JP7712700B2 - Information processing system, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Emissions of carbon dioxide and other substances have been calculated (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-164754 A

When calculating supply chain emissions and environmental indicators, data for the same type of activity must be registered separately, resulting in duplicate registration work.

The present invention was made in light of this background, and aims to provide a system that eliminates the need to register either activity data for calculating supply chain emissions or activity data for calculating environmental indicators.

The information processing system according to this embodiment is characterized by comprising a memory unit capable of storing numerical values of a first activity relating to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, numerical values of a second activity relating to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, numerical values of a third activity relating to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, and numerical values relating to an environmental indicator, and a management unit that manages a predetermined classification relating to the first activity, the second activity, and/or the third activity in association with a predetermined item relating to the environmental indicator.

Other problems and solutions disclosed in this application will be made clear in the description of the embodiments of the invention and the drawings.

According to the present invention, it is possible to omit the registration process for either the activity data for calculating supply chain emissions or the activity data for calculating environmental indicators.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a management server 200. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the software configuration of a management server 200. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for outputting a target discharge amount. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a process for outputting an emission amount reduced by a solution. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for outputting a reduction target. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a process for presenting an emission coefficient. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process 1 for generating and presenting third information. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a process 2 for generating and presenting third information. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a process 3 for generating and presenting third information. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a process 4 for generating and presenting third information. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process for calculating and presenting a carbon tax. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process of analyzing and outputting first information. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process flow for displaying an emission intensity unit for each associated company. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process flow for calculating a PCF. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process of identifying an activity. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process of classifying activities. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for providing solution information. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for providing solution information. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for providing solution information. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process for managing the execution state of a reduction means. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for providing solution information. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process for providing procurement information. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process for providing solution information. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process of registering a template. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 1 of the 18th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining operation 2 of the 18th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 1 of the 19th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 2 of the 19th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 3 of the 19th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 1 of the 20th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 2 of the 20th function. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a process for calculating an emission amount. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a process for outputting a discharge amount. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output of a discharge amount. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process for calculating an emission amount at a construction site. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a process for calculating the discharge amount for each package. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process flow for setting an approval route. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a process for linking emission intensity units. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process of generating and outputting information for receiving authentication by a third party. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process for displaying results based on data trends. FIG. 28 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 28th function. FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 29th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 30th function. FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the 31st function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 31st function. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where carbon offset is performed when paying a taxi fare. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a case where participation in carbon offset is inquired in advance. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 32nd function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 33rd function. FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a process for calculating an emission amount of the thirty-fourth function. FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the output process of evidence data of the 34th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 35th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 36th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 37th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 38th function. FIG. 39 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 39th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 40th function. FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the first embodiment of the 41st function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the second embodiment of the 41st function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process flow for displaying an emission intensity unit for each associated company. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process flow for calculating a PCF. This is a conceptual diagram of a case where a user acquires emission credits directly from a holder. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a case in which a user acquires emission credits from a holder via an intermediary. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 2. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 3. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 4. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating operation 4 of the 19th function. FIG. 44 is a diagram explaining the operation of the function no. 44. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 45th function. A diagram explaining the operation of the 46th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 47th function. FIG. 48 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 48th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 49th function. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the 50th function.

In this embodiment, greenhouse gas emissions are mainly used as an example, but the following information can also be the target. The target information (data) is E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, S1, S2, S3, S4, G information, and human rights due diligence (hereinafter, human rights DD). E1, E2, E3, E4, and E5 are information related to the environment. S1, S2, S3, and S4 are information related to society. G is information related to governance. These information are collected by the acquisition unit 250, which will be described later. The acquisition unit 250 collects this information in real time or periodically. In the following, the term "emissions" refers to greenhouse gas emissions unless otherwise defined.

E1 is climate change data. There are two types of climate change data: transition risk type and physical risk type. Examples of climate change data of the physical risk type include location information of the target base, base attribute information (building information, etc.), financial information (asset value, etc.), greenhouse gas emissions, etc.

E2 is pollution data. Examples of pollution data are: emissions, transfers, consumption, waste records of hazardous substances, establishments and conditions of known pollution, emissions of air pollutants, emissions to water, emissions of inorganic pollutants, emissions of ozone depleting substances, microplastics, total amount of substances of concern generated or used during production, total amount of substances of concern procured, total amount of substances of concern shipped, significant risks, opportunities and financial impacts arising from pollution-related impacts, operational and capital expenditures related to accidents and deposits, incidents (e.g. interruption of production resulting in pollution), targets for determining regional ecological thresholds (TNFD/SBTN based), site location information of adopted policy, contextual information of targets and addressing shortcomings in DNSH criteria, etc.

E3 is data on water and marine resources. Examples of data on water and marine resources include water withdrawals, water discharges, information on bases in water-stressed areas, water recycling rates, COD (biochemical oxygen demand), BOD (chemical oxygen demand), targets for water and marine resources (TNFD/SBTN based), water withdrawal reduction targets, water discharge reduction targets, total water use in areas with significant water risks, information on water quality and quantity in the watershed, total water recycled and reuse, total water storage and changes in storage, potential financial impacts of significant risks/opportunities, and exposure to related products and services.

E4 is biodiversity data. Examples of biodiversity data are: location of business activities, business sector information, financial information (e.g. asset values), TNFD/SDPI-based targets, avoidance/minimization/restoration/offset targets, area of land permanently protected, area of land restored, number of sites with improved ecosystem integrity, number and area of material sites, land use based on LCA, change in land cover over time (e.g. deforestation), changes in ecosystem management over time, changes in spatial configuration of landscapes, changes in structural connectivity of ecosystems, financial impact of risks/opportunities, products/services exposed to risk, etc.

E5 is circular economy data. Examples of circular economy data are: amount and percentage of recycled materials in procurement, total amount and percentage of waste, repairability, degradability, SBTN-based target setting, resource use and circular economy related targets (e.g. increasing circular design, increasing circular material usage), ecological thresholds and quotas, sustainable procurement related targets, value chain targets, absolute and percentage weight of renewable inputs, weight of products and materials (non-virgin) that are reused or recycled in both absolute and percentage, material information from production process (e.g. durability, reusability, repairability, degradability, remanufacturability/refurbishability), total amount and percentage of waste (hazardous/non-hazardous), financial impact of significant risks/opportunities, related products/services at risk, etc.

S1 is data on the company's own employees. Examples of employee data on the company's own employees include data on the company's HR system, history of interactions with the labor union, employee-related incidents, etc. S2 is data on employees in the value chain. Examples of employee data on the value chain include data collected in the form of a questionnaire (customized for each industry and company) based on the SAQ established by the United Nations. S3 is data on affected communities. S4 is data on consumers and end customers. G is data on business activities.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment. The information processing system according to this embodiment is configured to include a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicatively connected to a user terminal 100 via a communication network 300. The communication network 300 is, for example, the Internet, and is constructed using a public telephone line network, a mobile phone line network, a wireless communication path, Ethernet (registered trademark), or the like.

The user terminal 100 is a computer operated by a user of a business entity, such as a company, that is a waste emitter. The user terminal 100 can be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a personal computer. The user can use the user terminal 100 to access the management server 200 and calculate the amount of waste emissions.

The management server 200 is a computer that calculates and manages emissions. The management server 200 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

<Management Server>
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 200. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, a storage device 203, a communication interface 204, an input device 205, and an output device 206. The storage device 203 is, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or a flash memory that stores various data and programs. The communication interface 204 is an interface for connecting to the communication network 300, and is, for example, an adapter for connecting to Ethernet (registered trademark), a modem for connecting to a public telephone line network, a wireless communication device for wireless communication, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector or an RS232C connector for serial communication, etc. The input device 205 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a button, a microphone, etc. that input data. The output device 206 is, for example, a display, a printer, a speaker, etc. that output data. Each functional unit of the management server 200 described below is realized by the CPU 201 reading a program stored in the storage device 203 into the memory 202 and executing it, and each storage unit of the management server 200 is realized as part of the storage area provided by the memory 202 and the storage device 203.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the management server 200. The management server 200 includes a calculation unit 210, an input unit 220, a storage unit 230, an output unit 240, an acquisition unit 250, a generation unit 260, an estimation unit 270, an analysis unit 280, and an execution unit 290. The information processing system including the management server 200 includes multiple functions. These functions are described below.

<<Goal setting function (first function)>>
An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the first function will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (emission coefficient storage unit, emission amount storage unit, solution storage unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit, unit reduction amount calculation unit, target emission amount calculation unit), an input unit 220, and an output unit 240.

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission coefficient information). The emission coefficients may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from emissions of multiple companies providing the same type of product). The emission coefficient memory unit can store emission coefficients in association with the type of activity. The emission coefficient memory unit can store emission coefficients in association with information identifying the business entity (entrepreneurship ID) and information indicating the type of activity (type-specific information).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity. The emission amount memory unit can store the first direct emission amount (scope 1) by the business entity, the second indirect emission amount (scope 2) by the business entity, and the third emission amount (scope 3) by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity. The emission amount memory unit can also store the fourth emission amount by category for the third emission amount (scope 3) related to the other business entities. In this embodiment, the emission amount memory unit can store the company ID indicating the business entity, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), the scope, the category, and the emission amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range. The scope and category can be the scope and category specified in the GHG Protocol. The category may be omitted.

The solution storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (referred to as solution information) related to solutions that achieve emission reduction. Solutions can include, for example, various services and products related to the reduction and offset of greenhouse gas emissions, such as consulting services related to the formulation and execution of reduction plans, procurement of renewable energy power, and offset trading such as J-Credit. The solution storage unit can store reduction information for calculating the amount of emission power that can be reduced by the solution, in association with information identifying the solution (solution ID) and the industry in which the solution can be adopted. The reduction information can be, for example, a percentage of emissions, or an emission coefficient to be multiplied by the amount of activity.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 can calculate the emission amount of the business entity (or at least any one of the first to fourth emissions). The emission calculation unit can, for example, accept input of the amount of activity, obtain an emission coefficient corresponding to the type of amount of activity from the emission coefficient storage unit, calculate the emission amount for each activity by multiplying the amount of activity by the obtained emission coefficient, and calculate the emission amount by summing up the emissions by scope and/or category. The emission calculation unit may also accept input of an emission amount calculated externally.

The input unit 220 accepts input of the business entity's emission reduction target percentage, base point in time, and target point in time. The base point in time and the target point in time are, for example, a year (fiscal year). The goal can be set to achieve a target emission amount at the target point in time that is reduced by the reduction target percentage based on the emission amount at the base point in time. The input unit 220 can accept first to third reduction target percentages for each of the first to third emission amounts. The input unit 220 can also accept a fourth reduction target percentage by category for the third emission amount.

The input unit 220 can accept the third reduction target ratio from the other business operator. The input unit 220 can receive the third reduction target ratio, for example, from a user terminal 100 operated by (an employee of) the other business operator. The input unit 220 can transmit a message to the user terminal 100 of the other business operator instructing the user to input the third reduction target ratio, and can receive from the user terminal 100 the third reduction target ratio input by the other business operator in response to the message.

The unit reduction amount calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the amount of reduction in the amount of emission in a unit time (unit period). The unit time is, for example, one year, but may be a quarter, month, week, etc. The unit reduction amount calculation unit obtains the amount of emission at the reference time from the emission amount storage unit, and multiplies the obtained emission amount by the reduction target rate to calculate the amount of reduction to be made from the reference time to the target time. The unit reduction amount calculation unit can calculate the target value (unit reduction amount) of the amount of reduction to be made per unit time (for example, one year) by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times (for example, years) from the reference time to the target time. The unit reduction amount calculation unit can also calculate the first to third unit reduction amounts for each of the first to third emission amounts. The unit reduction amount calculation unit can also calculate a fourth unit reduction amount by category for the third emission amount.

The target emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates a target value of emission (referred to as target emission amount) per unit time (e.g., one year). The target emission calculation unit can calculate the target emission amount for each unit time from the base point in time by subtracting the cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount at the base point in time. The target emission calculation unit can calculate the target emission amount per unit time (first to third target emission amounts) for each of the first to third emission amounts. The target emission calculation unit can calculate a fourth target emission amount by category per unit time for the third emission amount.

The output unit 240 can output the target emission amount for each unit time. The output unit 240 can output the target emission amount for each of the first to third emission amounts. The output unit 240 can output a fourth target emission amount by category for the third emission amount.

The output unit 240 can output the emission amount and the target emission amount (total or the first to fourth emission amounts and the target emission amount) in association with each other for the period for which the emission amount is registered. The output unit 240 can output the emission amount and the target emission force, for example, in a graph format.

The output unit 240 can also visualize the emissions (or reductions) after the solution is introduced. For example, the output unit 240 can accept a solution specification from the user terminal 100, read reduction information corresponding to the specified solution from the solution storage unit, calculate the amount of emissions reduction based on the read reduction information, calculate a value obtained by subtracting the reduction amount from the emissions (simulated emissions), and output the simulated emissions. The output unit 240 can also output the simulated emissions together with the emissions and target emissions.

<Operation>
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the process (operation 1) of outputting the target discharge amount.

The management server 200 accepts input of a base time point, a target time point, and a reduction rate from a user terminal 100 operated by a user of the company (S401). The management server 200 transmits a request for a reduction rate, with the base time point and the target time point set, to the user terminal 100 of another business entity upstream and/or downstream in the supply chain (S402). The user of the other business entity inputs a reduction rate to the user terminal 100 in response to the request, and the management server 200 receives the reduction rate transmitted from the user terminal 100 in response to the request (S403). Note that a system that manages emissions in the other business entity may respond with the reduction rate. The management server 200 may also accept input of a reduction rate by another business entity from a user of the company.

The management server 200 calculates the reduction amount for each unit time (e.g., year) from the base point to the target point (S404). For example, the management server 200 can read the emission amount at the base point from the emission storage unit and calculate the reduction amount by multiplying the read emission amount by the reduction rate. The management server 200 may accept different reduction rates for each of scopes 1 and 2. For scope 3, the reduction rate acquired from the user terminal 100 of the other business entity may differ from the reduction rate for the company's own scopes 1 and 2. The management server 200 can calculate the target reduction amount by reading the emission amount corresponding to the company's own company ID and the base point from the emission storage unit and multiplying it by the reduction rate accepted from the company's own user terminal 100, and can calculate the target reduction amount by reading the emission amount corresponding to the company ID and the base point indicating the other business entity from the emission storage unit and multiplying it by the reduction rate received from the user terminal 100 of the other business entity, and can sum the target reduction amount for each scope and/or category.

