System and method to assign a source-attributed sustainability attribute to a virtual balancing account

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to calculating, monitoring and / or attributing source-attributed sustainability attribute(s) to select material products to improve the environmental impact of material production. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or allocating source-attributed sustainability attribute(s).

Description

[0001] 240923

[0002] SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ASSIGN A SOURCE-ATTRIBUTED SUSTAINABILITY ATTRIBUTE TO A VIRTUAL

[0003] BALANCING ACCOUNT

[0004] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to calculating, monitoring and / or attributing a source-attributed sustainability attribute(s) to select material products to improve the environmental impact of material production. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or allocating source-attributed sustainability attribute(s).

[0006] TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0007] In the chemical manufacturing value chain, the calculation, monitoring, and allocation of sustainability attributes (e.g., PCF) is of great interest. Transparency between the participants can aid the collective improvement of environmental impact. The calculation, monitoring and allocating of sustainability attributes is hindered, however, by the lack of common data standards. The value chain is long, globalized, and includes many different types of stakeholders. There is a need to simplify data standards relating to the calculation, monitoring and allocating of sustainability attributes in the chemical manufacturing value chain.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In an aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the method comprising: providing, by an operating system, the SAIM data and the SASA, wherein the SAIM is interchangeable with a like-for-like standard input material; determining, by the operating system, whether to generate a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA by referencing a software attribute that represents a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product; generating, by an operating system, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to the target product; providing, by the operating system, a virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account; assigning, by the operating system, the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

[0010] In an aspect, the disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the method comprising: 240923

[0011] 2 providing, by an operating system, SAIM data associated with the SAIM, wherein the SAIM is interchangeable with a like-for-like standard input material and wherein the SAIM data includes a digital representation of the SASA and a software attribute that represents a decision to attribute the SASA to a virtual balancing account; determining, by the operating system, whether to generate the SASC corresponding to the SASA based on the software attribute included in the SAIM data; upon determining, by an operating system, to generate the SASC corresponding to the SASA based on the software attribute included in the SAIM data, generating the SASC based on the SAIM data; providing, by the operating system, the virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account; assigning, by the operating system, the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

[0012] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the method comprising: providing the SAIM to a material production network; providing, by an operating system, SAIM data and the SASA, wherein the SAIM is interchangeable with a like- for-like standard input material; determining, by the operating system, whether to generate a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA by referencing a software attribute that represents a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product; generating, by an operating system, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product; providing, by the operating system, a virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM provided to the material production network, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account; assigning, by the operating system, the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

[0013] In an aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the method comprising: providing the SAIM to a material production network; providing, by an operating system, SAIM data associated with the SAIM, wherein the SAIM is interchangeable with a like-for-like standard input material and wherein the SAIM data includes a digital representation of the SASA and a software attribute that represents a decision to attribute the SASA to a virtual balancing account; determining, by the operating system, whether to generate the SASC corresponding to the SASA based on the software attribute included in the SAIM data; upon determining, by an operating system, to generate the SASC corresponding to the SASA based on the software attribute included in the SAIM data, generating the SASC based on the SAIM data; providing, by the operating system, the virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account; 240923

[0014] 3 assigning, by the operating system, the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

[0015] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a system for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the system comprising: an input configured to receive SAIM data and the SASA to an operating system of a chemical production network; a processor configured to (I) determine whether to generate a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA by referencing a software attribute that represents a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product (ii), generate, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product (ill), provide a virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account (iv), (vi) assign the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

[0016] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a system for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the system comprising: an input configured to receive SAIM data associated with the SAIM to an operating system of a chemical production network, wherein the SAIM data includes a digital representation of the SASA and a software attribute that represents a decision to attribute the SASA to a virtual balancing account; a processor configured to (I) determine whether to generate the SASC corresponding to the SASA based on the software attribute included in the SAIM data, (ii) upon determining, by an operating system, to generate the SASC corresponding to the SASA based on the software attribute included in the SAIM data, generate the SASC based on the SAIM data, (ill), provide the virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account (iv), (vi) assign the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

[0017] In yet another aspect disclosed is a computer element, in particular a computer program product or a computer readable medium, with instructions, which when executed on one or more computing node(s) are configured to carry out the steps of any of the methods disclosed herein. In yet another aspect disclosed is a computer element, in particular a computer program product or a computer readable medium, with instructions, which when executed by a processor cause any of the apparatuses disclosed herein to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0018] Disclosed is in yet another aspect the use of a virtual balancing account storing a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) allocated to the virtual balancing account according to the methods disclosed herein or by the systems disclosed herein for allocating at least a part of the a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) stored in the virtual balancing account to one or more chemical product(s) produced by a chemical production. 240923

[0019] 4

[0020] In yet another aspect the present disclosure relates to a computer element with instructions, which when executed on one or more computing node(s) is configured to carry out the steps of the method(s) of the present disclosure or configured to be carried out by the apparatus(es) of the present disclosure.

[0021] Any disclosure, embodiments and examples described herein relate to the methods, the systems, apparatuses, chemical products and computer elements lined out above and below. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the embodiments and examples equally apply to all other embodiments and examples.

[0022] EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The public, regulators, and financial investors are increasingly concerned with the environmental impacts of chemical production processes. Major companies, in turn, have announced ambitious plans to track and manage the environmental impacts associated with the production of their products. Input (or raw) materials are often the largest contributor to Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) in chemical production networks. Therefore, they are potentially the largest reduction lever for PCF. There is a need to enable flexible PCF reductions by attributing select input materials (meaning their PCF-effect) to target products. This may offer a technical solution that leverages existing material production infrastructure to create products with improved PCF and can help to pass on the cost generated by a manufacturer's Scope 3 reduction target.

[0024] Normally, input materials are sourced from more than one supplier which are then (physically or virtually) pooled and subsequently used for production. In a standard PCF-calculation mechanism this pooling is reflected by the calculation of a PCF average for the respective input material, based on the individual (supplier-specific) PCF and the respective sourced volume. In some cases, however, a material manufacturer (e.g., a chemical production network) may have an increasing degree of transparency into the supplier-specific input material PCFs. In addition, the material manufacturer may receive offers to source new input material options with improved PCFs. This can create better visibility into the range of PCF that is (or can be) included in each input material pool.

