatory text for the issue category in which the consumer is most interested.

3. An environmental and socially conscious activity support system as described in claim 1, wherein the storage device stores a record of product purchases by the consumer, and the processor calculates and outputs the consumer's contribution to the environment or society for a specified period in the past by aggregating the environmental and social impact of products purchased by the consumer during the specified period in the past based on the purchase record.

4. An environmental and socially conscious activity support system as described in claim 1, wherein the products are at least one of food and clothing, and the producers include at least one of producers of raw materials for the products, businesses that process the raw materials to manufacture the products, businesses that sell the products to the consumers, and businesses that transport the raw materials and the products.

5. An environmental and socially conscious activity support system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the issue categories include at least two of climate change, air pollution, waste, water consumption, land use, mineral resource consumption, fossil fuel resource consumption, forest resource consumption, biodiversity, child labor, and animal dependency.

6. An environmental and socially conscious activity support system as described in claim 1, wherein the processor, if the issue category includes climate change, calculates greenhouse gas emissions as the environmental and social impact related to the issue category, calculates a first score for the environmental and social impact so that the smaller the greenhouse gas emissions, the higher the degree of contribution, and weights the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in climate change; and, if the issue category includes consumption of forest resources, calculates the amount of forest resources consumed as the environmental and social impact related to the issue category, calculates a first score for the environmental and social impact so that the smaller the amount of forest resources consumed, the higher the degree of contribution, and weights the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in the consumption of forest resources.

7. A method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities executed by a computer system, the computer system having a processor and a storage device, the storage device holding activity performance information indicating the performance of activities of a product producer, product information correlating the product with the producer's activities, and a level of interest indicating the level of consumer interest in each issue category, the method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities comprising: a first step in which the processor calculates, based on the activity performance information, an environmental and social impact indicating the impact of the producer's activities on the environment or society related to each issue category; a second step in which the processor calculates, based on the product information, the environmental and social impact of each issue category for each product, thereby calculating a first environmental and social impact score indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society related to each issue category for each product; and a third step in which the processor calculates a second environmental and social impact score for each issue category for each product according to the consumer's level of interest by weighting the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in each issue category. and a fourth step in which the processor outputs the second score.

8. A method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities as described in claim 7, wherein the storage device stores a formula and an explanatory text for converting the environmental and social impact into a value indicating the degree of contribution to the environment or society for each of the issue categories and explaining the value to the consumer; and the method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities further comprises: a fifth step in which the processor converts the environmental and social impact of each of the issue categories for each of the products based on the formula for the issue category in which the consumer is most interested; and a sixth step in which the processor outputs to the consumer the converted environmental and social impact of each of the issue categories for each of the products and an explanatory text for the issue category in which the consumer is most interested.

9. A method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities as described in claim 7, wherein the storage device holds a record of product purchases by the consumer, and the method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities further includes a seventh step in which the processor calculates and outputs the consumer's degree of contribution to the environment or society for a specified period in the past by aggregating the environmental and social impact of products purchased by the consumer during the specified period in the past based on the purchase record.

10. A method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities as described in claim 7, wherein the products are at least one of food and clothing, and the producers include at least one of producers of raw materials for the products, businesses that process the raw materials to manufacture the products, businesses that sell the products to the consumers, and businesses that transport the raw materials and the products.

11. A method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities as described in claim 7, wherein the issue categories include at least two of climate change, air pollution, waste, water consumption, land use, mineral resource consumption, fossil fuel resource consumption, forest resource consumption, biodiversity, child labor, and animal dependency.

12. A method for supporting environmental and socially conscious activities as described in claim 7, wherein the processor, if the issue category includes climate change, in the first step, calculates greenhouse gas emissions as the environmental and social impact related to the issue category, calculates a first score for the environmental and social impact so that the smaller the greenhouse gas emissions, the higher the degree of contribution, and in the third step, weights the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in climate change; and if the issue category includes consumption of forest resources, in the first step, calculates the amount of forest resources consumed as the environmental and social impact related to the issue category, calculates a first score for the environmental and social impact so that the smaller the amount of forest resources consumed, the higher the degree of contribution, and in the third step, weights the first score according to the consumer's level of interest in the consumption of forest resources.

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