The management server 200 calculates the reduction amount per unit time by dividing the target reduction amount by the number of unit times (e.g., years) from the base point in time to the target point in time (S405), and can calculate the target emission amount per unit time by subtracting the accumulated reduction amount from the emission amount at the base point in time (S405).

The management server 200 can output the emission amount and the target emission amount in association with each other for a unit time (year) for which an emission amount is registered in the emission amount storage unit (S406). The management server 200 can output only the target emission amount for a unit time (year) for which an emission amount is not registered. Note that the management server 200 may output the reduction amount and emission amount (if registered) per unit time instead of the target emission amount.

Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the process (operation 2) of outputting the amount of emissions reduced by the solution.

The management server 200 accepts the designation of a solution (S501), reads out the reduction information corresponding to the accepted solution and the company's industry from the solution storage unit, and calculates the reduction amount (expected reduction amount) expected by the introduction of the solution based on the read reduction information and the emission amount at the reference time (S502). The management server 200 calculates the expected reduction amount per unit time by dividing the expected reduction amount by the number of unit times (e.g. years) from the reference time to the target time (S503), and calculates the emission amount (expected emission amount) expected by the introduction of the solution per unit time by subtracting the accumulated expected reduction amount per unit time from the emission amount at the reference time (S504). The management server 200 can output the expected emission amount in association with the emission amount and the target emission amount for unit times (years) for which the emission amount is registered in the emission storage unit (S505). The management server 200 can output the target emission amount and the expected emission amount in association with each other for unit times (years) for which the emission amount is not registered. Note that the management server 200 may output the expected reduction amount and emission amount (if registered) per unit time instead of the expected emission amount.

The calculation unit 210, input unit 220, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The first function also includes the following configuration.
[Item A1 (P025)]
an input unit that accepts input of a reduction target rate of the emissions by the business entity, a base point in time, and a target point in time; a unit reduction amount calculation unit that acquires the emissions corresponding to the base point in time from the emission memory unit, calculates a reduction amount by multiplying the acquired emissions by the reduction target rate, and calculates a unit reduction amount by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the base point in time to the target point in time; a target emission calculation unit that calculates a target emission amount for each unit time by subtracting a cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to the base point in time; and an output unit that outputs the target emission amount for each unit time. Item A1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter referred to as a base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item A2]
The information processing system described in item A1, wherein the emission amount memory unit stores a first direct emission amount by the business entity, a second indirect emission amount by the business entity, and a third emission amount by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity, the input unit accepts first to third reduction target rates for each of the first to third emissions, the unit reduction amount calculation unit calculates first to third unit reduction amounts for each of the first to third emissions, the target emission amount calculation unit calculates the target emission amount per unit time for each of the first to third emissions, and the output unit outputs the target emission amount for each of the first to third emissions.
[Item A3]
The information processing system described in item A2, wherein the emission memory unit stores a fourth emission amount by category for the third emission amount related to the other business operator, the input unit accepts the fourth reduction target rate by category for the third emission amount, the unit reduction amount calculation unit calculates the fourth unit reduction amount by category for the third emission amount, the target emission amount calculation unit calculates the fourth target emission amount by category for the third emission amount per unit time, and the output unit outputs the fourth target emission amount by category for the third emission amount.
[Item A4]
Item A2. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the input unit receives the third reduction target ratio from the other business operator.
[Item A5]
The information processing system according to item A4, wherein the input unit transmits a message to the other business operator instructing the other business operator to input the third reduction target ratio, and accepts the third reduction target ratio input from the other business operator in response to the message.
[Item A6]
The information processing system according to item A1, further comprising: a solution storage unit that stores information for identifying a solution that realizes the reduction of the emission amount and reduction information for calculating an amount of reduction in the emission power that can be reduced by the solution, wherein the output unit accepts designation of the solution, reads out the reduction information corresponding to the designated solution from the solution storage unit, calculates the amount of reduction in the emission amount based on the read reduction information, and outputs a value obtained by subtracting the reduction amount from the emission amount.
[Item A7]
When X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., E2 hazardous substance emissions and human rights DD working hours) is the subject, the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores the X information of a business entity (e.g., E2 hazardous substance emissions and human rights DD working hours); an input unit that accepts input of a reduction target rate, a base point, and a target point of the X information of the business entity; a unit reduction amount calculation unit that acquires a value of the X information corresponding to the base point of time from the storage unit, calculates a reduction amount by multiplying the acquired value of the X information by the reduction target rate, and calculates a unit reduction amount by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the base point of time to the target point of time; a target value calculation unit that calculates a target value by subtracting a cumulative unit reduction amount from the value of the X information corresponding to the base point of time for each unit time; and an output unit that outputs a target value for each unit time.

<<Goal setting suggestion function (second function)>>
Next, although some of the above has been explained in the embodiment of the first function, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the embodiment of the first function described above is described in detail below as an embodiment of the second function. In the embodiment of the second function, support is provided for formulating reduction targets for emissions, particularly those related to Scope 3 of the GHG Protocol. Scope 3 emissions are greenhouse gas emissions by business entities (hereinafter referred to as suppliers) that constitute the upstream and/or downstream of the supply chain related to the business entity that wishes to calculate emissions. An information processing system equipped with the second function imports the reduction targets of suppliers and proposes them as candidates for reduction targets for the company's own Scope 3 emissions.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the second function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit, target memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (target acquisition unit), an estimation unit 270, and a calculation unit 210 (reduction rate calculation unit).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information identifying the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for each supplier. In an embodiment of the second function, the emission amount memory unit stores the amount of activity and the emission intensity as information identifying the amount of emissions, but it may also store the amount of emissions itself. The emission amount memory unit can store a company ID indicating the supplier, time information, information for identifying an activity by the supplier (activity content), the amount of activity and the emission intensity related to the activity. The time information may be, for example, a year. The time information may also be the year/month, the year/month/day, etc.

The emissions memory unit can further store information identifying the company's direct and indirect emissions (emissions related to Scope 1 and 2). The emissions memory unit may store the emissions themselves as information identifying the company's emissions related to Scope 1 and 2, or may store the amount of activity and an emissions coefficient.

The target memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores a target reduction rate for each supplier. The target reduction rate is a target set by the supplier and is a ratio to the supplier's emissions in a base year. The target memory unit stores the base point in time, the target point in time, and the reduction rate in association with a company ID that identifies the supplier and activity content that identifies the activity by the supplier. The base point in time and the target point in time may be specified by year, or may be specified by year/month, date, date and time, for example.

The target acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the target reduction rate from the supplier. The target acquisition unit can, for example, send a request to the supplier's user and receive the target reduction rate from the supplier's user terminal 100. The target acquisition unit may acquire the target reduction rate from a server on which the target reduction rate is managed, or may acquire the target reduction rate disclosed by the supplier from, for example, the supplier's web page or a newspaper's web page. The target acquisition unit can acquire the activity content, base year, target year, and reduction rate. The target acquisition unit can register the acquired target reduction rate in the target memory unit.

The target acquisition unit can also acquire the target reduction rate (company reduction rate) related to the company's emissions. The target acquisition unit can receive the company reduction rate from the user terminal 100.

The estimation unit 270 estimates future emissions for each supplier. The estimation unit 270 can multiply the supplier's emissions at the base point in time (the value obtained by multiplying the amount of activity by the emissions intensity) by the target reduction rate to calculate the emissions at the target point in time.

For a supplier for which the target reduction rate could not be obtained, the estimation unit 270 can estimate future emissions by using the statistical value of the target reduction rate stored in the target memory unit as the target reduction rate for that supplier. For example, the estimation unit 270 can use the average of the target reduction rates of all suppliers as the target reduction rate for a supplier for which the target reduction rate could not be obtained.

The reduction rate calculation unit, which is one of the calculation units 210, calculates a target reduction rate for emissions related to Scope 3. The reduction rate calculation unit can calculate a reduction rate (the ratio of the value obtained by subtracting the second total from the first total) by comparing a first total of future emissions estimated for each supplier with a second total of emissions for each supplier at the base time. The reduction rate calculation unit can similarly calculate reduction rates for each category of Scope 3.

The reduction rate calculation unit can also calculate the reduction rate (carbon footprint: CFP reduction rate) for the total of scopes 1 to 3. The reduction rate calculation unit can calculate the future emissions (at the target time) for the company based on the company's emissions and the company's reduction rate, calculate a first total value of the emissions for the company and its suppliers at the target time and a second total value of the emissions for the company and its suppliers at the base time, and calculate the ratio of the difference between the first and second total values to the second total value as the reduction rate for scopes 1 to 3.

<Operation>
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the process (operation 3) of outputting a reduction target.

The management server 200 acquires a reduction target (reduction rate from a reference time point to a target time point) from a supplier (S601). The management server 200 can, for example, send a request to the supplier's user and receive the reduction target from the user terminal 100 of the supplier's user. The management server 200 acquires the emissions at the reference time point related to the supplier's activities from the emissions storage unit, and calculates the reduction target amount up to the target time point by multiplying the acquired emissions by the reduction rate (S602). The management server 200 calculates the reduction target amount related to Scope 3 by adding up the reduction target amounts calculated for each supplier (S603). Note that, for a supplier for which the management server 200 was unable to acquire a reduction target, the reduction target amount can be calculated using the statistics of the reduction targets (such as the average reduction rate) of other suppliers in Scope 3 or other suppliers in the same category in Scope 3.

The management server 200 can calculate the total of the supplier's emissions at the reference point in time (i.e., the scope 3 emissions at the reference point in time) and calculate the ratio of the scope 3 reduction target amount to the total value as the scope 3 target reduction rate (S604).

The management server 200 acquires the reduction targets for scopes 1 and 2 of the company (S605). The management server 200 can, for example, acquire the reduction targets of the company and calculate the reduction target amount up to the target point in time by multiplying the company's emissions at the base point in time by the reduction rate. The reduction targets of the company can be acquired by, for example, sending a request to the company's user and receiving the reduction targets from the user terminal 100 of the company's user.

The management server 200 acquires the company's emissions related to scopes 1 and 2 from the emissions memory unit, and multiplies the acquired emissions (total) by the reduction rate to calculate the reduction target amounts for scopes 1 and 2 up to the target time (S606).

The management server 200 sums up the reduction target amounts for scopes 1-3 (S607), calculates the total emissions related to scopes 1-3 at the reference point in time from the emissions storage unit, and calculates the ratio of the total reduction target amounts for scopes 1-3 to the calculated emissions for scopes 1-3 at the reference point in time as the company's target reduction rate (S608).

The management server 200 can output the reduction target (target reduction rate) for scope 3 and the reduction target (target reduction rate) for scopes 1-3 (carbon footprint: CFP) (S609).

In this way, the information processing system with the second function can automatically calculate the company's Scope 3 reduction target and its carbon footprint reduction target based on the reduction targets collected from suppliers.

The calculation unit 210, acquisition unit 250, and estimation unit 270 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The second function also includes the following configuration.
[Item B1 (P032)]
An information processing system comprising: a target acquisition unit that acquires a target reduction rate of greenhouse gas from a plurality of business entities that constitute an upstream or downstream of a supply chain; an emission amount storage unit that stores information that identifies the emission amount of the greenhouse gas for each of the business entities at a reference time; an estimation unit that estimates a future emission amount for each of the business entities by multiplying the emission amount by the target reduction rate; and a calculation unit that calculates a target reduction rate of the emission amount for the entire business entities by comparing the total value of the future emission amount estimated for each of the business entities with the total value of the emission amount for each of the business entities at the reference time. Item B1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information that identifies a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of the position information and the activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item B2]
An information processing system according to item B1, wherein the emission amount memory unit further stores information identifying the first emission amount by the business entity, as well as information identifying direct and indirect second emission amounts by the company; the target acquisition unit acquires a company reduction rate related to the second emission amount; and the calculation unit estimates the future third emission amount for the business entity, calculates a future fourth emission amount for the company based on the second emission amount and the company reduction rate, and calculates a target reduction rate for the company based on a value corresponding to the sum of the third and fourth emission amounts and a value corresponding to the sum of the first and second emission amounts.
[Item B3]
The information processing system according to item B1, further comprising a target memory unit that stores the target reduction rate for each of the business entities, and the estimation unit estimates the future emissions for a business entity for which the target reduction rate could not be obtained, using a statistical value of the target reduction rate stored in the target memory unit as the target reduction rate for that business entity.
[Item B4]
When X-information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours) is the subject, it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a target acquisition unit that acquires a target reduction rate of X-information from multiple business entities constituting the upstream or downstream of a supply chain; a storage unit that stores information specifying a value of the X-information for each business entity at a reference time; an estimation unit that estimates a future value of X-information for each business entity by multiplying the value of the X-information by the target reduction rate; and a calculation unit that calculates a target reduction rate of X-information for all business entities by comparing a total value of the future X-information estimated for each business entity with a total value of the X-information for each business entity at the reference time.

<<Function for generating and presenting various types of information (third function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first and second functions is set as an embodiment of the third function, which will be described in detail below. P030, P044, P045, P047, P052, P054, P063, and P064.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the third function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, scale information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (activity amount acquisition unit, information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), an output unit 240 (information presentation unit, emission coefficient presentation unit), a generation unit 260 (information generation unit, information conversion unit), and an input unit 220 (information input unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores, for each business entity, an emission coefficient for calculating the greenhouse gas emissions by that business entity. The emission coefficient memory unit can store emission coefficients in association with information (activity details) that identifies the business entity and the activities by the business entity. The emission coefficient memory unit can also store the company's own emission coefficient.

The scale information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores scale information indicating the scale of the business entity for each business entity. In this embodiment, the scale of the business entity is at least one of the sales scale and the asset scale. The sales scale and the asset scale may be numerical values. In this embodiment, the scale information includes the sales amount and the asset amount of the business entity in association with the business entity ID indicating the business entity. The scale information storage unit stores first information and second information, which will be described later. The first information and the second information may be combined as total information, and this total information may be stored in the scale information storage unit. Note that the first information and the second information may be stored using a storage unit other than the scale information storage unit.

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the activity amount of the business entity. The activity amount acquisition unit can accept input of the activity amount of the company. In addition, the activity amount acquisition unit can acquire the activity amount of the company from the company's accounting system, business system, etc.

The activity amount acquisition unit can also acquire the amount of activity by a first business entity (supplier) that is upstream or downstream in the supply chain. The activity amount acquisition unit may, for example, accept an input of the amount of activity, or may acquire the amount of activity from an information processing device of the supplier.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission calculation unit may calculate the emission amount of the company itself. The emission calculation unit can also calculate the emission amount of a supplier. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount of a supplier by reading the emission coefficient corresponding to the supplier from the emission coefficient storage unit and multiplying the activity amount of the supplier acquired by the activity amount acquisition unit by the read emission coefficient.