[0025] According to the disclosure, a comparatively lower product carbon footprint (PCF) (or other sustainability attribute) of a supplier-specific (i.e., source-attributed) input material (or, simply, SAIM) may be virtualized into a digital carrier construct called a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC). The SASC enables flexible PCF reductions by attributing the PCF effect (of an input material with a comparatively lower PCF) to a target product (or products). The concept can be characterized as a mass-balance concept for input materials. According to the disclosure, only a "like-for-like substitution” is allowed. A like-for-like substitution may refer to substituting conventional input materials with chemically identical sustainable input materials or vice versa. The conventional input materials may hence comprise the same chemical structure than the sustainable input materials or vice versa. According to the disclosure, when the SASC is attributed to a target product, only the target product's material demand (excluding the byproducts' material demand) is covered. The target product's material demand may include the amount of input material used to produce the target product. The generalized value proposition for the methodology may be expressed as "the PCF of 240923

[0026] 5 this product corresponds to a production with selected reduced PCF raw materials. All PCF reductions (compared to the standard product's PCF) in product are reflected in actual raw material purchases." By selective allocation of SASC to products, the environmental impact of such products, such as the PCF of such products, can be selectively reduced. This way, the use of average product carbon footprints for input materials which results in an equal distribution of the reduced environmental impact of the input material to all products produced using such input material may be avoided. The equal distribution may result in only minor environmental impact reductions as compared to the selective allocation of SASC to target products.

[0027] According to the disclosure, a digital system may be configured to receive SAIM data, input material data, and process data. The SAIM data may include a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the SAIM. Input material data refers to digital information related to the composition, quality, and source of the input materials (e.g., raw materials or feedstocks) used in a chemical production process. This data may include information on the quantity, physical properties, origin of the input materials. It may also include information on any impurities, contaminants, or other quality attributes. The input material data may be provided via one or more digital documents including, for example, a purchase order, a sales order, an invoice, a material safety data sheet, and the like. The vendor may provide some (or all) of the input material data via an electronic data interchange (EDI), application programming interface (API), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, and / or other digital systems.

[0028] SAIM data may be digital information associated with the SAIM. The SAIM data may digitally specify the sustainability impact of the SAIM and / or may indicate one or more sustainability attributes of the SAIM (e.g., one or more SASAs). The sustainability attribute may relate to a fossil footprint or a carbon footprint. The sustainability attribute may relate to a renewable and / or bio-based content, e.g., of the SAIM. The sustainability attribute may include a qualitative data point relating to the type of impact. The sustainability attribute may specify a type such as a specific carbon footprint, renewable content and / or bio-based content or the like. The qualitative data point may be converted to a quantitative measure such as sustainability credits or balancing units. The sustainability attribute may include a quantitative data point relating to the type of impact, e.g., in view of the SAIM, a specific carbon footprint, renewable content or bio-based content or the like. The sustainability attribute may specify a carbon footprint, renewable and / or bio-based content or the like. The sustainability attribute may include further sustainability characteristics of the SAIM. The SAIM data may be sourced from the material vendor, a chemical product manufacturer, a sustainability data and consulting provider, and the like. A sustainability data and consulting provider refers to a company that may offer a range of services related to sustainability. These companies help businesses and organizations manage their sustainability, social, and governance (ESG) risks and improve their sustainability performance.

[0029] The input material data (and / or the SAIM data) may be received from a vendor who provides the corresponding input material. For example, the input material data may be digital data (e.g., electronic files or data structures) of a purchase order, material data safety sheet, certificate of analysis, regulatory compliance documents, an invoice, and 240923

[0030] 6 the like. The input material data (and / or the SAIM data) may be received from a third party (e.g., a consultant, an industry association, a certification body, a regulatory agency, and the like).

[0031] A digital representation of a sustainability attribute (and / or SAIM data) refers to, for example, a digital file, a data structure or object in a digital system that encapsulates the information related to a specific sustainability attribute. The digital representation may include metadata that describes the attribute, such as its name, units of measure, and other relevant information. The representation may also include algorithms or formulas that calculate the value of the attribute based on relevant inputs or factors. The digital representation of a sustainability attribute may be designed to be used within a digital system, either as input to other functions or as output from them. The representation may be stored in a database or other data storage system and accessed through an application programming interface (API) or other software interface. The digital system may include software functions or modules that manipulate the digital representation of the sustainability attribute, such as aggregating data across multiple attributes or generating visualizations of the attribute's value over time.

[0032] According to the disclosure, one or more conventional input material(s) and a (like-for-like) source-attributed input material may be provided to a feed-in point of a chemical production network. The term "source-attributed” refers to an input material that can be attributed to a particular supplier (or, more generally, to a particular source). The source-attributed input material (or, for ease of reference, SAIM) may have one or more source-attributed sustainability attributes (e.g., a favourable PCF). As is further described below, a digital system (e.g., an operating system of the chemical production network) may determine whether to attribute the source-attributed sustainability attribute(s) to one or more target product(s) (and / or to one or more virtual balancing accounts). The digital system may make that determination by referencing a software attribute that represents a decision to attribute the source- attributed sustainability attribute(s)s to a target product(s). Referencing a software attribute may refer to the process of determining whether the SAIM data includes such software attribute. The software attribute may represent or indicate a decision to attribute the source-attributed sustainability attribute(s) to the target product(s). The software attribute may include a non-standard material identifier. The software-attribute may be associated with or relate to the non-standard material identifier. The software attribute may reference the non-standard material identifier. The software attribute may indicate the non-standard material identifier. The non-standard material identifier may include a digital material identifier uniquely identifying the SAIM within the material production network. The non-standard material identifier may relate to the SASA of the SAIM. The non-standard material identifier may indicate that the input material is a SAIM associated with a SASA. Referencing a software attribute, may refer to a process by which the digital system accesses and evaluates a specific attribute or characteristic of the software. It may involve the digital system checking whether there is a decision or intention to assign the source-attributable sustainability attribute to the target product. Referencing a software attribute may entail examining and utilizing the sustainability attribute information stored within the digital system. This may involve querying a database or accessing specific software modules or functions that contain the relevant data. The digital system may assess whether the input material possesses the sustainability attribute, and if so, it may check whether there is an operator or digital tool directive to assign that attribute to the target product. Overall, referencing a software attribute may involve the digital 240923

[0033] 7 system accessing and considering the relevant sustainability attribute information to determine if it should be attributed or assigned to a specific target product within the chemical production network. By using a software attribute, the selective allocation of the reduced environmental impact associated with the SASA can be adapted in line with the physical setup of the production producing the target products, allowing to flexibly allocate the reduced environmental impact to produced products. This allows to reliably tailor the environmental impact of produced products to customer needs, ensuring that different customer requirements in terms of environmental impact of produced products can be reliably met despite the complex setup of the production and multiple products being produced by such production. By triggering the generation of the source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) using the SAIM data based on the software attribute, the SASA of the sustainable input material, such as a low PCF value, can be reliably converted into the SASC. This way, selective allocation of the SASC to chemical products produced by the chemical production network to reduce the environmental impact of such chemical products is enabled.