The emission coefficient presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the emission coefficients of other business entities similar to the supplier when the supplier's emissions are not registered. The emission coefficient presentation unit transmits the presented emission coefficient to the user terminal 100, and can receive instructions from the user terminal 100 on the emission coefficient to be adopted. The user terminal 100 can adopt the presented emission coefficient, can input an emission coefficient that the user terminal 100 knows, or can adopt a standard emission coefficient provided by the Ministry of the Environment or the like. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount using the emission coefficient instructed by the user terminal 100.

The emission coefficient presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 reads out scale information corresponding to the supplier from the scale information storage unit, and further refers to the scale information storage unit to identify a second business entity (another supplier) corresponding to scale information that matches or is similar to the read out scale information, and reads out an emission coefficient corresponding to the identified other supplier from the emission coefficient storage unit. The similarity of the scale information can be determined by whether or not the difference in sales and/or asset amount is within a predetermined range. The emission coefficient presentation unit may read out an emission coefficient corresponding to the identified other supplier and activity from the emission coefficient storage unit. The emission coefficient presentation unit can present the read out emission coefficient. The second business entity is one or more other suppliers.

The emission coefficient presentation unit may identify other suppliers with similar scale information related to the activity. In this case, the scale information stored in the scale information storage unit includes sales and/or asset amounts by activity (e.g., by product, service, etc.). The emission coefficient presentation unit can read out from the emission coefficient storage unit other suppliers with the same or similar scale information related to the activity and the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity.

The information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the first information and the second information. The first information is information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities constituting the upstream or downstream of the supply chain. The first information is, for example, a report containing information related to emissions (hereinafter, an emission report), a group of information showing multiple external findings, etc. The first information is also referred to as emission information. Examples of the emission report include a TCFD report, a CDP report (a response to a CDP questionnaire), a sustainability report, and a periodic report based on the Energy Conservation Act, but may be other reports such as a securities report. The information related to greenhouse gas emissions is, for example, information showing the amount of emissions, information on the contents to be described in the emission report, information showing internal or external findings, etc.

The second information is information that indicates at least the attributes of the business entity (supplier). The second information includes, for example, scale information, attribute information of each supplier, information on business type, greenhouse gas emission registration information, information on future targets, industry information as attribute information of suppliers, industry trend information, customer information, information mapping accounting items and emission intensity, information on guidelines related to the GHG protocol, information on internal and external knowledge such as mapping information of accounting items and emission coefficients accumulated in the past, and various other information. The second information may be a variable.

The method of the information acquisition unit acquiring this information includes a method of acquiring information input from one or more user terminals 100 and a method of the management server 200 acquiring information. In the case of the method of acquisition by the management server 200, the size information of the second business entity and information related to emissions are acquired based on the attribute information corresponding to the first business entity. For example, if the attribute information corresponding to the first business entity is transportation, the size information of the second business entity, which is transportation information, and information related to emissions are acquired. The information related to emissions (also referred to as information on types of emissions) is, for example, information on greenhouse gas emissions, information indicating scopes 1 to 3, information indicating categories 1 to 15 of scope 3, etc. The information acquisition unit and the activity amount acquisition unit may be a single acquisition unit rather than separate acquisition units. Furthermore, the information related to emissions may be information on the contents to be described in an emission report, etc.

The information generating unit constituting the generating unit 260 reads out second information (e.g., transportation information, which is the attribute information of the company) corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit, refers to the scale information storage unit, identifies a second business entity (e.g., another transportation supplier) corresponding to the second information that matches or is similar to the read out second information, reads out information related to emissions (e.g., information on the contents to be described in the TCFD report) corresponding to the identified second business entity from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information (e.g., a TCFD report reflecting the review results or a new TCFD report) different from the first information and the second information based on the read out information related to emissions. The third information is information that reflects the contents to be described in the emission report of the second business entity. In other words, the third information is information created based on the emission reports of other suppliers, and the management server 200 stores the emission reports of multiple other suppliers and generates the third information based on this information. In detail, the emission reports of multiple other suppliers are analyzed by the generating unit 260, and the third information is generated based on the analysis results. In addition, an analysis unit 280 as a function different from the generation unit 260 may be provided separately from the generation unit 260, and the analysis unit 280 may analyze the emission reports of multiple other suppliers, and the generation unit 260 may generate the third information based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 280. The subject of the analysis is not limited to the emission reports of other suppliers. Emissions and carbon taxes in the embodiment of the fourth function may be analyzed to present future emissions and carbon taxes. The third information to be generated may be the emission report itself, and in this case, the information generation unit creates a new emission report. Furthermore, the third information may be information on the emission amount of the second business entity, information indicating scopes 1 to 3, information suggesting categories 1 to 15 of scope 3, etc.

The information generating unit may also read information corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., information on a question) from the scale information storage unit, refer to the scale information storage unit, identify a second business entity (e.g., another supplier) corresponding to second information that matches or is similar to the read information corresponding to the first business entity, read information related to emissions corresponding to the identified second business entity (e.g., information on external knowledge) from the scale information storage unit, and generate third information (e.g., information on a response to a question) different from the first information and the second information based on the read information related to emissions. Note that the information generating unit may also read out combined information (e.g., information combining internal knowledge and external knowledge) that combines information related to emissions corresponding to the identified second business entity with information related to emissions corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit, and generate third information (e.g., information on a response to a question) different from the first information and the second information based on the read information related to emissions. The third information is information of an answer to a question, such as information indicating a scope, information indicating a category, information indicating a reason, etc. Furthermore, the third information may be information of a suggestion to the question. Furthermore, the third information may be an answer to the question and a suggestion to the question.

The information corresponding to the first business entity may be, for example, information in which a user maps the scope and/or category for accounting items and the emission coefficient. In this case, the information generating unit reads out information corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., information in which the scope and/or category for accounting items and the emission coefficient are mapped) from the scale information storage unit, refers to the scale information storage unit, identifies a second business entity (e.g., another supplier) corresponding to second information that matches or is similar to the read information corresponding to the first business entity, reads out information related to emissions (e.g., information on external knowledge) corresponding to the identified second business entity from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information (e.g., knowledge on the mapped information) different from the first information and the second information based on the read information related to emissions. The third information is information in which accounting items and emission units are mapped, information in which scope and/or category are mapped and the emission coefficient, etc.

The information conversion unit constituting the generation unit 260 converts unit information (e.g., kilowatts) in a certain type of emission report (first information) into unit information (e.g., gigajoules) in another type of emission report (third information). When the information conversion unit determines that the type of emission report as the first information is different from the type of emission report as the third information, it executes a process to convert the unit information, but when the converted unit information is specified by the user, it may execute a process to set the specified unit information. When the unit information is specified by the user in this way, the information presentation unit described later presents (notifies) the user that the specified unit information does not match the third information. In this case, the information presentation unit presents unit information that matches the third information. Then, when the user instructs that he or she wants to convert to the presented unit information, the information conversion unit converts to unit information corresponding to the third information. Note that an example has been shown in which the information conversion unit judges whether the types of emission reports are different, but an information judgment unit different from the information conversion unit may be provided to make the judgment. The information determination unit constitutes the generation unit 260, but may also constitute a determination unit or the like different from the generation unit 260. The unit information may be currency unit information, such as from yen to dollars.

The information presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the third information. The information presentation unit transmits the third information to be presented to the user terminal 100, and displays the third information on the user terminal 100. The third information transmitted to the user terminal 100 can be edited and processed on the user terminal 100. The information presentation unit is described as having a different function from the emission coefficient presentation unit, but may have the same function, in which case it is referred to as the presentation unit.

The information input unit constituting the input unit 220 inputs information corresponding to the first business entity input from the user terminal 100 to the management server 200. The management server 200 acquires the input information corresponding to the first business entity by the information acquisition unit. The information corresponding to the first business entity is, for example, information of an inquiry such as a question.

In addition, when the user inputs information on an emission report created by the user's company to the management server 200 via the user terminal 100, a review result (third information) may be displayed. In this case, the emission report created by the user's company is the first information. It is also preferable that the emission report created by the user's company includes the second information. The management server 200 generates a review result, which is information on the items to be described that are necessary for the user's emission report and information on the contents to be added or corrected in the emission report, based on the emission reports of multiple other suppliers that have been acquired, and presents an emission report that reflects the review result. The method of inputting the emission report information to the management server 200 may be to input character information via OCR using the input unit 220. In this way, multiple types of emission reports can be easily acquired.

When entering information on the emission report into the management server 200, the information recorded on the vehicle inspection certificate may be entered as text information by the input unit 220 as text information to be read by OCR. The information written on the vehicle inspection certificate includes the vehicle registration number, registration date/issuance date, initial registration date, vehicle type, purpose (passenger or cargo type, second information), personal or business use (personal or business type, second information), vehicle shape (van, station wagon, etc., second information), vehicle name, passenger capacity, maximum load, vehicle weight, total vehicle weight, vehicle number, length, width, height, front axle load, front and rear axle load, rear axle load, model, engine model, total displacement or rated output (combined with engine model to form first information), type of fuel (gasoline, diesel, etc., first information), model designation number, classification number, vehicle ID, owner's name or title, owner's address, user's name or title, user's address, expiration date, etc. These pieces of information can be imported into the vehicle master of the information processing system. The vehicle master data can be automatically imported by matching vehicle master data items with vehicle inspection certificate data items. By inputting vehicle inspection certificate data in this way, it can be easily imported as vehicle master data into the information processing system. The vehicle master data can be output to logistics companies, who can use this vehicle master data within the logistics company as a vehicle management ledger.

When the information on the vehicle inspection certificate is inputted by OCR, an information processing system having the following configuration, an information processing method executed by a computer, and a program for causing the computer to execute the information processing system can be provided (P060). The information processing system includes: first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (e.g., information on emissions and information on gasoline or diesel as the type of fuel); an acquisition unit that acquires at least second information indicating the attributes of the business entities (e.g., information on personal use or business use as information on the vehicle inspection certificate); an information setting unit (information generation unit that generates information) that sets third information (e.g., emission intensity) based on information related to the emissions of the second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that presents the third information. In the case of a logistics business entity consisting of a primary contractor and a subcontractor, the emission intensity as the third information is the emission intensity reported by the subcontractor to the primary contractor. The information setting unit constitutes the generation unit 260. Instead of the information setting unit, the information generating unit may generate the third information, or the information identifying unit may identify the third information. Even if the information identifying unit identifies the third information, it is preferable that the identified information be presented by the presenting unit.

When the acquisition unit 250 acquires an emission report or when the first information is an emission report, it is preferable that the information setting unit sets an emission unit based on the type of emission report.

The information recorded on the vehicle inspection certificate may be added to the vehicle inspection certificate in the form of a barcode, QR code (registered trademark), or IC tag. In the case of a barcode, QR code (registered trademark), or IC tag, it is preferable to read it using the user terminal 100 and input the information using the input unit 220.

In addition, when an IC tag is used, the IC tag is read at the start (time) of the trip and the end (time) of the trip when calculating the trip record, and this information is input by the input unit 220, so that the trip record can be stored (registered) in the storage unit 230. The calculation unit 210 can calculate the greenhouse gas emissions using the trip record. Note that the trip record can also be used as a transportation record by a user such as a logistics company. When a user such as a logistics company uses the trip record as a transportation record, the information identification unit can identify the emissions based on specific information such as shipper information and cargo information (name of the cargo to be transported or delivered). For example, the original receiving company can search for specific information indicating shipper A or shipper B as shipper information, and the emission amount per shipper for shipper A or shipper B can be identified and presented as a search result. The information identification unit can identify the shipper from the shipper information such as the owner's name or title, the owner's address, the user's name or title, and the user's address in the vehicle master.

When the user inputs information such as receipts and quotations acquired by the user to the management server 200 via the user terminal 100, an emission coefficient (third information) may be displayed. The identification of the emission coefficient will be described later in the ninth function. In this case, the acquired information such as receipts and quotations is the first information. It is preferable that the acquired information such as receipts and quotations includes the second information. The management server 200 classifies the acquired multiple receipts and quotations into items such as material costs, transportation costs, and labor costs, identifies the emission coefficients corresponding to the classified items, and presents the emission coefficients. The method of inputting information such as receipts and quotations to the management server 200 may be to input character information via OCR via the input unit 220. In this way, multiple types of information such as receipts and quotations can be easily acquired.

When information such as receipts and quotations is input using OCR, an information processing system having the following configuration, an information processing method executed by a computer, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing system can be provided. The information processing system has an acquisition unit that acquires first information (e.g., information such as receipts and quotations) including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream of the supply chain, and second information (e.g., information on items such as material costs, transportation costs, and labor costs) that indicates at least the attributes of the business entities, an information setting unit (information generation unit that generates) that sets third information (e.g., an emission coefficient) based on information related to the emissions of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity, and a presentation unit that presents the third information.

<Operation>
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the process (operation 4) of presenting the emission coefficient of the information processing system.

For each activity for which emissions are to be calculated (e.g., each of the raw materials procured by the company), the management server 200 acquires the activity amount of the corresponding supplier related to that activity (S701). For example, the management server 200 may send a request to the supplier and receive the activity amount from the supplier's user terminal 100, or may receive the activity amount from the company's user terminal 100, or may acquire the activity amount from the supplier's business system, etc. The management server 200 acquires the emission coefficient corresponding to the supplier and the activity from the emission coefficient storage unit (S702).

If the emission coefficient cannot be acquired (S703: NO), the management server 200 reads out the scale information corresponding to the supplier from the scale information storage unit (S704). The management server 200 may acquire the scale information (sales and/or asset amount) related to the supplier and the activity corresponding to the activity. The management server 200 identifies other suppliers similar to the acquired scale information from the scale information storage unit (S705), and reads out the emission coefficients corresponding to the other suppliers and activities from the emission coefficient storage unit (S706). If the emission coefficients corresponding to the other suppliers and activities are not registered, the management server 200 can repeat the process from S705. The management server 200 transmits the read out emission coefficients to the user terminal 100 (S707), and accepts the designation of the emission coefficient to be used from the user terminal 100 (S708).

The management server 200 can calculate the amount of emissions by multiplying the emission coefficient and the amount of activity (S709).

In this way, for suppliers whose emission coefficients are unknown, the emission coefficients of other suppliers of a similar scale can be presented to the user. Users can use the emission coefficients of other similar suppliers related to their own company, instead of secondary data.

In the embodiment of the third function, other suppliers with similar scale information to the supplier are identified, but other suppliers whose industry is the same or similar to that of the supplier and whose scale (sales, asset value) is the same or similar to that of the supplier may also be identified. In this case, the scale information may include the industry of the business entity, or an industry storage unit may be provided that stores the industry of the business entity.