[0034] Thus, for each supplier-input-material combination (e.g., SAIM), a manufacturer may determine whether to include the respective supplier's input material into a resource pool or keep it for a separate, more specific use. In other words, the manufacturer may determine whether to include the source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) into the average calculation of the input material PCF or whether to transfer it to a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC). Including the SASA into the average calculation of the input material PCF may result in equal distribution of the environmental impact reduction associated with the SASA to all products produced using the input material. In contrast, transfer of the SASA to the SASC allows to selectively allocate the SASC to a target product produced from such input material to reduce the environmental impact of such target product without simultaneous reduction of the environmental impact of all further products produced using the input material. According to the disclosure, the operating system may generate a virtual carrier construct (e.g., digital) representation of the source-attributed sustainability attribute, if the operating system determines the software attribute confirms or indicates a decision to apply at least part of the SAEC to a target product. A "virtual carrier construct" refers to a digital representation or entity that serves as a carrier or container for a specific attribute, such as a sustainability attribute, within a digital system. It acts as a digital credit or token that symbolizes the presence or availability of the attribute. In the context of a chemical production network and its operating system, a virtual carrier construct may be employed to represent the SASA associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM). It may function as a digital placeholder or container that holds and signifies the presence of the sustainability attribute. This construct allows the digital system to effectively track, manage, and attribute the sustainability attribute to a target product. By utilizing a virtual carrier construct, the digital system can facilitate the assignment or allocation (or attribution) of the sustainability attribute to the target product, enabling the system to accurately calculate and manage, for example, the product's carbon footprint or other sustainability-related factors. The virtual carrier construct acts as a mechanism that carries and transfers the sustainability attribute within the digital system, ensuring its proper representation and utilization in the context of the chemical production network.

[0035] According to the disclosure, the operating system generates the SASC based on the SASA, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product. The SASA may be the PCF of the SAIM. 240923

[0036] 8

[0037] In such cases, if the SASA value is transferred to the SASC, then it is not included in the calculation of the conventional PCFs. Thus, the effect is also not distributed to the affected products. Instead, the SASC can be (following a certain rule set) attributed to a desired output portfolio. With the attribution of the SASC, the PCF effect is applied to the attributed product(s). Instead of socializing the PCF effect to all affected products, the PCF effect may be monetized to target product(s).

[0038] Alternatively, if the SASA is included in the input material average PCF, it is subsequently included in the calculation of the conventional PCFs. The PCF effect of the SASC is then distributed to all connected portfolio products via the connections represented in the production recipes; it is distributed along the value chain. The PCF effect may be described as being socialized among all affected products

[0039] According to the disclosure, the operating system may allocate the SASC to a virtual balancing account. Allocating SASC(s) to a virtual balancing account may involve several steps that ensure the proper management and tracking of the credits. For example, the operating system may first calculate the SASC(s). The SASC(s) may include information such as a SAEC identifier, the SASA, a corresponding conventional PCF, cost / value of the SAEC, amount of SAIM, metadata and the like. The operating system may then allocate the SASC(s) to the virtual balancing account, based on predefined rules or criteria. The operating system may update the virtual balancing account to reflect the new SASC(s) allocation, adjusting the balance and maintaining a record of the allocation details. Later, when a chemical product is being produced, the operating system may retrieve the appropriate amount of SASC(s) from the virtual balancing account and assign them to the target product. This assignment could be based on factors such as the SASA used and / or the sustainability attributes associated with the product. The operating system may track the assigned SASC(s), ensuring that they are properly utilized and accounted for in reporting. This may involve deducting the assigned SASC(s) from the virtual balancing account and updating the balance accordingly. The operating system may also generate reports or provide access to the allocated SASC(s) for transparency and auditing purposes. Overall, the allocation of SASC(s) to a virtual balancing account may involve receiving, updating, and tracking the credits, ensuring efficient management and utilization within the chemical production network.

[0040] The virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) may refer to a digital storage structure that stores data related to sustainability attributes (e.g., SASC(s)). The account may be associated with metadata identifying the account for balancing sustainability attributes. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the sustainability attributes and / or the or SASC(s) allocated to the account. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the production chain the account is associated with. The account may be associated with metadata identifying the input (e.g., SAIM) or chemical product the account is associated with. The account may be part of a balancing system including multiple accounts. The account may hold SASC(s) for transaction. SASC(s) may be allocated, added, deleted, withdrawn, or deducted from the account.

[0041] The at least one attribution rule may specify the attribution scheme associated with the account for balancing sustainability attributes. The at least one attribution rule may specify the attribution of SASC(s) associated with SAIM 240923

[0042] 9 and the chemical production network. The at least one attribution rule may depend on a chemical product identifier, a SASC, and / or a sustainability attribute. The at least one attribution rule may include instructions for attributing sustainability attributes from SAI Ms to at least one account for balancing sustainability attributes. The at least one attribution rule may include instructions for deducting SASC(s) from at least one account for balancing SASC(s). The at least one attribution rule may include instructions for attributing SASC(s) from the account to chemical products or chemical product identifiers.

[0043] Input material may refer to any substance or component that is used as a feedstock, raw material, intermediate, or similar element in a chemical production process. It may encompass a wide range of materials that are utilized as inputs to create or produce a desired chemical or product. These input materials may include natural resources, chemicals, compounds, or any other material that is required to undergo chemical reactions, processing, or transformation to yield the desired output.

[0044] A "production site" may refer to a physical location where chemical products are manufactured and produced. A production site may include various facilities and equipment, such as reactors, distillation columns, storage tanks, and utilities like power, water, and steam. The production site may be designed to ensure efficient and safe manufacturing of chemical products and may include various processes such as raw material handling, chemical synthesis, purification, and finishing.

[0045] Fossil footprint or Product Fossil Footprint (PFF) may refer to the amount of petrochemical feedstocks (e.g., naphtha, crude oil, coal, and natural gas, or intermediates from feedstocks that, in turn, require a certain amount of naphtha, crude oil, coal, and natural gas) consumed in a production process at a manufacturing facility. PFF may be expressed as kilogram methane per kilogram (or methane equivalent).

[0046] The term carbon emission value refers to a quantitative measure of the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, typically expressed in units of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), that are associated with a specific product. Examples of a carbon emission value include carbon footprint or Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) which refer to a quantitative measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted or removed in a production process at a manufacturing facility, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. The PCF can be assessed from cradle-to-gate (partial PCF) or from cradle-to-grave (total PCF). The PCF can include emissions from all stages of the product's life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal. It may be used to assess and reduce the environmental impact of a company's products and to communicate this information to consumers. The term greenhouse gases (GHG) refers to a gas that is capable of absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere, and contributing to the greenhouse effect. The most common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases.

[0047] Carbon emission values such as PCF values may be represented in a structured data format, such as XML or JSON, which allows for easy exchange of PCF information between different digital systems. The digital representation of a 240923

[0048] 10

[0049] PCF may also include metadata, such as the date of the PCF calculation, the standards or protocols used in the calculation, and any assumptions or uncertainties associated with the PCF calculation. This metadata may help to ensure transparency and accuracy in the PCF calculation and reporting process. These values can be stored as a numeric data type and can be associated with other relevant data points, such as the name of the product, the date of manufacture, and the supplier information. They can also be displayed in a user interface or dashboard as a graph, chart, or other visual representation to help users understand and compare the environmental impact of different products or processes. Additionally, the values can be integrated into digital tools and platforms to help individuals and organizations make more informed decisions around sustainability.