Figure 8 is a diagram explaining process 1 (operation 5) of generating and presenting the third information.

The management server 200 acquires first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain for each activity for which emissions are to be calculated (for example, each of the raw materials procured by the company) (S801). The management server 200 also acquires second information indicating at least the attributes of the business entities (S802). Next, the management server 200 stores the acquired first information and second information in the scale information storage unit (S803). Next, the management server 200 reads out second information corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit (S804). Next, the management server 200 refers to the scale information storage unit to identify a second business entity that corresponds to second information that is identical or similar to the read out second information (S805). Next, the management server 200 reads out information related to emissions corresponding to the identified second business entity from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information based on the read out information related to emissions (S806). Next, the management server 200 presents the third information (S807).

In operation 5, the management server 200 may calculate information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream in the supply chain. This calculation is performed by the emission calculation unit. Operation 4 and operation 5 may also be combined.

An increasing number of companies are disclosing information related to greenhouse gas emissions. Specialized knowledge and know-how are required to prepare an emissions report, but businesses that do not possess these (particularly small and medium-sized enterprises) often do not know what type of information to compile or what to include when preparing an emissions report, and are forced to rely on consultants who are knowledgeable in this field. Also, while it is possible for a company to prepare its own emissions report by referencing emissions reports disclosed by other companies in the same industry, there is the problem that it takes a great deal of time to aggregate and organize the information that the company needs from the referenced emissions reports.

According to operation 5 (P044), an information processing system can be provided that includes: first information (e.g., a TCFD report) including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities constituting the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (e.g., information on the contents to be described in a TCFD report); an acquisition unit that acquires second information indicating attributes of the business entities (e.g., transportation information as attribute information of a supplier); an information generation unit that generates third information (e.g., a new TCFD report, a TCFD report reflecting review results) based on information related to emissions of a second business entity (another supplier) that matches or is similar to the second information (transportation information) corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that presents the third information. Note that the first information and the third information are not limited to the same type of report, and may be different types of reports. For example, a securities report may be the first information, and a CDP report may be the third information. In this way, a report different from a certain type of report can be easily created from a certain type of report.

In this way, by simply inputting the prerequisites such as the first information and the second information, an emission report format suited to the user is provided, so even businesses without specialized knowledge or know-how can easily create emission reports. In addition, the information processing system reviews the reports based on many published emission reports, which can improve the accuracy of emission reports created in-house.

According to operation 5 (P063), an information processing system can be provided that includes: first information (e.g., CDP report) including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities constituting the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (e.g., information on the contents to be included in the CDP report); an acquisition unit that acquires second information indicating the attributes of the business entities (e.g., company information such as industry, sales, and number of employees as attribute information of the supplier); an information generation unit that generates third information (e.g., a new CDP report, a CDP report reflecting the review results) based on information related to emissions of a second business entity (other supplier) that matches or is similar to the second information (company information) corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., information on the contents to be included in a highly rated CDP report); and a presentation unit that presents the third information. The information processing system also includes an input unit that inputs instruction information (e.g., information on questions, instruction information for the information generation unit), and an information generation unit that generates new information (e.g., answers to questions, questionnaires, new email addresses, codes) based on the instruction information. The analysis unit 280 may be provided to perform evaluation of the CDP reports acquired by the acquisition unit 250 and acquire reports with high scores. The scores of the previous year may be referred to and analyzed to sort the reports in descending order of score, and the top 10 (not limited to the top 10) reports may be acquired, or the scores of multiple years, such as the previous year and the year before last, may be referred to and analyzed to acquire the top 10 reports with the highest average scores, or when the scores of multiple years are referred to and analyzed, the latest scores may be used preferentially. The analysis unit 280 may also machine-learn the information acquired by the acquisition unit 250 to generate the best answer. In this way, the top CDP reports of the industry indicated by the attributes are analyzed and presented, so that it is possible to create an emission report (for example, a CDP report) with a high score, and it can also be used for climate change strategies, etc. After the CDP report is submitted once a year, the submitted CDP report may be automatically acquired and machine-learned. In addition, the CDP report may be acquired by a user using the user terminal 100 to specify the CDP report to be individually referenced.

Figure 9 is a diagram explaining process 2 (operation 6) of generating and presenting the third information.

The management server 200 acquires first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain for each activity for which emissions are to be calculated (e.g., each of the raw materials procured by the company) (S901). The management server 200 also acquires second information indicating at least the attributes of the business entities (S902). Next, the management server 200 stores the acquired first information and second information in the scale information storage unit (S903). Next, the management server 200 reads out the second information corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit (S904). Next, the management server 200 acquires information corresponding to the first business entity (S905). Acquiring information corresponding to the first business entity means storing information corresponding to the first business entity input from the user terminal 100 in a storage unit (e.g., a scale information storage unit) and acquiring the stored information by reading it out. Next, the management server 200 refers to the scale information storage unit to identify a second business entity that corresponds to the second information that is identical or similar to the read first business entity (S906). Next, the management server 200 reads out information related to emissions that corresponds to the identified second business entity from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information based on the read out information related to emissions (S907). Next, the management server 200 presents the third information (S908).

In operation 6, the management server 200 may calculate information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream in the supply chain. This calculation is performed by the emission calculation unit. Operation 6 may also be combined with operations 4 and 2.

Companies are using FAQs and chatbots as a way to reduce the amount of work required to respond to customer questions (inquiries). However, because conventional FAQs and chatbots can only respond with pre-defined patterns, they may not be able to elicit the answers or solutions that the questioner is truly looking for.

According to operation 6 (P045), an information processing system can be provided that includes an acquisition unit that acquires first information (e.g., group information of internal knowledge) including at least information (e.g., internal knowledge) related to greenhouse gas emissions by multiple business entities constituting the upstream or downstream of the supply chain, and second information (e.g., information of external knowledge such as customer information) indicating at least the attributes of the business entities, a storage unit (e.g., a scale information storage unit) that stores the acquired first information and second information, an input unit that inputs information corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., information of a question), an information generation unit that generates third information (e.g., information of an answer to a question) based on information related to emissions by a second business entity (other supplier) that matches or is similar to the information corresponding to the first business entity, and a presentation unit that presents the third information. The input unit includes a voice input unit that enables voice input by a microphone or the like. The voice input unit starts voice input based on detecting the pressing of a button to start voice input. After starting voice input, the voice input unit ends the voice input based on detecting another press of the voice input start button. Note that voice input may also be ended based on detecting a press of the voice input end button. Voice input may also be ended based on an interruption in the voice, or based on the passage of a predetermined time from the start of voice input. Information input from the voice input unit is acquired by the acquisition unit and stored in the storage unit.

According to operation 6 (P047), an information processing system can be provided that includes an acquisition unit that acquires emission information (e.g., group information of information indicating scope) including at least type information (e.g., information indicating scope) regarding greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream of the supply chain, a storage unit (e.g., scale information storage unit) that stores the acquired emission information, an input unit that inputs information corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., question information), an information generation unit that generates type information corresponding to the first business entity based on type information regarding emissions that matches or is similar to the information corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., information indicating the scope, information indicating the category, and information on the reason) and a presentation unit that presents type information corresponding to the first business entity. Note that type information corresponding to the first business entity is also third information.

By combining publicly available external expert knowledge in this way with internal knowledge such as customer data accumulated within the company, it is possible to extract the answers and solutions that the customer asking the question is truly looking for, making it possible to automatically respond to inquiries with high accuracy.

In addition, the following issues have arisen. Under the Energy Conservation Act, companies and organizations designated as specific businesses are required to submit regular reports on their energy usage, etc. In addition to these regular reports, CDP (an international environmental non-profit organization) requires companies and organizations to disclose information on their environmental impact, and companies and organizations voluntarily respond to the "CDP Environmental Questionnaire" to demonstrate to the public that they are responding to the disclosure of climate change-related information. Companies and organizations report their energy usage, etc. to the public by submitting regular reports under the Energy Conservation Act and responding to the CDP questionnaire. However, because the emission intensity (kilowatts) used in regular reports under the Energy Conservation Act and the emission intensity (gigajoules) used in responses to the CDP questionnaire are different, companies and organizations that are the reporting entities are required to convert the emission intensity of the calculated carbon dioxide emission data from that used in regular reports under the Energy Conservation Act to that used in the CDP questionnaire. The same is true for the work of converting the emission intensity units for CDP questionnaires into those for regular reports based on the Energy Conservation Act, and the work of converting the emission intensity units of one emission report into those of another. This means that companies and organizations that are the reporting entities have to spend a lot of time and effort converting into the emission intensity units for different emission reports.

According to operation 6 (P052), an information processing system can be provided that includes: first information (e.g., an emission report based on the Energy Conservation Act) including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain; an acquisition unit that acquires second information indicating at least attributes of the business entities; an information generation unit that generates third information (e.g., a CDP report) based on information related to emissions by the second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; an information conversion unit that converts unit information (e.g., kilowatts) in the first information into unit information (e.g., gigajoules) in the third information; and a presentation unit that presents the third information. Note that when the first information is a certain type of emission report (e.g., an emission report based on the Energy Conservation Act), the third information is preferably a different type of emission report (e.g., a CDP report) from the certain type, but the third information may also be a new emission report of a certain type (e.g., a new emission report based on the Energy Conservation Act).

In this way, the task of converting from an emission unit of one emission report to an emission unit of another emission report can be automated, making the task of converting emission units more efficient. In particular, the task of converting the emission unit of a kilowatt used in periodic reports based on the Energy Conservation Act to the emission unit of a gigajoule used in responses to CDP questionnaires can be automated, making it possible to more efficiently respond to CDP questionnaires.

Figure 10 is a diagram explaining process 3 (operation 7) of generating and presenting the third information (new information).

The management server 200 acquires emission information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain for each activity for which emissions are to be calculated (for example, each of the raw materials procured by the company) (S1001). The management server 200 also acquires second information indicating at least the attributes of the business entities (S1002). Next, the management server 200 stores the acquired emission information and the second information in the storage unit 230 (S1003). Next, the management server 200 determines whether or not instruction information has been input (S1004). The input of instruction information means that the user inputs instruction information from the user terminal 100. Examples of the input method are character input and voice input. If there is no instruction input (S1004: NO), the management server 200 loops the process of S1004 until instruction information is input. On the other hand, if there is (was) an instruction input (S1004: YES), the management server 200 acquires instruction information (S1005). The instruction information input in S1004 is stored in the storage unit 230, and in S1005, this stored information is read and acquired. Next, the management server 200 generates third information (new information) based on the instruction information (S1006). Next, the management server 200 presents the third information (S1007).

Operation 7 (P064) is an information processing system characterized by having an acquisition unit that acquires emission information (e.g., CDP report) including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream of the supply chain (e.g., information on the contents to be included in the CDP report), a memory unit that stores the acquired emission information, an input unit that inputs instruction information (information corresponding to the first business entity, e.g., question information, instruction information for the information generation unit), and an information generation unit that generates new information (e.g., questionnaire, new email address, code) based on the instruction information (information corresponding to the first business entity) (information related to emissions that matches or is similar to part of it).

For example, the generation unit (information generation unit) refers to and uses the acquired information on the content to be included in the CDP report based on the instruction information (Please create a questionnaire for Supplier A and Supplier B regarding the information to be included in the CDP report. The questionnaire content should be for obtaining information regarding ●●●, ▲▲▲, and XXX. Please send the created questionnaire to Supplier A and Supplier B on dd/mm/yyyy.), and generates a questionnaire (new information) to confirm the information to be included in the CDP report from that information. The generation unit generates new information based on information related to emissions (information on the content to be included in the CDP report) that matches or is similar to part of the instruction information (Please create a questionnaire for the information to be included in the CDP report). "Partly matches or is similar" indicates that part of the instruction information and part of the information to be included in the CDP report are the same or related.

Based on the instruction information (please register a new user with the user name C), the generation unit refers to and uses email address information (userA@zb.jp and userB@zb.jp) indicating user A already stored in the storage unit 230 as a reference, and generates a new email address (userC@zb.jp) from that information. The generation unit generates new information based on information stored in the storage unit 230 that matches or is similar to part of the instruction information (please register a new user with the user name C) (userA@zb.jp and userB@zb.jp as information related to discharge). "Matching or similar to part of" means that part of the instruction information and part of the user information stored in the storage unit 230 are the same or related. Here, an example is shown where the users' email domain names match.

The generation unit also generates code (program) for executing the instruction content based on the instruction information (please delete the data entered on dd/mm/yyyy. Please delete all data entered one month prior to today), and for changing (adding, deleting, modifying, etc.) the discharge-related information (information entered on dd/mm/yyyy and information entered one month prior to today). The generation unit also generates code (program) for deleting the information entered in January based on information stored in the storage unit 230 that matches or is similar to a portion of the instruction information (please delete the data entered on dd/mm/yyyy. Please delete all data entered one month prior to today). In this way, when the instruction information entered from the input unit is an instruction in natural language, the generation unit (information generation unit, generation unit 260) generates the instruction as computer language, that is, code or program, as new information. Based on the instruction information, the analysis unit 280 analyzes the information related to discharge stored in the memory unit 230, and the generation unit generates new information based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 280.

The management server 200 also includes an execution unit 290 that executes code (program) as new information. The execution unit 290 executes a predetermined process based on the code as the generated new information. For example, if the generation unit generates a code to delete the information input on yyyy-mm-dd-yyy, the execution unit 290 executes the code and performs a process to search, acquire, and delete the information input on yyyy-mm-dd-yyy. If the instruction information is an instruction to calculate data such as "calculate the emission amount of data input on yyyy-mm-dd-yyy," the generation unit generates a code to calculate the information input on yyyy-mm-dd-yyy, and the execution unit 290 executes the code to calculate the emission amount of the information input on yyyy-mm-dd-yyy, and performs a process to present it. Note that the calculation unit 210 may execute the process instead of the execution unit 290. The presentation process may be performed by the output unit 240. Furthermore, when the instruction information is an instruction to visualize data such as "create a graph of the data input on yyyy/mm/dd", the generation unit generates code to graph the information input on yyyy/mm/dd, and the execution unit 290 executes the code to create and present a graph of the information input on yyyy/mm/dd. The presentation process may be performed by the output unit 240. In order to execute the input data deletion process, emission amount calculation process based on the input data, and graph creation process of the input data, the data input on yyyy/mm/dd may be searched and acquired from external software that has been linked via the API linking function.

Figure 11 is a diagram explaining process 4 (operation 8) of generating and presenting the third information (new information). Note that operation 8 (P064) is an operation of generating a code as the new information shown in operation 7.

The management server 200 acquires emission information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain for each activity for which emissions are to be calculated (for example, each of the raw materials procured by the company) (S1101). The management server 200 also acquires second information indicating at least the attributes of the business entities (S1102). Next, the management server 200 stores the acquired emission information and the second information in the storage unit 230 (S1103). Next, the management server 200 determines whether or not instruction information has been input (S1104). The input of instruction information means that the user inputs instruction information from the user terminal 100. Examples of the input method are character input and voice input. If there is no instruction input (S1104: NO), the management server 200 loops the process of S1004 until instruction information is input. On the other hand, if there is (was) an instruction input (S1104: YES), the management server 200 acquires instruction information (S1105). The instruction information input in S1104 is stored in the storage unit 230, and in S1105, this stored information is read and acquired. Next, the management server 200 generates code for executing the contents of the instruction as third information (new information) based on the instruction information (S1106). Next, the management server 200 executes a predetermined process based on the generated code (S1107). Next, the management server 200 presents the results of the predetermined process executed based on the code (S1108).

The second information may be information indicating customer attributes. Examples of information indicating customer attributes include industry, sales, sales by business, market segment, number of employees, business region, business content, products and services sold, manufactured and provided, etc. The second information may be information on sustainability initiatives. Examples of information on sustainability initiatives include goals related to climate change, internal strategies and structures, numerical targets, etc. The second information may be information on external factors such as competitive information and information related to customer trends. These pieces of information may be the first information. In this way, by providing many types of first information and second information, it is possible to easily create the third information.

The input unit 220, output unit 240, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, generation unit 260, estimation unit 270, analysis unit 280, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) having an artificial intelligence that learns by itself. This system may also be tuned to learn acquired information such as information indicating the scope, information indicating the category, and information indicating the reason. In this way, documents published by the WBCSD and the Ministry of the Environment and an internal customer database can be read into the management server 200, and when a customer inputs a prerequisite (industry, product, service, etc.), an optimal answer for the customer can be generated from the learned information group and an answer can be automatically given. It is also possible to read information in multiple languages. In addition, it is also possible to input and answer questions in multiple languages. By making the system multilingual, anyone can easily obtain the information they want to know. In addition, when the content of a question input by the input unit 220 first and the content of a question input later are related, the output unit 240 can answer by taking into account the previous question and answer. For example, if the previous input content and the subsequent input content contain the same or similar words, the estimation unit 270 estimates that they are related questions, and the output unit 240 outputs the answer as a related question.

<Disclosures>
The third function also includes the following configuration.
[Item C1 (P030)]
an emission coefficient storage unit that stores, for each business entity, an emission coefficient for calculating greenhouse gas emissions; a scale information storage unit that stores, for each business entity, scale information indicating at least one of sales scale and asset scale; an acquisition unit that acquires an activity amount of a first business entity that is upstream or downstream in a supply chain; an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount of the first business entity by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that, when the emission coefficient corresponding to the first business entity is not registered, reads out the scale information corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit, refers to the scale information storage unit, identifies a second business entity corresponding to the scale information that matches or is similar to the read-out scale information, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the identified second business entity from the emission coefficient storage unit, and presents the read-out emission coefficient. Item C1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C2]
An information processing system according to item C1, wherein the sales scale and the asset scale are numerical values, and the presentation unit identifies the second business entity corresponding to the scale information stored in the scale information storage unit whose difference from the read-out scale information is within a predetermined range.
[Item C3]
The information processing system according to item C1, wherein the emission coefficient storage unit stores the emission coefficient in association with the business entity and the activity by the business entity, the scale information storage unit stores the scale information in association with the activity, the emission calculation unit acquires the emission coefficient corresponding to the first business entity and the activity related to the activity amount, and the presentation unit refers to the scale information storage unit to identify a second business entity corresponding to the scale information that matches or is similar to the scale information of the first business entity and the activity, and reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the identified second business entity and the activity from the emission coefficient storage unit.
[Item C4 (P044)]
An information processing system comprising: a first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain; an acquisition unit acquiring second information indicating at least attributes of the business entities; an information generation unit generating third information based on information related to the emissions by a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit presenting the third information. Item C4 comprises a base information storage unit storing information identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit storing an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit receiving input of the position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit referring to the base information storage unit and identifying a base based on the position information, and a registration unit registering the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C5 (P045)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream of a supply chain, and second information indicating at least attributes of the business entities, a storage unit that stores the acquired first information and the second information, an input unit that inputs information corresponding to the first business entity, an information generation unit that generates third information based on information related to the emissions of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the information corresponding to the first business entity, and a presentation unit that presents the third information. Item C5 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C6 (P047)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires emission information including at least information on a type of greenhouse gas emission by a business entity that is an upstream or downstream of a supply chain, a storage unit that stores the acquired emission information, an input unit that inputs information corresponding to a first business entity, an information generation unit that generates information on a type corresponding to the first business entity based on information on the type of emission that matches or is similar to the information corresponding to the first business entity, and a presentation unit that presents information on a type corresponding to the first business entity. Item C6 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C7 (P054)]
An information processing system, wherein the input unit of item C6 is an input unit for inputting information corresponding to the first business entity by voice.
[Item C8 (P052)]
An information processing system comprising: a first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain; an acquisition unit acquiring second information indicating at least attributes of the business entities; an information generation unit generating third information based on information related to the emissions of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; an information conversion unit converting unit information in the first information into unit information in the third information; and a presentation unit presenting the third information. Item C8 comprises a base information storage unit storing information identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit storing an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit receiving input of the position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit referring to the base information storage unit and identifying a base based on the position information, and a registration unit registering the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C9 (P063)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain, second information indicating attributes of the business entities, an information generation unit that generates third information based on information related to emissions by a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity, and a presentation unit that presents the third information. Item C9 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a base position for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C10]
An information processing system according to item C9, further comprising: an input unit for inputting instruction information; and the information generating unit is capable of generating new information based on the instruction information.
[Item C11 (P064)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires emission information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream of a supply chain, a storage unit that stores the acquired emission information, an input unit that inputs instruction information, and an information generation unit that generates new information based on the instruction information. Item C11 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a base position for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item C12]
An information processing system according to item C11, further comprising: an analysis unit that analyzes the discharge information stored in the memory unit based on the instruction information; and the information generation unit generates the new information based on a result of the analysis.
[Item C13]
The information processing system according to item C12, further comprising: an execution unit that executes a predetermined process based on the new information.
[Item C14 (P044)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including at least information related to X information of business entities constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain and second information indicating at least attributes of the business entities; an information generation unit that generates third information based on information related to the X information of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that presents the third information.
[Item C15 (P045)]
1. An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including at least information related to X information of a business entity constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain and second information indicating at least an attribute of the business entity; a storage unit that stores the acquired first information and second information; an input unit that inputs information corresponding to the first business entity; an information generation unit that generates third information based on information related to X information of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that presents the third information.
[Item C16 (P047)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires information on an X-information type of a business entity that is upstream or downstream of a supply chain; a storage unit that stores the acquired information on the X-information type; an input unit that inputs information corresponding to a first business entity; an information generation unit that generates information on the type corresponding to the first business entity based on information on the X-information type that matches or is similar to information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that presents the information on the type corresponding to the first business entity.
[Item C17 (P052)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including at least information related to X information of a business entity constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain; and second information indicating at least an attribute of the business entity; an information generation unit that generates third information based on information related to the X information of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; an information conversion unit that converts unit information in the first information into unit information in the third information; and a presentation unit that presents the third information.
[Item C18 (P063)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including information related to X information of a business entity constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain and second information indicating attributes of the business entity; an information generation unit that generates third information based on information related to the X information of a second business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit that presents the third information.
[Item C19 (P064)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires X-information of business entities that are upstream or downstream in a supply chain; a storage unit that stores the acquired X-information; an input unit that inputs instruction information; and an information generation unit that generates new information based on the instruction information.

<<Target setting function of carbon tax (fourth function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to third functions will be described in detail below as an embodiment of the fourth function.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the fourth function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (derivation unit, reduction amount calculation unit), an output unit 240 (information presentation unit), and an input unit 220 (information input unit).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 is similar to the memory unit described in the embodiment of the second function. In this embodiment, the emission amount memory unit stores the results of calculating the company's carbon dioxide emission amount as information specifying the emission amount.

The information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the reference scenario data. The reference scenario data is composed of multiple scenario data. The multiple scenario data are first scenario data, second scenario data, third scenario data, etc. The first scenario data is, for example, scenario data in the case where greenhouse gas emissions continue as they are now, and the temperature rises by about 4 degrees by the year 2100 (or 2050, etc.). The second scenario data is, for example, scenario data in the case where greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to almost zero. The third scenario data is, for example, scenario data in the case where greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by a predetermined amount, and the temperature rise is 2 degrees or less by the year 2100 (or 2050, etc.). Each scenario data indicates the carbon price (coefficient) for each year from the present to 2100. Note that the climate change scenario set by WEO2022 may be acquired as the reference scenario data. When a climate change scenario is acquired, the first scenario data is created based on STEPS (The Stated Policies Scenario), the second scenario data is created based on NZE (Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario), and the third scenario data is created based on APS (The Announced Pledges Scenario).

The derivation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 derives (calculates) the first carbon tax based on the emission amount and the carbon price (coefficient) stored in the emission amount storage unit. The first carbon tax is derived based on the amount of carbon contained in the emission amount. The derivation method differs from country to country. For example, it is derived by multiplying the emission amount by the carbon price per ton, such as N yen/ton in Japan and M dollars/ton in the United States. The derivation unit can also derive the second carbon tax for a specified period. The specified period can be short term (about 2 or 3 years), medium term (about 5 to 10 years), long term (about 30 years), etc. The second carbon tax is derived (calculated) based on the emission amount and scenario data stored in the emission amount storage unit. For example, when deriving a long-term second carbon tax using the first scenario data, the second carbon tax at the start of the scenario (current time) uses the first carbon tax. The second carbon tax at the end of the scenario (30 years later) is derived based on the emission amount and the data of the first scenario data 30 years later. The second carbon tax for each year from the start of the scenario to the end of the scenario is derived based on the emission amount and the data of each year of the first scenario data. In this way, in this example, a simulation of the long-term second carbon tax can be performed and presented to the user. The derivation unit can also derive the second carbon tax based on the amount of reduction. In this example, a simulation of the carbon tax can also be performed by multiplying the amount of reduction by the carbon price of the scenario data.

The reduction amount calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the reduction amount based on the emission amount and the target reduction ratio of the emission amount by the business entity. The target reduction ratio is the same as in the embodiment of the first function.

The information presentation unit presents information on the first carbon tax, the second carbon tax (simulation results), and the reduction amount. For the second carbon tax, the results of a simulation based on one scenario data may be presented, or the results of multiple simulations based on multiple scenario data may be presented. The information presentation unit transmits the information to be presented to the user terminal 100, and displays the information on the user terminal 100. The information transmitted to the user terminal 100 can also be edited and processed on the user terminal 100. The information presentation unit may present potential risks. There are two types of risks: acute risks and chronic risks. Acute risks are risks caused by sudden events. Sudden events include, for example, avalanches, cold waves, frost, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, droughts, heat waves, floods (coastal, river, heavy rainfall, groundwater), glacial lake outbursts, heavy rainfall (rain, hail, snow, ice), landslides, storms (including blizzards, dust, and sandstorms), subsidence, tornadoes, and wildfires. Chronic risks are risks resulting from long-term changes in weather patterns. Chronic risks include, for example, changing heavy rainfall patterns (rain, hail, hail, snow, ice), changing temperatures (air, freshwater, and saltwater), changing wind patterns, coastal erosion, heat stress, ocean acidification, permafrost thaw, heavy rainfall and/or hydrological changes, saltwater intrusion, sea level rise, soil degradation, soil erosion, solifluction, temperature fluctuations, and water shortages. These risks result in increased response costs, reduced asset values, asset impairment, and reduced sales due to reduced production capacity. By presenting the risks, users can recognize what types of risks are involved. The tax levied according to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the pricing function can be a carbon tax, etc.

The information input unit inputs information on the emission reduction target ratio by the business entity input from the user terminal 100 to the management server 200.

Figure 12 is a diagram explaining the process (operation 9) of calculating and presenting the carbon tax.

The management server 200 stores the greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity (S1201). Next, the management server 200 calculates the first carbon tax based on the emissions (S1202). Next, the management server 200 selects scenario data (S1203). The selected scenario data may be one or more. Next, the management server 200 calculates the second carbon tax for a predetermined period using the selected scenario data (S1204). Next, the management server 200 accepts input of the reduction target rate of the emissions by the business entity (S1205). Next, the management server 200 calculates the reduction amount based on the emissions and the reduction target rate (S1206). Next, the management server 200 calculates the second carbon tax based on the reduction amount. The management server 200 outputs the first carbon tax and the second carbon tax showing each calculation result to be presented to the user. The second carbon tax may be presented in a graph with the X-axis representing the fiscal year.

Due to the recent global warming phenomenon, abnormal weather has been observed all over the world. Weather disasters are also becoming more frequent. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if global warming continues, weather disasters may become more frequent and severe. In order to prevent such abnormal weather and weather disasters, Western countries are leading the way in promoting the transition to a carbon-neutral society, and efforts are being made in Japan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. One example of this effort is the introduction of a carbon pricing system, which can be predicted to implement policies that put a price on carbon and change the behavior of carbon dioxide emitters (mainly companies). If a carbon pricing system is introduced, a "carbon tax" that taxes carbon dioxide emissions according to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted may be created. If a carbon tax is created, it will have a significant impact on the finances of companies that are the main emitters of carbon dioxide. For this reason, companies will have to estimate the carbon tax that will be levied on their own carbon dioxide emissions and consider the carbon tax when conducting business activities. However, there is currently no information processing system that can simulate the carbon tax that will be levied on companies in the future.

According to operation 9, it is possible to provide an information processing system that calculates a company's carbon dioxide emissions using an information processing system for calculating and visualizing carbon dioxide emissions, and simulates a carbon tax based on this calculation result and a carbon price corresponding to the reference scenario data. In detail, it is possible to provide an information processing system that simulates a carbon tax by multiplying the carbon price (carbon pricing) calculated in each scenario of the first scenario data, the second scenario data, and the third scenario data by the company's carbon dioxide emissions.

This configuration allows companies to recognize risk factors such as future carbon tax burdens, and makes it easy to formulate business plans linked to climate change-related targets. In addition, by taking risk factors such as future carbon tax burdens into account when considering capital investment plans, etc., companies can increase the priority of decarbonization investments, which can promote decarbonization investments within companies.