[0050] Sustainability data refers to data about the sustainability characteristics of a material (e.g., an input material). The sustainability data may include data such as: material numbers, PCF values, and the like. The sustainability data may be located in a data store. That data store may be a system, or database that provides the data or information to a digital system or application. It can be a file, a database, a web service, an application programming interface (API), or any other system or tool that provides data to a digital application. The data source may be queried, manipulated, and analyzed to extract insights and information. The data source can be internal or external to the system, and it can be accessed through various methods, including direct access, network access, and APIs.

[0051] A digital identifier is a unique code or set of characters that is assigned to a specific entity, such as a person, organization, or resource, to distinguish it from others. Digital identifiers may serve as labels or handles that enable digital systems to recognize and track entities across different contexts and applications. They can be used to retrieve or link to digital resources, such as data, documents, images, videos, or web pages, and to manage access or permissions to these resources. Digital identifiers can take various forms, such as email addresses, usernames, domain names, IP addresses, or digital certificates. They can be assigned by different organizations or authorities, such as domain registrars, social media platforms, or government agencies, and can be used for different purposes, such as authentication, authorization, or identification. The use of digital identifiers may enable efficient and secure communication and data exchange among different entities.

[0052] Process data (or recipe or bill of material) refers to a digital record that describes the process by which one or more input materials are converted into one or more chemical products. The process data typically includes detailed information on the steps and conditions of the chemical reaction, such as the temperature, pressure, and duration of each step, as well as any catalysts, reagents, or other materials used in the process. The process data can comprise information about which by-products are obtained in which amount for one or more process step(s). Process data may be stored and managed in digital systems, such as process control systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. They may be used by operators, engineers, and other personnel involved in the production process to ensure that the process is carried out consistently and efficiently, and that the resulting products meet the required specifications and quality standards. 240923

[0053] 11

[0054] In an embodiment, the material production network is a chemical production network. The chemical production network may include one or more one or more chemical and / or mechanical process(es). The chemical production network may produce one or more output material(s) through chemical and / or mechanical processing. The chemical production network may include multiple types of production processes for producing one or more output material(s) from one or more input material(s). The chemical production network may produce one or more output material(s) from input material(s) provided to the chemical production network. The chemical production network may include a complex production network producing multiple chemical products via multiple production process(es). The chemical production network may include connected, interconnected and / or non-connected production process(es). The chemical production network may include a composite or Verbund network.

[0055] The chemical production network may include identity preserving or segregated production process(es). Identity preserving or segregated in this context may refer to environmental attribute(s) of input material(s) being preserved or segregated in the production process(es). Examples are non-fossil, e.g. renewable or recycled, input materials used to produce the one or more output material(s) without fossil content. Further examples are fossil input material(s) used to produce the one or more output material(s) with fossil content. Chemical production networks may include non-identity preserving or non-segregated production process(es). Non-identity preserving or nonsegregated in this context may refer to non-fossil input material(s) being mixed with fossil input material(s) to produce the output material(s). For example, fossil and renewable input materials may be mixed to produce the output material(s) with fossil and renewable content.

[0056] The chemical production network may include one or more production process(es) with multiple production steps. The production steps included in the chemical network may be defined by the physical system boundary of the chemical production network. The system boundary may be defined by location and / or control over production processes or steps. The system boundary may be defined by a site of the chemical production network. The system boundary may be defined by production process(es) or step(s) controlled by one entity or multiple entities jointly. The system boundary may be defined by the value chain with staggered production process(es) or step(s) to the chemical end product, which may be controlled by multiple entities jointly or separately. The chemical production network may include a waste collection, a sorting step, a recycling step such as pyrolysis, a cracking step such as steam cracking, a separation step to separate intermediates of one process step and further processing steps to convert such intermediates to output material(s) leaving the system boundary of the chemical production network. The input material (s) may enter the physical system boundary of the chemical production network. The entry point(s) of the chemical production network may be marked by the entry of input material(s) to the chemical production network or the system boundary of the chemical network.

[0057] In an embodiment, the operating system does not include the SASA in a calculation of a conventional PCF associated with the target material, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product. In an embodiment, the operating system does not include the SASA in a calculation of an average PCF associated with the standard input material, if the software attribute indicates the decision to apply at least part 240923

[0058] 12 of the SASC to a target product. The average PCF associated with the standard input material may be used to calculate a conventional PCF associated with the target material produced from such input material.

[0059] In an embodiment, generating, by the operating system, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises: applying a virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC.

[0060] Applying a virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC comprises: applying the virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC as a main product.

[0061] In an embodiment, the like-for-like standard input material has a standard material identifier. The standard material identifier may include a digital material identifier uniquely identifying the standard input material within the material production network. The material production network may be associated with the virtual balancing account. The material production network may produce the target product.

[0062] In an embodiment, the SAIM has a non-standard material identifier. The non-standard material identifier may include a digital material identifier uniquely identifying the SAIM within the material production network. The non-standard material identifier may relate to the SASA of the SAIM. The non-standard material identifier may indicate that the input material is a SAIM associated with a SASA. The non-standard material identifier may hence indicate a SAIM while the standard material identifier may indicate a like-for-like conventional input material. The non-standard material identifier may be associated with the software attribute. The non-standard material identifier may be included in the software attribute. The software attribute may relate to the non-standard material identifier. The software attribute may reference the non-standard material identifier.

[0063] In an embodiment, generating, by the operating system, the SASC based on the SASA provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises: generating, by the operating system, the SASC based on the SASA and an amount of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises.

[0064] In an embodiment, the SASC has a validity period.

[0065] In an embodiment, the operating system includes the SASA in a calculation of a conventional PCF, if the software attribute confirms a decision to not apply at least part of the SASC to a target product. In an embodiment, the operating system includes the SASA in a calculation of an average PCF associated with the standard input material, if the software attribute indicates or confirms the decision not to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product. The average PCF associated with the standard input material may be used to calculate a conventional PCF associated with the target material produced from such input material. 240923

[0066] 13

[0067] In an embodiment, the SASA is a carbon emission value of the SAIM. The carbon emission value may be a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of the SAIM.

[0068] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] In the following, the present disclosure is further described with reference to the enclosed figures. The same reference numbers in the drawings and this disclosure are intended to refer to the same or like elements, components, and / or parts.

[0070] FIG. 1a-c illustrate examples of chemical processes with multi input-multi output relations.

[0071] FIG. 2 illustrates a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0072] FIG. 3 illustrates a sub-cluster of a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0073] FIG. 4. illustrates multiple sub-clusters forming a chemical production network.

[0074] FIG. 5. illustrates an example of a chemical production network 500 with inbound and outbound attribution of SASCs according to an aspect of the disclosure

[0075] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of calculating and assigning SASCs, according to an aspect of the disclosure.

[0076] FIG. 7 illustrates selected aspects of pooling input materials and the "socialization” of sustainability attributes (e.g., PCF) to various products.