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, output unit 240, and input unit 220 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself. Such machine learning can predict the factors that will increase or decrease the carbon tax.

<Disclosures>
The fourth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item D1 (P051)]
An information processing system comprising: a storage unit (emission amount storage unit) that stores greenhouse gas emissions by business entities and predetermined scenario data; and a derivation unit that derives a carbon tax (second carbon tax) based on the emissions and the predetermined scenario data, wherein the derivation unit is capable of deriving a carbon tax for a predetermined period. Item D1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying the location of the base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount of the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of the location information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item D2]
An information processing system according to item D1, comprising an input unit (information input unit) that accepts input of the business entity's reduction target ratio of the emissions, and a reduction amount calculation unit that calculates a reduction amount based on the emissions and the reduction target ratio, wherein the derivation unit is capable of deriving the carbon tax based on the reduction amount.
[Item D3]
An information processing system according to item D2, characterized in that the input unit is capable of accepting input of a reference point and a target point, and the reduction amount calculation unit is capable of acquiring the emissions at the reference point from the emission amount memory unit, and calculating the reduction amount at the target point based on the acquired emissions and the reduction target ratio.
[Item D4 (P051)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the following applies. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores first X information by a business entity and predetermined scenario data; and a derivation unit that derives second X information based on the first X information and the predetermined scenario data, wherein the derivation unit is capable of deriving the second X information for a predetermined period.

<<Blockchain function (5th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to fourth functions will be described in detail below as an embodiment of the fifth function.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the fifth function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is one example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit, blockchain), an acquisition unit 250 (information acquisition unit), an analysis unit 280, and an output unit 240 (information presentation unit). In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the blockchain is provided within the management server 200, but the blockchain may also be provided outside the management server 200. Even if provided externally, the blockchain information can be acquired by the management server 200.

The emission amount storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 is the same as the storage unit described in the embodiment of the second function. In this embodiment, the emission amount storage unit stores the results of calculating the carbon dioxide emission amount of the company and other companies as information indicating the emission amount (first information). A blockchain manages data in units of blocks, and stores data by linking them like a chain. Each block of the blockchain stores the first information. Also, each block stores a hash value (second information) representing the contents of the previous block. For example, if the first block stores information indicating the first emission amount (first information A) and the first hash value (second information A), and the second block stores information indicating the second emission amount (first information B) and the second hash value (second information B), the first hash value used in the first block is used as a certificate required for generating the next block, the second block. In other words, the first hash value becomes information related to the second hash value. Here, if the data of the information indicating the second emission amount in the second block is tampered with, the derived second hash value will be a different value (an abnormal value), and it will be necessary to change the hash values of all blocks. For this reason, it is difficult to tamper with the information managed by the blockchain, so a highly reliable information processing system can be provided.

The information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the first information. The first information is information indicating the emission amount in the embodiment of the third function, etc. The information acquisition unit also acquires the second information. The second information is, for example, a hash value representing the contents of the immediately preceding block, but may be any information indicating information in the blockchain. The second information is information associated with the first information. In other words, the first information and the second information are related information. If the second information shown in the embodiment of the third function is stored in the blockchain, the second information in the embodiment of the third function can be the second information. In this case, it is preferable to use information in which the second information in the embodiment of the third function is associated with a hash value as the second information. The second information can also be information that can confirm when, where, and from which business entity the information was acquired, rather than a hash value.

The analysis unit 280 analyzes information indicating the emission amount of the downstream business entity based on the acquired hash value. "Downstream" refers to a business entity downstream of the first business entity (supplier) and another supplier that is a second business entity. The first business entity acquires information indicating the emission amount from the second business entity that is a downstream business entity, and the analysis unit 280 can analyze whether or not this information indicating the emission amount has been tampered with. The information indicating the emission amount is information managed by the blockchain. The hash value is also information managed by the blockchain, and is information related to the information indicating the emission amount. Therefore, the analysis unit 280 can analyze and confirm that the information indicating the emission amount acquired from the downstream business entity is normal information that has not been tampered with by analyzing the hash value corresponding to the information indicating the emission amount. The analysis unit 280 can also analyze which business entity the information indicating the emission amount belongs to.

The information presentation unit presents information on the results of the analysis. For example, if the information indicating the acquired emission amount is abnormal as a result of the analysis, information is output to display, for example, "The acquired information indicating the emission amount is not normal" on the user terminal 100. On the other hand, if the information indicating the acquired emission amount is normal, the normality is not presented. If the information indicating the acquired emission amount is normal, information may be output to display, for example, "The acquired information indicating the emission amount is normal" on the user terminal 100. If the result of the analysis of which business entity the information indicating the emission amount is information of is not a normal second business entity, information is output to display, for example, "The acquired information indicating the emission amount is not normal" on the user terminal 100. If the information is normal, the normality is not presented, but information may be output to display, for example, "The acquired information indicating the emission amount is normal" on the user terminal 100.

If the analysis reveals an abnormality but the acquired information indicating the emissions has not been tampered with, for example, if the analysis reveals that the second business entity has output information indicating erroneous emissions to the first business entity, this will be presented. In this case, it may also be possible to output (communicate) to the second business entity that the information indicating the emissions output to the first business entity was erroneous.

A generation unit 260 may also be provided to generate a blockchain. The blocks that make up the blockchain store the first information of the second business entity and a hash value corresponding to the first information. A blockchain can be constructed by acquiring the first information of multiple second business entities and using the first information that is normal as a result of analysis. The second information B can be information related to the second information A, while the first information B can be information that is not related to the first information A. Here, "related information" refers to, for example, one piece of information having a relationship with the other piece of information by a function or the like, but is not limited to this. By making the information related at least between the second pieces of information only, it is possible to provide a degree of freedom in the first information to be stored.

Figure 13 is a diagram explaining the process (operation 10) of analyzing and outputting the first information.

The management server 200 acquires first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain for each activity for which emissions are to be calculated (for example, each of the raw materials procured by the company) (S1301). The management server 200 also acquires second information indicating information in the blockchain (S1302). Next, the management server 200 stores the acquired first information and second information in the storage unit 230 (S1303). Next, the management server 200 analyzes the first information of the business entities that constitute the downstream based on the second information (S1304). Next, the management server 200 determines whether the result of the analysis is abnormal (S1305). If the result of the analysis is abnormal (S1305: YES), the management server 200 presents that there is an abnormality and ends the processing of operation 10 (S1306). On the other hand, if the result of the analysis is not abnormal (S1305: NO), the management server 200 ends the processing of operation 10.

Concerns have arisen about the reliability of the first information of upstream or downstream business entities. For example, in the case of a first business entity that manufactures smartphone products, the first information (emissions amount and emission unit) of the components that make up the smartphone, such as cameras and chips, is obtained from a second business entity. However, even if the obtained first information has been tampered with, there is no means to confirm the tampering, and a problem occurs in that accurate greenhouse gas emissions cannot be calculated because the tampered and fraudulent information has been registered as information of the first business entity. The embodiment of the fifth function has been proposed to solve such problems.

According to operation 10, it is possible to provide an information processing system that includes an acquisition unit that acquires first information including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream in the supply chain and second information indicating information in the blockchain, an analysis unit that analyzes the first information of business entities that are downstream based on the second information, and a presentation unit that presents the results of the analysis.

This configuration makes it possible to track the calculation process of greenhouse gas emissions by business entities upstream or downstream in the supply chain (which business entity calculated it, when and how) and the editing history of the greenhouse gas emissions data by the business entity, making it possible to confirm (guarantee) the reliability of the information indicating the acquired emissions, and to provide information indicating the emissions that consists only of normal information.

The output unit 240, acquisition unit 250, generation unit 260, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The fifth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item E1 (P065)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that are upstream or downstream of a supply chain, and second information indicating information in a blockchain, an analysis unit that analyzes the first information of business entities that are downstream based on the second information, and a presentation unit that presents the results of the analysis. Item E1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying the location of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount of the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of the location information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item E2]
An information processing system according to item E1, characterized in that the first information includes at least first information A and first information B which is the information following the first information A, and the second information includes at least second information A and second information B which is the information following the second information A, and the second information A and the second information B are related information, while the first information A and the first information B are unrelated information.
[Item E3 (P065)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first information including information related to X information of business entities constituting the upstream or downstream of a supply chain and second information indicating information in a blockchain; an analysis unit that analyzes the first information of business entities constituting the downstream based on the second information; and a presentation unit that presents the results of the analysis.

<<Evidence function (6th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to fifth functions will be described in detail below as an embodiment of the sixth function.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the sixth function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (evidence data storage unit, corresponding database), an acquisition unit 250 (evidence acquisition unit, basic data acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (evidence output unit).

The document acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires document data that displays basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The basic data can be, for example, at least one of the amount of activity and the emission coefficient.

Evidence data related to activity amounts is data that represents evidence, such as invoices, receipts, and contracts. Evidence related to Scope 1 (direct emissions) of the GHG (GreenHouse Gas) Protocol could include, for example, receipts for filling up at a gas station, and invoices for gas or coal. Evidence related to Scope 2 (indirect emissions) could include, for example, electricity receipts and contracts. Evidence related to Scope 3 (emissions by related companies) for Category 1 (purchased goods and services) could include, for example, purchase orders, invoices, contracts, and receipts related to the procurement of raw materials and parts, or procurement system data and parts lists.

Furthermore, examples of supporting data on emissions include primary data on the emission intensity of raw materials obtained from suppliers (which may be calculated independently by the supplier or verified by a third party).

The evidence data may be, for example, image data. The image data may be, for example, data captured by a camera (not shown) provided on the user terminal 100. The evidence data may be, for example, a document such as a PDF file, or a structured file such as an XML file.

The evidence acquisition unit may, for example, accept upload of evidence data from the user terminal 100, or may acquire evidence data attached to a message such as an email or a chat message sent from the user terminal 100. In addition, if the user can directly operate the management server 200, the management server 200 may be equipped with a camera and a scanner, and the evidence may be photographed using the camera and scanner of the management server 200. The evidence acquisition unit may register the acquired evidence data in the evidence data storage unit.

The evidence data storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores evidence data. The evidence data storage unit can store evidence data, for example, in association with an evidence ID that identifies the evidence and a user ID that indicates the user who registered the evidence. The evidence data storage unit can be implemented as a relational database or an object database, or can be implemented as a file system (in this case, the evidence ID can be a path and file name).

The basic data acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 reads basic data from the supporting document data. The basic data acquisition unit can read basic data from image data, for example, by OCR processing. The basic data acquisition unit can also extract basic data from text included in a document, for example.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the basic data. For example, if the basic data is information indicating the activity amount of a company, the management server 200 is provided with an emission coefficient storage unit that stores the emission coefficient related to the activity of the company, and the emission amount can be calculated by multiplying the read activity amount by the emission coefficient. Also, if the basic data is an emission coefficient of a company, the activity amount of the company (for example, in the case of emissions related to Scope 1, it can be the amount of fuel burned by the user, in the case of emissions related to Scope 2, it can be the amount of electricity used by the user, and in the case of emissions related to Scope 3, it can be the amount of products purchased by the user from the company, the amount of products sold by the user, or the delivery ton-kilometers of the products sold by the user) can be obtained by, for example, accessing an accounting system or accepting input from the user, and the obtained activity amount can be multiplied by the read emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount. Also, if the basic data includes both an emission coefficient and an activity amount, the emission amount can be calculated by multiplying the read emission coefficient and activity amount. Also, if the basic data is an emission amount, the emission amount read from the supporting data can be used as is.

The correspondence database constituting the storage unit 230 stores information identifying emissions and information identifying supporting data in association with each other. The correspondence database can also store information identifying basic data in association with each other. The correspondence database stores emission amount identifying information, a basic data ID identifying the basic data, and a supporting document ID indicating the supporting document in association with each other. The emission amount identifying information can include time information such as the year, month, and day. The emission amount identifying information can also include information (such as a user ID) that identifies the greenhouse gas output entity (such as a company) related to the emissions. The emission amount identifying information can also include the products and services that are the subject of the calculation.

The evidence output unit constituting the output unit 240 outputs evidence data. The evidence output unit can accept the designation of emission amount identification information. For example, the evidence output unit can accept the designation of time information such as the year, month, or day. The evidence output unit can also accept the designation of the subject of emissions in addition to or instead of the time information. The evidence output unit can also accept information identifying the product or service to be calculated in addition to or instead of the time information and/or the subject of emissions. The evidence output unit can identify the evidence ID corresponding to the accepted emission amount identification information from the corresponding database, and read and output the evidence data corresponding to the identified evidence ID from the evidence data storage unit.

The evidence output unit can output evidence data in response to a request from a third-party certification body (auditing body), for example. In addition, in response to a request from a user who calculates emissions related to the GHG Protocol, it can also identify evidence data related to the basic data that is the basis for calculating the emissions from a corresponding database, and transmit the identified evidence data together with the emissions to the third-party certification body (information processing device).

The evidence output unit can also accept the designation of basic data in addition to the emission amount identification information. In this case, the evidence output unit can identify a evidence ID corresponding to the emission amount identification information and the basic data ID indicating the designated basic data from the corresponding database, and read and output the evidence data corresponding to the identified evidence ID from the evidence data storage unit.

<Operation>
Next, the flow of the emission amount calculation process in the information processing system of the sixth function will be described.

The management server 200 accepts supporting data from the user terminal 100, reads basic data from the supporting data using OCR processing or the like, and calculates greenhouse gas emissions using the basic data.

The management server 200 stores the supporting data in the supporting data storage unit, and registers the emission amount identification information that identifies the emission amount, the basic data ID that indicates the basic data, and the supporting data ID in the correspondence database in association with each other.

When receiving multiple types of basic data to calculate emissions, there may be cases where the basic data is received without receiving supporting data.

Next, we will explain the flow of the process of outputting supporting evidence data in the information processing system of the sixth function.

The management server 200 accepts the emission amount specification information and the basic data ID from the user terminal 100. The basic data ID may be omitted. The management server 200 identifies the supporting document ID corresponding to the accepted emission amount specification information and basic data ID from the corresponding database, reads out the supporting document data corresponding to the identified supporting document ID from the supporting document data storage unit, and outputs (sends to the user terminal 100) the read supporting document data.

As described above, the information processing system with the sixth function can manage supporting data related to the basic data used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in association with the emissions and the basic data. Therefore, in the case of audits, third-party certification, etc., supporting data corresponding to the emissions and the basic data used to calculate them can be easily presented.