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates selected aspects of generating a SASC and attributing the SASC to a target product, according to an aspect of the disclosure.

[0078] FIG. 9 illustrates selected aspects of a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) according to an aspect of the disclosure.

[0079] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability and, in particular, to calculating, monitoring and / or the inbound or outbound attribution of source-attributed sustainability attribute(s) (e.g., to a virtual balancing account and / or a target product) to improve the environmental impact of material production. The disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and systems for generating, monitoring, and / or allocating source-attributed sustainability attribute(s).

[0081] The disclosed system and process can be applied to a wide variety of products that are made from input materials and energy inputs, such as chemical products or precursor products. The term "product" may refer to any commodity that can be sold to others at any point in the value chain. This may include end products for end users (e.g., cars, paints, toys, or medicines). This may also include goods that are typically sold to other companies for further processing (e.g., steel parts for machinery, plastic pellets for extrusion, or chemical compounds such as acrylic acid to make superabsorbents for diapers). This may also include goods that are very early in the value chain such as crude oil fractions (e.g., naphtha), agricultural products (e.g., soybeans), or purified sand for glass production.

[0082] FIGs. 1a-c illustrate examples of chemical processes with multi input-multi output relations.

[0083] Chemical processes may include different process steps for producing one or more output material (s) from one or more input material(s). The chemical process may include at least one process step involving at least one chemical reaction. The chemical process may produce from multiple input materials multiple output materials. Chemical process steps include for example oxidation, reduction, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrolysis, hydration, dehydration, halogenation, nitrification, sulfonation, amination, alkylation, dealkylation, esterification, polymerization, polycondensation, catalysis, fermentation, mixing, separation, purification or the like. The process steps may be performed sequentially in time and / or space to chemically transform of input materials to output materials.

[0084] FIG. 1 A illustrates input materials 102 and 104 and energy input 105 fed to the chemical process 100. Energy input 105 may renewable energy, fossil energy, or a combination thereof. The input materials 102 and 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106 and 108. The output materials 106 and 108 may include one main product and at least one by-product. In chemical reactions, the yield of one output material is typically below 100 %, because of side reactions and losses upon purifications. Hence chemical processes may produce multiple output materials. The main product may signify the product of interest and the by-product may signify the further output product that is unavoidably obtained by the chemical process. The by-product may be an intermediate which can be used as reagent in another chemical process. The chemical process including the feed of input materials and the produced quantity of output materials may be monitored by sensors 110 providing production monitoring data.

[0085] FIG. 1B illustrates input materials 102, 103, 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102, 103, 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106, 108 as described in the context of Fig. 1a. In addition to the output materials 106, 108 a waste stream 112 may be produced by the chemical process. The waste stream may include any output material that cannot be used as reagent in another chemical process.

[0086] FIG. 1C illustrates input materials 102, 104 fed to the chemical process 100. The input materials 102, 104 are chemically processed to output materials 106, 108 as described in the context of Figs. 1a and 1b. In addition to the output materials 106, 108 a refeed stream of input material 114 may be produced and reused by the chemical process.

[0087] FIG. 2 illustrates a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes.

[0088] FIG. 2 illustrates the networked nature of the chemical production network. Multiple chemical processes are interlinked via their input-output material relation. For example, the output materials 206, 208 of chemical process 204 may be the input material of chemical processes 214, 216. Chemical process 214 may produce from the input materials 210 and 206 the output materials 218, 222 and waste stream 220. Output material 218 may exit the chemical production network as end products. The input material 210 may be fed to the chemical process 214 from the outside of the chemical production network. The input material 206 may be fed to the chemical process 214 from the chemical process 204 of the chemical production network. Similarly chemical process 216 may produce from the input materials 208 and 212 the output materials 224-230. Output materials 228 and 230 may exit the chemical production network as end products. Chemical process 232 may produce from the input materials 222, 224, 226 the output materials 234, 236. Output materials 234, 236 may exit the chemical production network as end products. This way the chemical production network may use interlinked or interrelated chemical processes to produce output products leaving the chemical production network. The interlinking or interrelation may include at least one intermediate of one chemical process being used as input material to one or more chemical process(es) downstream the one chemical process.

[0089] FIG. 3 illustrates a sub-cluster of a chemical production network including multiple chemical processes. A chemical production network may include multiple plants performing chemical processes 312, 310, 318 and forming sub-clusters 300 of the chemical production network. The input material 302, 304 may be fed into chemical process 310. The input materials 306, 308 may be fed into chemical process 312. The output materials 320, 324 may be provided as end products of the subcluster 300 and exit the subcluster 300. The output materials 314 and 316 of chemical processes 310, 312 may be provided as input materials to chemical process 318. The output materials 322, 324 may be provided as end products of the subcluster 300 and exit the subcluster 300.

[0090] FIG. 4 illustrates multiple sub-clusters forming a chemical production network.

[0091] The chemical production network 400 may include multiple subclusters 410, 412, 422. The input materials 402, 404, 406, 408 may be fed to subclusters 410, 412. The output material 416 from subcluster 416 and the output material 418 from subcluster 412 may be fed as input material to subcluster 422. In addition, input material 414 may enter the chemical production network 400 and be fed to subcluster 422. The output materials 424, 426, 428 may exit the chemical production network as end products.

[0092] As illustrated in FIGs. 1 to 4 the chemical production network 400 may include multiple chemical processes 100, which may be arranged in subclusters 410, 412, 422. The chemical processes 100 or subclusters 410, 412, 422 may 240923

[0093] 16 be connected to form a network with multiple production chains interrelated via their material flow. The chemical production network may form part of a discrete product supply chain, wherein the discrete product is produced from one or more chemical outputs or output materials proved by the chemical production network.

[0094] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a chemical production network 500 with inbound and outbound attribution of SASCs according to an aspect of the disclosure. Chemical production network 500 is described above with reference to FIGs. 1-4.

[0095] Operating system 501 may be a digital operating system configured to collect, store, manage and interpret a wide range of production and / or business data for chemical production network 500. Operating system 501 may be part of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Alternatively, operating system 501 may be partly implemented in an ERP system and partly implemented in one or more additional systems which may be communicatively coupled with an ERP system. Operating system 501 may also be implemented in one or more systems outside of an ERP system.

[0096] In the illustrated embodiment, input materials 502-506 are provided to chemical production network 500 at the feed-in point 512. The input materials may include conventional fossil feedstock 502 (e.g., natural gas or naphtha) as well as source-attributable input materials (SAIMs) 504-506. The SIAMs may represent a like-for-like replacement of a conventional input material. The SAIMs may be chemically identical to the conventional input material. The SAIMs may have the same chemical structure than the conventional input material. For example, the conventional input material may be naphtha or methanol. The respective corresponding (i.e., like-for-like) SIAM material may be bionaphtha or bio-methanol. After they are delivered to chemical production network 500, the conventional input materials 502, the SIAMs 504-506, and / or energy input may be used in one or more chemical production processes of chemical production network 500.

[0097] Input material data for SAIM 504 may be provided to operating system 501 at 522. Similarly, SAIM data for SAIM 506 may be provided to operating system 501 at 524. For example, the goods receipt (and / or a BOM and / or a chemical production recipe) including the input material data for the SAIM(s) may be electronically provided to operating system 501 when, for example, SAIM 504 and / or SAIM 506 is delivered to chemical production network 500.

[0098] Operating system 501 may receive input material data 522-524 (i.e., SIAM data) through an interface to a local or a remote database or an ERP system, in particular its supply chain module, or any computing system or apparatus, such as a centralized or decentralized computing system or apparatus including processing and storage. The input material data for each input material may hence be gathered from an ERP system or any computing system or apparatus, such as a centralized or decentralized computing system or apparatus including processing and storage. In some cases, the input material data of each input material is gathered through an interface to more than one database. It therefore may be necessary to convert the information retrieved from different databases into a single format to allow further processing. In particular, the input material data obtained from databases may be attributed to 240923

[0099] 17 the input material via the identification of an input material in the database that has to be translated to the identification of the input material used in the process according to the present disclosure. Similarly, the input material data obtained from databases may be attributed to the input material input via the identification of an input material in the database that has to be translated to the identification of the input material of the process data used in the process according to the present disclosure.

[0100] Operating system 501 may determine whether to generate a SASC (e.g., corresponding to a SASA of 504-506). According to the disclosure, operating system 501 may make this determination based on a software attribute. The software attribute may represent a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product. For example, operating system 501 may query a database or access specific software modules or functions that contain the relevant data to determine whether there is a decision or intention to assign the source-attributable sustainability attribute to a virtual balancing account and / or to a target product. The relevant data may include non-standard material identifiers associated with SAI Ms. The operating system 501 may be configured to parse the input material data to determine input material identifiers included in the input material data and to match such input material identifiers to non-standard material identifiers included in the database. A match may indicate that there is a decision or intention to assign the SASA to the virtual balancing account and / or to the target product.

[0101] According to an aspect of the disclosure, operating system 501 may calculate a SASC associated with SAIM(s) 504- 506. The SASC may be a digital representation of a SASA (e.g., of SAIM 504 or 506). The digital representation may encapsulate various factors such as an amount of SAIM provided and / or a source-attributable sustainability attribute (SASA) such as the SAIM's PCF (which may be lower than the average PCF of the like-for-like conventional input materials). It may include specific details regarding the sources of the SAIMs, such as biogas or bio-naphtha, as well as the corresponding quantity, value, and / or other metadata. The calculation of the SASC may involve multiple steps including, for example: (1) extracting the applicable data from the input material data, (2) validating the extracted data, (3) converting the data into a structured formatted (e.g., JSON or XML) for easier manipulation, and (4) attribute calculation.

[0102] According to the disclosure, operating system 501 may apply a virtual production step to calculate the digital sustainability credit. Virtual production refers to receiving input material data for a SAIM and applying a production recipe to the input material data to produce the digital sustainability credit (i.e., a SASC) as well as a corresponding amount of conventional input material. For example, operating system 501 may initiate a virtual production process when it receives SAIM data for SAIM 506. The operating system 501 may initiate the virtual production process when it determines that the input material identifier included in the received input material data matches non-standard material identifiers indicating a decision to assign the SASA to the virtual balancing account and / or to the target product stored in the database. The virtual production process may parse the input material data and apply a corresponding recipe. For example, the virtual production process may determine an amount of credit (e.g., based on a sustainability attribute such as PCF), cost associated with the SAIM, amount of SAIM, and the like. 240923

[0103] 18

[0104] In an aspect of the disclosure, SAIMs 504-506 may be used in a chemical production process that produces one or more chemical products. For example, operating system 501 may parse process data for the chemical production process and determine that it will create a chemical product. Operating system 501 may then create a virtual balancing account associated with the chemical product and / or SAIM. For example, if input material 506 is an input to the process, then operating system 501 may create virtual balancing account 536. Operating system 501 may convert the input sustainability attribute(s) of SAIM 506 to SASCs (e.g., corresponding to the PCF of SAIM 506 and / or the amount of SAIM 506) and apply an allocation rule (e.g., SAIM, type of sustainability attribute, expiration date, and / or other predefined allocation rule) to allocate the SASC(s) to virtual balancing account 536.

[0105] Similarly, if SAIM 504 is an input to the process, operating system 501 may convert the input sustainability attribute of SAIM 504 to a SASC (e.g., corresponding to the PCF of SAIM 504 and / or the amount of SAIM 504) and allocate the SASC(s) to virtual balancing accounts 534.

[0106] Virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 534 may determine and track the amount (e.g., volume and / or mass), the sustainability attribute (e.g., the SASA of SAIM 504) and the value of SAIM 504. For example, operating system 501 may parse input material data 522 to determine the amount of SAIM 504 that was received and a SASA of SAIM 504. Operating system 501 may then credit virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 534 with SASC(s) calculated from the amount of SAIM that was received and its SASA. In other aspects of the invention, operating system 501 may use more, fewer, and or other features of a SAIM to determine the corresponding SASC(s).

[0107] Similarly, virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 536 may determine and track the amount (e.g., volume and / or mass), the sustainability attribute (e.g., the SASA of SAIM 506) and the value of SAIM 506. For example, operating system 501 may parse input material data 524 to determine the amount of SAIM 506 that was received and a SASA of SAIM 506. Operating system 501 may then credit virtual balancing account (or digital inventory) 536 with SASC(s) calculated from the amount of SAIM that was received and its SASA. In other aspects of the invention, operating system 501 may use more, fewer, and or other features of a SAIM to determine the corresponding SASC(s).

[0108] Operating system 501 may include amalgamating system 546 to create chemical products by combining SASC(s) with conventional products. For example, operating system 501 may process an order for a product 552-564. If the customer purchased a conventional chemical product 552-558, operating system 501 may process the purchase using conventional product digital inventory 542-544.

[0109] If, however, the customer purchased a more sustainable product, operating system 501 may direct amalgamating system 546 to combine SASC(s) from one or both of digital inventories (or virtual balancing accounts) 534-536 with corresponding conventional products from one or both of digital inventories 542-544. Amalgamating system 546 may generate a digital asset (which may or may not be incorporated into another record such as a BOM and / or sales record) 572-574 that defines (or specifies) a target product from the combination of SASCs (or balancing units) and 240923

[0110] 19 conventional product(s). For example, amalgamating system 546 may create a target product by combining conventional product 544 with SASC(s) from digital inventory 536 as shown by 574. Similarly, amalgamating system 546 may create a target product by combining conventional product 542 with SASC(s) from digital inventory 534 as shown by 572. Thus, operating system 501 enables chemical production network 500 to efficiently create multiple products from multiple input materials (and, optionally, with SASCs) that are combined with conventional input materials and / or fossil energy in a large interconnected chemical production network.