In the embodiment of the sixth function, the system is a client-server configuration, but for example, the user terminal 100 can also have the functions of the management server 200.

In addition, in the embodiment of the sixth function, the basic data is read from the supporting evidence data by processing such as OCR, but for example, when the basic data is modified by the user terminal 100, the basic data may be input from the user terminal 100 and learned. For example, the range of the basic data described in the supporting evidence data and the contents of the basic data may be received from the user terminal 100, and the learning model for performing OCR may be updated by machine learning using the supporting evidence data, the range, and the contents as training data. This can improve the reading accuracy by so-called AIOCR.

In the embodiment of the sixth function, the basic data is read from the supporting data, but for example, the basic data may be received from the user terminal 100, the amount of emissions may be calculated using the basic data received from the user terminal 100, the supporting data related to the basic data may be received from the user terminal 100, and the management server 200 may associate the basic data with the supporting data. In this case, the management server 200 may be provided with a learning model storage unit that stores a learning model that has been machine-learned using the basic data and the supporting data as training data, and the learning model may be used to infer the type of basic data (basic data ID) from the supporting data received from the user terminal 100, and the supporting data may be associated with the basic data. The management server 200 may link the basic data ID indicating the inferred basic data with the supporting data ID indicating the supporting data in a correspondence database.

In addition, in the embodiment of the sixth function, the correspondence database corresponds the emission amount, basic data, and voucher, but it may also correspond between the emission amount (emission amount specific information) and the voucher (voucher ID), or between the basic data (basic data ID) and the voucher (voucher ID).

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The sixth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item F1 (P015)]
An information processing system comprising: a voucher acquisition unit that acquires evidence data showing basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, a basic data acquisition unit that reads out the basic data from the evidence data, a voucher data storage unit that stores the evidence data, an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount based on the basic data, a correspondence database that associates and stores information specifying the emission amount and information specifying the evidence data, and a voucher output unit that accepts designation of the information specifying the emission amount, identifies the evidence data corresponding to the designated emission amount from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified evidence data from the evidence data storage unit. Item F1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base. Item F1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter referred to as a base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that reads supporting data from a user's mobile device and accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item F2]
An information processing system according to item F1, characterized in that the evidential data is image data, and the basic data acquisition unit reads the basic data from the image data by OCR processing.
[Item F3]
An information processing system as described in item F1, characterized in that the correspondence database stores information identifying the emission amount, information identifying the supporting data, and information identifying the basic data in linked relation to each other, and the supporting data output unit accepts designation of the emission amount and the basic data, identifies the supporting data corresponding to the emission amount and the basic data from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified supporting data from the supporting data storage unit.
[Item F4 (P015D1)]
an information processing system comprising: a supporting document acquisition unit that acquires supporting data displaying basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions; a basic data acquisition unit that accepts input of the basic data; a supporting document data storage unit that stores the supporting document data; an emission amount calculation unit that calculates the emissions based on the basic data; a correspondence database that links and stores information identifying the basic data or information identifying the emissions and information identifying the supporting document data; and a supporting document output unit that accepts designation of information identifying the basic data or information identifying the emissions, identifies the supporting document data corresponding to the designated basic data or the emissions from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified supporting document data from the supporting document data storage unit.
[Item F5 (P015)]
When X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours) is the target, it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a voucher acquisition unit that acquires voucher data in which basic data for calculating the X information is displayed, a basic data acquisition unit that reads out the basic data from the voucher data, a voucher data storage unit that stores the voucher data, a calculation unit that calculates the X information based on the basic data, a correspondence database that associates and stores information specifying the X information and information specifying the voucher data, and a voucher output unit that accepts designation of information specifying the X information, identifies voucher data corresponding to the specified X information from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified voucher data from the voucher data storage unit.

<<Evidence function for accounting data (7th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to sixth functions will be described in detail below as an embodiment of the seventh function.

<System Overview>
In the embodiment of the seventh function, data that serves as evidence is managed, particularly data that is included in accounting data. Although not shown, the information processing system of the seventh function is configured to include a management server 200, a user terminal 100, and an accounting system. The management server 200 is communicatively connected to the user terminal 100 and the accounting system via a communication network.

The management server 200 is a computer that calculates greenhouse gas emissions. The management server 200 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

The user terminal 100 is a computer used by a user, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or personal computer. The user operates the user terminal 100 to access the management server 200 and calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

An accounting system is a computer system that manages accounting data. An accounting system may be composed of one or more computers. Accounting data may include so-called financial statement data and accounting record data that forms the basis of the financial statements (such as voucher data, invoice data, contract data, general ledger data, and journal entry data). Accounting data may also include audit evidence data used in accounting audits. An accounting system stores at least financial statement data and can output financial statement data upon request.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the seventh function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (accounting data memory unit, audit data memory unit, corresponding database, emission coefficient memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (accounting data acquisition unit, basic data acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (emission amount output unit, accounting data output unit).

The accounting data acquisition unit acquires accounting data including basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The basic data can be, for example, at least one of activity amount and emission coefficient.

Accounting data related to activity amounts are, for example, accounting record data such as invoices, receipts, and contracts. Examples of accounting record data that serve as evidence for scope 1 (direct emissions) of the GHG Protocol include receipts for filling up at gas stations and invoices for gas or coal. Examples of accounting record data that serve as evidence for scope 2 (indirect emissions) include electricity receipts and contracts. Examples of accounting record data that serve as evidence for scope 3 (emissions by related companies) for category 1 (purchased goods and services) include purchase orders, invoices, contracts, and receipts for the procurement of raw materials and parts, or data and parts lists for procurement systems. It is also possible to use items included in financial statement data such as balance sheets and profit and loss statements as basic data instead of accounting record data, in which case the financial statement data can be the accounting data that corresponds to the basic data.

Furthermore, accounting data as evidence related to emission coefficients may include, for example, primary data on the emission intensity of raw materials obtained from a supplier (which may be calculated independently by the supplier or may be verified by a third party). For example, audit evidence data that is not included in accounting record data and is used in a carbon accounting audit may be considered as accounting data.

The accounting data may be, for example, a document such as a PDF file, or a structured file such as XML. The accounting data may also be image data.

The accounting data acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 can accept input of information identifying accounting data (e.g., accounting year and name of accounting data, etc.) from the user terminal 100, access the accounting system, transmit information identifying the accounting data to the accounting system, and receive accounting data in response from the accounting system. In addition, the accounting data acquisition unit can, for example, accept uploads of accounting data from the user terminal 100, or acquire accounting data attached to messages such as emails and chat messages sent from the user terminal 100.

The accounting data acquisition unit can register the acquired accounting data in the accounting data storage unit. Note that the accounting data acquisition unit may access the accounting system to acquire accounting data recorded in the accounting system as necessary, rather than registering the data in the accounting data storage unit. When accounting data specified from the user terminal 100 is not registered in the accounting system, the accounting data acquisition unit can register the data in the accounting data storage unit received from the user terminal 100.

The accounting data storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores accounting data. The accounting data storage unit can store accounting data in association with, for example, accounting data identification information that identifies the accounting data and a user ID that indicates the user who registered the accounting data. The accounting data identification information can be, for example, the accounting year and the name of the accounting data. The accounting data storage unit can be implemented as a relational database or an object database, or can be implemented as a file system. When storing accounting data received from the user terminal 100 when the specified accounting data is not registered in the accounting system, the accounting data storage unit will store accounting data that is not managed by the accounting system (outside-system data).

The audit data storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores audit data indicating that an accounting audit has been conducted on financial statements related to the accounting data. The audit data can be, for example, data on an audit report prepared by an auditing corporation (such as an audit report in electronic data format or scanned data of a paper audit report). The audit data storage unit can store the audit data in association with, for example, audit data identification information that identifies the audit data and a user ID that indicates the user. The audit data identification information can be, for example, a fiscal year. The audit data storage unit can be implemented as a relational database, an object database, or the like, or can be implemented as a file system.

The corresponding database constituting the storage unit 230 stores information that identifies emissions and information that identifies accounting data in association with each other. The corresponding database can also store information that identifies audit data in association with each other. The corresponding database stores emission amount identification information, basic data ID that identifies basic data (e.g., content of activity amount), accounting data identification information that indicates accounting data, and audit data identification information that identifies audit data in association with each other. The emission amount identification information can include time information such as the year, month, and day. The emission amount identification information can also include information (e.g., user ID) that identifies the greenhouse gas output entity (company, etc.) related to the emissions. The emission amount identification information can also include the products and services that are the subject of the calculation.

The emission coefficient storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores emission coefficients. The emission coefficient storage unit can store emission coefficients in association with information (basic data ID) that identifies an activity. The basic data ID can be, for example, the type of activity amount.

The basic data acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires data (basic data) necessary for calculating emissions. The basic data can be, for example, an activity amount and an emission coefficient. Here, accounting data is acquired as the activity amount (the accounting data acquired by the accounting data acquisition unit is read from the accounting data storage unit). The emission coefficient can be read from, for example, an emission coefficient storage unit. The emission coefficient may also be received from the user terminal 100.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the basic data. Here, the emission calculation unit can read out the amount of activity included in the accounting data, perform unit conversion, and calculate the emission amount by multiplying the amount of activity by the corresponding emission coefficient. In the case of emissions related to Scope 1, for example, the emission calculation unit can extract the purchase price of the fuel from the accounting data related to the purchased fuel, and calculate the emission amount by multiplying the purchase price by the emission coefficient corresponding to the fuel. In addition, in the case of emissions related to Scope 2, the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by, for example, extracting the electricity charge from the accounting data related to electricity among the utility bills, and multiplying the electricity charge by the emission coefficient of the electricity. In addition, in the case of emissions related to Scope 3, the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount related to the product by, for example, extracting the purchase price of a specific product from the accounting data related to the purchase of the product, and multiplying the extracted purchase price by the emission coefficient corresponding to the product. In the case where the unit of the emission coefficient is different from the unit of the accounting data, the emission calculation unit can perform unit conversion on the amount of activity in the accounting data before multiplying by the emission coefficient.

The emission output unit constituting the output unit 240 outputs the calculated emission amount. For example, the emission output unit may output the total value of all emissions, may output the total value of emissions for each scope related to the GHG Protocol, or may output the total value of emissions for each category in Scope 3.

The accounting data output unit constituting the output unit 240 can output accounting data (or information identifying accounting data). The accounting data output unit can accept the designation of emission amount identification information. For example, the accounting data output unit can accept the designation of time information such as the year, month, or day. The accounting data output unit can also accept the designation of the subject of emissions in addition to or instead of the time information. The accounting data output unit can also accept information identifying the product or service to be calculated in addition to or instead of the time information and/or the subject of emissions. The accounting data output unit can identify accounting data identification information corresponding to the accepted emission amount identification information from a corresponding database, and retrieve and output accounting data identified by the identified accounting data identification information from the accounting data storage unit or the accounting system.

The accounting data output unit can also output audit data in addition to or instead of accounting data. The accounting data output unit can identify audit data specific information corresponding to the received emission amount specific information from a corresponding database, and read and output audit data corresponding to the identified audit data specific information from the audit data storage unit.

The accounting data output unit can output accounting data and/or audit data in response to a request from a third-party certification body (audit body), for example. In addition, in response to a request from a user who calculates emissions related to the GHG Protocol, it can also identify accounting data related to the basic data that is the basis for calculating the emissions from a corresponding database, and transmit the identified accounting data together with the emissions to the third-party certification body (information processing device).

The accounting data output unit can also accept the designation of basic data in addition to the emission amount identification information. In this case, the accounting data output unit can identify accounting data identification information and/or audit data identification information corresponding to the basic data ID indicating the emission amount identification information and the designated basic data from the corresponding database, and obtain and output accounting data and/or audit data corresponding to the identified accounting data identification information and/or audit data identification information.

<Operation>
Next, the flow of the emission amount calculation process in the information processing system of the seventh function will be described.

The management server 200 acquires the accounting data specified by the user terminal 100. The management server 200 may, for example, accept the specification of accounting data from the user terminal 100 and access the accounting system to acquire the specified accounting data, or may receive accounting data from the user terminal 100. The management server 200 acquires the emission coefficient of the activity related to the accounting data. The management server 200 may, for example, read out the emission coefficient corresponding to the basic data ID indicating the activity related to the accounting data from the emission coefficient storage unit.

The management server 200 calculates emissions by multiplying the amount of activity extracted from the accounting data by the emission coefficient. The management server 200 accepts input of audit data for financial statements related to the accounting data and registers it in the audit data storage unit. The management server 200 registers information that associates emissions, basic data, accounting data, and audit data in a correspondence database.

Next, we will explain the flow of the accounting data output process in the information processing system of the seventh function.

The management server 200 accepts emission amount identification information from the user terminal 100, reads accounting data identification information and audit data identification information corresponding to the accepted emission amount identification information from the corresponding database, and acquires and outputs accounting data and/or audit data identified by the read accounting data identification information and/or audit data identification information. The accounting data is acquired, for example, by accessing an accounting system, and accounting data that cannot be acquired from the accounting system can be acquired from the accounting data storage unit. The audit data can be acquired from the audit data storage unit.

As described above, the information processing system of the seventh function can manage accounting data and/or audit data related to the basic data used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in association with the emissions. Therefore, in the case of audits, third-party certification, etc., it is possible to easily present the emissions and the accounting data and/or audit data corresponding to the basic data used to calculate the emissions.

In the embodiment of the seventh function, the system is a client-server configuration, but for example, the user terminal 100 can also have the functions of the management server 200.

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The seventh function also includes the following configuration.
[Item G1 (P016)]
An information processing system comprising: a data acquisition unit that acquires basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount based on the basic data, a correspondence database that stores information identifying the basic data or the emission amount and information identifying accounting data, which is at least one of accounting record data, financial statement data, and audit evidence data, indicating the basic data, in association with each other, and an accounting data output unit that accepts designation of the information identifying the basic data or the emission amount, reads out information identifying the accounting data corresponding to the designated basic data or the emission amount from the correspondence database, and outputs the information. Item G1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item G2]
An information processing system according to item G1, comprising a memory unit that stores external data, which is the accounting data that is not recorded in an external accounting system, and the accounting data output unit accesses the accounting system to obtain, among the accounting data corresponding to the specified basic data or the specified emissions, data that is recorded in the accounting system, and obtains, from the memory unit, data that is not recorded in the accounting system, and outputs the obtained accounting data.
[Item G3]
An information processing system according to item G1, comprising an audit data storage unit that stores audit data indicating that an accounting audit has been conducted on financial statements related to the accounting data, wherein the correspondence database stores information identifying the basic data or information identifying the emissions, information identifying the accounting data, and information identifying the audit data in association with each other, and the accounting data output unit reads out and outputs the information identifying the accounting data corresponding to the specified basic data or emissions and the information identifying the audit data from the correspondence database.
[Item G4 (P016)]
When X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours) is the subject, it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a data acquisition unit that acquires basic data for calculating X information; a calculation unit that calculates the X information based on the basic data; a correspondence database that stores information specifying the basic data or information specifying the X information in association with information specifying accounting data, which is at least one of accounting record data, financial statement data, and audit evidence data indicating the basic data; and an accounting data output unit that accepts designation of the information specifying the basic data or information specifying the X information, reads out information specifying accounting data corresponding to the designated basic data or X information from the correspondence database, and outputs the information.