[0111] Operating system 501 may be configured to provide an identifier, such as a decentral identifier, associated with a physical entity of a produced chemical product (or other chemical product). For example, operating system 501, may be configured to link the identifier to a physical identifier of the chemical product. Operating system 501 may be configured to assign the identifier to the physical identifier connected to the chemical product. The production operating apparatus may be configured to assign the identifier to the physical identifier physically connected to the chemical product.

[0112] The identifier may relate to data associated with at least one chemical product produced by the chemical production network, wherein the one or more SASC(s) associated with the at least one chemical product are derived from one or more sustainability attribute(s) associated with the source-attributed input material(s). The identifier may relate to any identifier uniquely associated with the chemical product. The identifier may be associated with the physical entity of the chemical product. The identifier may refer to a single batch of the chemical product. The identifier may be associated with a group of chemical product(s). The may refer to multiple physical entities of the chemical product(s). The identifier may be associated with continuous or semi-continuous stream of the chemical product. The may refer to a stream of the chemical product e.g. over a certain time period.

[0113] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating selected aspects of inbound attribution of SASCs (e.g., to a virtual balancing account) according to an aspect of the disclosure.

[0114] SAIM data 602, process data 604 and input material data 606 may be provided to a digital system as shown by 608, 610 and 612, respectively. In an aspect of the disclosure, the digital system is an operating system of a material production network (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5). In an alternative aspect of the disclosure, the digital system provides a service via a network (e.g., a cloud-based service to a material production network).

[0115] The input material data may include a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the input material (e.g., the PCF of the input material data). The input material may be a conventional input material. Similarly, the SAIM data may include a digital representation of at least one sustainability attribute associated with the SAIM (e.g., the PCF of the SAIM which may be referred to as a SASA). The input material data and / or the SAIM data refers to digital information related to the composition, quality, and source of the input materials (e.g., raw materials or feedstocks) used in a chemical production process. This data may include information on the quantity, physical properties, and origin of the input materials. It may also include information on any impurities, contaminants, 240923

[0116] 20 or other quality attributes. The input material data and / or the SAIM data may be provided via one or more digital documents including, for example, a purchase order, a sales order, an invoice, a material safety data sheet, and the like. The vendor may provide some (or all) of the input material data and / or the SAIM data via an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and / or other digital systems. The input material data and / or the SAIM data may be received from a vendor who provides the corresponding input material and / or the corresponding SAIM. For example, the input material data and / or the SAIM data may be digital data (e.g., electronic files or data structures) of a purchase order, material data safety sheet, certificate of analysis, regulatory compliance documents, an invoice, and the like. The input material data and / or the SAIM data may be received from a third party (e.g., a consultant, an industry association, a certification body, a regulatory agency, and the like). Alternatively, the input material data and / or the SAIM data may also be received via a sustainability certificate (e.g., from a sustainability certificate registry).

[0117] The digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may determine whether to generate a source- attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA by referencing a software attribute that represents, for example, a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product (i.e., outbound attribution). Alternatively, the software attribute may represent a decision to attribute the SASA to a virtual balancing account (i.e., inbound attribution). Referencing a software attribute, may refer to a process by which the digital system accesses and evaluates a specific attribute or characteristic of the software. It may involve the digital system checking whether there is a decision or intention to assign the source-attributable sustainability attribute to the target product. Referencing a software attribute may entail examining and utilizing the sustainability attribute information stored within the digital system. This may involve querying a database or accessing specific software modules or functions that contain the relevant data. The digital system may assess whether the input material possesses the sustainability attribute, and if so, it may check whether there is an operator or digital tool directive to assign that attribute to the target product. Referencing a software attribute may involve the digital system accessing and considering the relevant sustainability attribute information to determine if it should be attributed or assigned to a specific target product within the chemical production network. Referencing a software attribute may refer to the process of determining whether the SAIM data includes such software attribute. The software attribute may represent or indicate a decision to attribute the source-attributed sustainability attribute(s) to the target product(s). The software attribute may include a non-standard material identifier. The software-attribute may be associated with or relate to the nonstandard material identifier. The software attribute may reference the non-standard material identifier. The software attribute may indicate the non-standard material identifier. The non-standard material identifier may include a digital material identifier uniquely identifying the SAIM within the material production network. The non-standard material identifier may relate to the SASA of the SAIM. The non-standard material identifier may indicate that the input material is a SAIM associated with a SASA.

[0118] The digital system may generate the SASC (e.g., based on the SASA of the SAIM), if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product at 616. Alternatively, the digital system may generate the SASC if the software attribute confirms the decision to attribute the SASC to a virtual balancing 240923

[0119] 21 account. In yet other embodiments, the software attribute may represent other criteria (such as a desired attribute value, an available sale price, and the like).

[0120] Referring to 618, the digital system may be configured to allocate the SASC(s) to a virtual balancing account. For example, the digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may include a virtual balancing account assignment function (not shown) configured to generate and manage virtual balancing accounts (534-536, shown in FIG. 5). The digital system may instruct the virtual balancing account assignment function to generate (and / or assign) one or more virtual balancing accounts. According to the disclosure, the operating system attributes the SASC(s) to a virtual balancing account, according to one or more attribution rules (e.g., material type, sustainability attribute type, and the like).

[0121] Alternatively, for example, if the software attribute does not indicate inbound allocation or outbound allocation, the digital system includes the SASA in the calculation of a conventional PCF at 622. The conventional PCF calculation may, for example, be consistent with the ISO 14067 standard. The PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) may be calculated by considering the emissions associated with each input material, taking into account their respective PCF values and quantities.

[0122] FIG. 7 illustrates selected aspects of pooling input materials and the "socialization” of sustainability attributes (e.g., PCF) to various products. Input materials S1 and S2 are provided to material manufacturing network 700. In addition, source-attributed input material (SAIM) S3 is provided to material manufacturing network 700. S1-S3 are like-for-like materials. SAIM S3 may have a PCF that is lower than the PCFs of S1 and S2. S1-S3 are mixed together at 702. S3's specific PCF effect is reduced due to the averaging across S1-S3. The combination of S1-S3 is processed into products as shown by 704-710. The PCF effect of S3 is dependent on its ratio in the procurement mix and on the respective consolidated raw material demand which dilutes the PCF effect of S3 in the sales products shown by 712.

[0123] FIG. 8 illustrates selected aspects of generating a SASC and attributing the SASC to a target product, according to an aspect of the disclosure. Input materials S1 and S2 are provided to material manufacturing network 800. In addition, source-attributed input material (SAIM) S3 is provided to material manufacturing network 800. S1-S3 are like-for-like materials. According to the disclosure, a digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) determines whether to generate SASC 802 (e.g., by referencing a software attribute). SASC 802 is a virtual carrier construct of S3's lower PCF. After the digital system generates SASC 802, S3 is mixed with S1 and S2 at 804. Since S3's lower PCF is virtually carried by SASC 802, it is included in the conventional PCF calculation that applies to the mixture of materials in tank 804. The digital system attributes SASC 802 to conventional product 806 to produce more sustainable produce 808. Thus, in an aspect of the invention, the digital system can flexibly attribute the lower PCF of S3 to a target product 808.

[0124] FIG. 9 illustrates selected aspects of a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) according to an aspect of the disclosure. According to the disclosure, a digital system (e.g., operating system 501, shown in FIG. 5) may apply a 240923

[0125] 22 virtual production step 900 to generate source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) 902. Virtual production refers to receiving input material data for a SAIM 904 and applying a production recipe 906 to the input material data to produce SASC 902 (and a corresponding amount of conventional input material 908). For example, the digital system may initiate a virtual production process when it receives SAIM data 904. The virtual production process may parse the input material data and apply a corresponding recipe 906. For example, the virtual production process may determine an amount of credit (e.g., based on a sustainability attribute such as PCF), cost associated with the SAIM, amount of SAIM, and the like. The virtual production step 900 may create SASC 902 as a main product and conventional input material 908 as a by-product. The digital system may apply standard processes to conventional input material 908 (e.g., apply standard processes to determine a PCF value for a product that includes an amount of conventional input material 908).

[0126] According to the disclosure SAIM 904 may be acquired using (and / or identified with) a non-standard material identifier 910. In an aspect, the digital system may use material identifiers in the production recipes (e.g., in recipe 906) and / or other processes. The digital system may distinguish, for example whether to apply processes and calculations appropriate to a SAIM (and / or SIMA data) based on its non-standard material identifier. In the illustrated example, the digital system may use non-standard identifier 910 to determine whether to apply virtual production step 900 to SAIM 904. The non-standard identifier may hence determine whether or not to generate a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA. The non-standard identifier may be included in the software attribute. The non-standard identifier may relate to the software attribute. The software attribute may indicate the non-standard identifier. A "non-standard material identifier” refers to a material identifier that is different from (e.g., that a digital system can distinguish from) the standard material identifier (e.g., 912) of its conventional input material counterpart. By triggering the generation of the source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) using the SAIM data based on the software attribute, the SASA of the sustainable input material, such as a low PCF value, can be reliably converted into the SASC. This way, selective allocation of the SASC to chemical products produced by the chemical production network to reduce the environmental impact of such chemical products is enabled.

[0127] The present disclosure further relates to a non-transitory computer readable data medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing steps of the method according to the present invention. Computer readable data medium include hard drives, for example on a serv-er, USB storage device, CD, DVD or Blue-ray discs. The computer program may contain all functionalities and data required for execution of the method according to the present invention or it may provide interfaces to have parts of the method processed on remote systems, for ex-ample on a cloud system.

[0128] The present invention further relates to a system or apparatus for determining the sustainability attribute of a product produced in a production process of a production plant. Unless explicitly described differently hereafter, the description relating to the method also applies to the system or apparatus. The system or apparatus can be a computing device, for example a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or a distributed computing system or apparatus or 23 apparatus such as a cloud system. Often the computing device has a network connection in order to communicate with other computing devices, such as servers or a cloud network.

[0129] The present disclosure has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments and examples as well. However, other variations can be understood and effected by those persons skilled in the art and practicing the claimed invention, from the studies of the drawings, this disclosure and the claims.

[0130] Any steps presented herein can be performed in any order. The methods disclosed herein are not limited to a specific order of these steps. It is also not required that the different steps are performed at a certain place or in a certain computing node of a distributed system, i.e. each of the steps may be performed at different computing nodes using different equipment / data processing.

[0131] As used herein "determining” also includes "initiating or causing to determine”, "generating” also includes "initiating and / or causing to generate” and "providing” also includes "initiating or causing to determine, generate, select, send and / or receive”. "Initiating or causing to perform an action” includes any processing signal that triggers a computing node or device to perform the respective action.

[0132] In the claims as well as in the description the word "comprising” or "including” or simi-lar wording does not exclude other elements or steps and shall not be construed limiting to the elements or steps lined out. The indefinite article "a” or "an” does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in the mutual different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous implementation or further elements may be included.

[0133] Providing in the scope of this disclosure may include any interface configured to provide data. This may include an application programming interface, a human-machine interface such as a display and / or a software module interface. Providing may include communication of data or submission of data to the interface, in particular display to a user or use of the data by the receiving entity.

[0134] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein relate to methods, systems, apparatuses, devices, chemicals, materials, computer program elements lined out above and vice versa. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the embodiments and examples equally apply to all other embodiments and examples and vice versa.

[0135] All terms and definitions used herein are understood broadly and have their general meaning.

[0136] Any disclosure and embodiments described herein are mere examples for implementing the method, the system or application device disclosed herein and shall not be considered limiting.

Claims

24092324Claims:1 . A computer-implemented method for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the method comprising: providing, by an operating system, SAIM data and the SASA, wherein the SAIM is interchangeable with a like-for-like standard input material; determining, by the operating system, whether to generate a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA by referencing a software attribute that represents a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product; generating, by an operating system, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product; providing, by the operating system, a virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM provided to a chemical production network, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account; assigning, by the operating system, the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

2. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein generating, by the operating system, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises: applying a virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC.

3. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the like-for-like standard input material has a standard material identifier.

4. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the SAIM has a non-standard material identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the software attribute includes or is associated with the non-standard material identifier.

6. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein generating, by the operating system, the SASC based on the SASA provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises: generating, by the operating system, the SASC based on the SASA and an amount of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises.

7. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the SASC has a validity period.240923258. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the operating system includes the SASA in a calculation of a conventional PCF, if the software attribute confirms a decision to not apply at least part of the SASC to a target product.

9. The computer-implemented method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the SASA is a carbon emission value of the SAIM.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the carbon emission value is a PCF of the SAIM.11 . The computer-implemented method of any of the claims 3 to 10, wherein applying a virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC comprises: applying the virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC as a main product.

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

13. A system for assigning a source-attributed sustainability attribute (SASA) associated with a source-attributed input material (SAIM) to a virtual balancing account, the system comprising: an input configured to receive SAIM data and the SASA to an operating system of a chemical production network; a processor configured to (i) determine whether to generate a source-attributed sustainability credit (SASC) corresponding to the SASA by referencing a software attribute that represents a decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product (II), generate, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product (ill), provide a virtual balancing account associated with the SASC of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, wherein the SASC may be added or withdrawn from the virtual balancing account, (vi) assign the SASC to the virtual balancing account.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein the processor configured to generate, the SASC based on the SASA of the SAIM provided to the chemical production network, if the software attribute confirms the decision to apply at least part of the SASC to a target product comprises a processor configured to: applying a virtual production step to the SAIM to generate the SASC.

15. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the software attribute includes or is associated with a nonstandard material identifier of the SAIM.

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