<<Exchange function for basic unit (8th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to seventh functions is described in detail below as an embodiment of the eighth function.

<System Overview>
The management server 200 is communicably connected to other management servers 200 via a communication network 300. In the example of Fig. 1, the management server 200 is one management server 200, and although not shown, a management server 200 connected to the one management server 200 is another management server 200, and the two management servers 200 are communicably connected to each other.

The management server 200 is a computer (information processing device) that outputs greenhouse gas emission status (emission coefficient (emissions unit), activity amount, emission amount). The greenhouse gas emissions by a company can be calculated by multiplying the activity amount of the company (for example, the number of products produced) by the emission unit for that company. The management server 200 can also transmit its own emission unit (which may include activity amount and emission amount) to other management servers 200 (information processing devices), and can obtain other people's emission unit from the other management servers 200. This makes it possible to calculate emissions for the entire supply chain, including the company itself.

In this embodiment, each company exchanges the emission unit values (primary data) calculated for its own company, allowing more realistic emissions to be calculated.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the eighth function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emissions intensity unit memory unit, product information memory unit, product usage information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emissions intensity unit acquisition unit, activity amount acquisition unit, company information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emissions amount calculation unit, emissions intensity unit calculation unit, product-specific emissions calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (emissions amount output unit, emissions intensity unit transmission unit, data ratio output unit).

The emission intensity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores coefficients (called emission intensity units) for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in association with companies. The emission intensity memory unit can store emission intensity units and primary data ratios in association with company IDs indicating companies and product IDs indicating products (including services; the same applies below) provided by the companies. Primary data is data collected by the companies themselves, obtained from direct measurements, or obtained from calculations based on direct measurements in the first source of information. Data other than primary data is secondary data. For example, secondary data is data that has been standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product. The primary data ratio is the proportion of emissions calculated using primary data to the total amount of calculated emissions.

The product information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information about products (product information). The product information can include various information about the product, such as the product name, associated with a product ID that indicates the product. The product information storage unit is assumed to register product information about all products that the company provides to other companies.

The product usage information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (product usage information) about other products (hereinafter referred to as product usage) used to provide the product. The product usage is, for example, raw materials used to produce the product. The product usage information can include a product ID indicating the product, a product usage ID indicating the product usage, a company ID indicating the company that provides the product usage, and the amount of product usage (amount used) used for one product.

The emission intensity acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires emission intensity calculated by a company (associated company) that corresponds to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The associated company is a company that provides products in a category defined in Scope 3 of the GHG Protocol. The emission intensity acquisition unit may accept an input of the emission intensity from a user, but in this embodiment, the emission intensity is acquired from another management server 200. The management server 200 can provide a primary data ratio together with the emission intensity. The emission intensity acquisition unit can update the emission intensity storage unit with the acquired emission intensity and primary data ratio. The emission request unit acquisition unit can update the emission intensity and primary data ratio corresponding to the company ID indicating the associated company related to the other management server 200 from which the emission intensity was acquired and the product ID indicating the product purchased from the associated company to the acquired one. When the emission intensity of the secondary data is registered in the emission intensity storage unit, the emission intensity acquisition unit can set the primary data ratio to "0".

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the activity amount related to the products used by the related company. The activity amount can be, for example, the amount of products provided by the related company, such as the number of products, the amount of energy, or the distance traveled by logistics. The activity amount acquisition unit can acquire the activity amount related to the related company from the management server 200 of the related company. The activity amount acquisition unit may be configured to accept input of the activity amount of the related company from the user. In addition, the activity amount acquisition unit may access, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, an inventory management system, etc., and acquire the number (amount) of products purchased from the related company as the activity amount.

The emission amount calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 reads out the emission unit values corresponding to the related company and product from the emission unit value storage unit, and multiplies the activity amount of the related company (e.g., the amount of product used) by the read emission unit value to calculate the emission amount related to the product used by the related company. The usage amount used to calculate the emission amount may be the activity amount of the related company (e.g., the number of products purchased) obtained by the activity amount acquisition unit by accessing, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, or an inventory management system, or may be received by the activity amount acquisition unit from the management server 200 of the related company.

The emission output section constituting the output unit 240 can output the emission amount for each associated company. The emission output section can output the emission amount for each associated company and product used. The emission output section can also output the emission intensity for each associated company. The emission output section can output the emission intensity for a plurality of associated companies that provide the same product in a comparable manner. The emission output section can output the emission intensity for an associated company that provides a product and an associated company that provides a substitute for that product in a comparable manner. The emission output section may also output the emission intensity for associated companies with which there is no transaction. In other words, it can also output the emission intensity for associated companies that are other providers of the product used, associated companies that provide substitutes, etc. in a comparable manner.

The company information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the company's emissions and/or activity amounts. The company information acquisition unit can, for example, accept input of the emissions and/or activity amounts. The company information acquisition unit may calculate the emissions using a known method. The company information acquisition unit may acquire activity amounts (such as the number of company products sold) from, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, an inventory management system, etc. The company information acquisition unit can acquire the emissions and/or activity amounts for each product. In addition, the company information acquisition unit acquires the amount of the company's emissions calculated based on primary data (referred to as the company's primary data emissions). Of the company's direct or indirect emissions (scope 1 and scope 2), for example, when the scope 2 emissions are calculated based on secondary data related to electricity charges, the company information acquisition unit can calculate the company's primary data emissions by excluding the emissions related to the use of electricity in scope 2 from the total emissions of scope 1 and scope 2.

When a product is used in multiple products, the company information acquisition unit acquires the amount of the product used for each product (for example, this can be acquired from an accounting system, sales management system, inventory management system, etc.), the activity amount acquisition unit calculates the activity amount of the product used for each product by apportioning the activity amount of the product used according to the usage amount for each product, and the emissions calculation unit multiplies the apportioned activity amount of the product used for each product by the emissions unit of the product used to calculate the emissions related to the product used by the associated company.

In addition, when the activity amount acquisition unit acquires the activity amounts related to multiple products used by the related enterprise collectively, the company information acquisition unit acquires the usage amount used for the multiple products used procured from the related enterprise (for example, this can be acquired from an accounting system, sales management system, inventory management system, etc.), and calculates the activity amount of the product and the product used corresponding to the product by apportioning the activity amount according to the usage amount of each product used acquired, and the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount related to the product used by the related enterprise by multiplying the activity amount corresponding to the product and the product used by the emission unit of the product used.

The emission intensity calculation unit that constitutes the calculation unit 210 calculates the company's emission intensity, which is the company's emission intensity, based on the company's acquired emissions and activity volume.

The emission unit transmission unit constituting the output unit 240 can transmit the company's emission unit to another management server 200 (a system of an associated company). The emission unit transmission unit may transmit the company's emission unit in response to a request from another management server 200, or may transmit the company's emission unit periodically or each time the company's emission unit is calculated.

The data ratio output unit constituting the output unit 240 can output the primary data ratio related to the emission amount related to the company's product. The data ratio output unit can calculate the primary data ratio. For example, the data ratio output unit can calculate the emission amount related to the product used multiplied by the primary data ratio of the product used for each product used in a certain product (referred to as the primary data emission amount), add the emission amount (scopes 1 and 2) emitted by the company for the product and the total of the calculated primary data emission amount for all the products used to calculate the total emission amount based on the primary data, and divide the calculated total value by the emission amount related to the product (total of scopes 1 to 3) to calculate the primary data ratio related to the product. For example, the data ratio output unit can obtain the product ID, usage amount, and company ID corresponding to the product ID indicating the company's product from the product information storage unit, obtain the primary data ratio corresponding to the company ID and the product ID used from the emission intensity storage unit, and calculate the primary data emission amount by multiplying the emission amount of the product used (which may be the value obtained by multiplying the usage amount by the emission intensity, or may be configured to accept the input of the emission amount) by the primary data ratio. In addition, if the data ratio output unit calculates the emissions emitted by the company using secondary data, it can add only the company's primary data emissions to the total primary data emissions of the products used.

The emission unit acquisition section constituting the acquisition unit 250 can also acquire emissions emitted by an associated company that provides a product used in one or more products from the management server 200 of the associated company. In this case, the emission unit acquisition section can calculate the emission amount for each product by apportioning the emissions based on a predetermined standard. For multiple products that use the same product, the emission unit acquisition section can apportion the emissions of the product used based on the production volume of the product, etc. The emission unit acquisition section can calculate the emission unit for the product used by the associated company by dividing the emission amount for each product by the usage amount of the product.

The product-specific emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount related to the product (called PCF (Product Carbon Footprint)). If the emission intensity acquisition unit is able to acquire the emission intensity, the product-specific emission calculation unit can calculate the first product-specific emission amount related to the product used by multiplying the emission intensity by the amount of the product used. If the emission intensity acquisition unit is unable to acquire the emission intensity and is able to acquire the emission amount related to all the products used provided to the company, the product-specific emission calculation unit can calculate the second product-specific emission amount by apportioning the emission amount according to a predetermined standard. The product-specific emission calculation unit can calculate the total value of the first product-specific emission amount (emission amount accumulated using the emission intensity), the second product-specific emission amount (emission amount calculated by apportioning the emission amount of the organization unit), and the company's direct or indirect emission amount (emission amount related to the product among the emission amount acquired by the company information acquisition unit), and divide the calculated total value by the activity amount (e.g., the production amount of the product) to calculate the PCF.

<Operation>
FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing for displaying the emission intensity for each associated company.

The management server 200 acquires the emission intensity from the management server 200 of the related company (S1401). If the management server 200 is unable to acquire the emission intensity (S1402: NO), it acquires the emission amount for all the products used provided to the company by the related company (S1403). If the emission amount can be acquired (S1404: YES), the management server 200 calculates the emission amount for each product used by dividing the emission amount by a predetermined standard (for example, the production volume of each of the company's products) (S1405), and calculates the emission intensity by dividing the emission amount by the usage amount of the product used (S1406). On the other hand, if the management server 200 is unable to acquire the emission amount (S1404: NO), it acquires secondary data related to the products used (S1407). The management server 200 displays the emission intensity for each related company in a comparable manner (S1408). This allows the company to grasp the emission intensity for each related company upstream or downstream in the supply chain, and it becomes possible to grasp the related companies that are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Figure 15 is a diagram explaining the process flow for calculating the PCF.

When the management server 200 obtains the amount of emissions related to all the products used that are provided to the company by the related companies for each of the products used by the company (S1501: YES), it calculates the amount of emissions by product by apportioning the amount of emissions by a predetermined standard (for example, the production volume of each of the company's products) (S1502). When the amount of emissions is not obtained (S1501: NO), it calculates the amount of emissions by product by multiplying the amount of emissions by the emission intensity (primary data or secondary data) by the amount of use (S1503). The management server 200 can calculate the PCF by summing up the amount of emissions by product (S1504) and dividing the total amount of emissions by the activity amount (production volume, sales volume, etc.) related to the product (S1505). This makes it possible to calculate the PCF using any available data, whether it is the amount of emissions calculated using the emission intensity calculated by LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) or the like (emissions calculated by the accumulation method) or the amount of emissions calculated by dividing the total amount of emissions by the number of products, sales, etc. (emissions calculated by the apportionment method).

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The eighth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item H1 (P009)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission unit acquisition unit that acquires a first emission unit for calculating a first amount of greenhouse gas emissions and a primary data ratio related to the first emission unit, calculated by an associated company that is a company that is at least one of an upstream and downstream company in a supply chain; an emission unit memory unit that stores the first emission unit and the primary data ratio for each associated company; a company information acquisition unit that acquires the company's second emission amounts; an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires the usage amount of products provided by the associated company and used in the company's products; and a data ratio output unit that outputs the first and second emissions and the primary data ratio related to the products calculated based on the primary data ratio. Item H1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each associated company (hereinafter, base) of a greenhouse gas emitter, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item H2]
An information processing system according to item H1, wherein the data ratio output unit calculates a primary data ratio for the product by multiplying the first emission amount, which is the amount of usage multiplied by the first emission unit, by the primary data ratio, adding the result to the second emission amount, and dividing the result by the first and second emission amounts.
[Item H3]
An information processing system according to item H1, characterized in that the company information acquisition unit acquires, together with the second emission amount, the company's own primary data emission amount calculated based on primary data by the company, and the data ratio output unit calculates a primary data ratio related to the product based on the first and second emission amounts and the primary data ratio, and the company's own primary data emission amount.
[Item H4]
An information processing system according to item H1, comprising: an emission intensity calculation unit that calculates the company's own emission intensity, which is the emission intensity of the company, based on the acquired company's emissions and activity amount; and a transmission unit that transmits the company's emission intensity to a system of the associated company.
[Item H5]
2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the activity amount acquisition unit acquires the activity amount of the related company from a system of the related company.
[Item H6]
an emission unit acquisition unit that acquires an emission unit for calculating a first emission amount of a greenhouse gas, the emission unit being calculated at an associated company that is a company that is at least either upstream or downstream in a supply chain; an emission unit memory unit that stores the emission unit for each associated company; an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires a first activity amount of the associated company related to a product used in the company's products; a company information acquisition unit that acquires the company's second emission amount and second activity amount related to the company's products; and an emission calculation unit that acquires the emission unit corresponding to the associated company from the emission unit memory unit, multiplies the acquired emission unit by the first activity amount of the associated company to calculate the first emission amount, and calculates the emission amount related to the product by apportioning the sum of the first and second emission amounts by the second activity amount.
[Item H7]
The information processing system according to item H6, wherein when the used product is also used in another product, the emission calculation unit calculates a third emission amount, which is the emission amount of the used product related to the product, by prorating the first emission amount in accordance with a ratio of the used product to the product, and calculates the emission amount related to the product by prorating a sum of the second and third emissions by the second activity amount.
[Item H8]
The information processing system according to item H7, wherein the emission calculation unit calculates the third emission amount when the used product is also used in other products, and calculates the first emission amount when the used product is not used in other products, and calculates the emission amount related to the product by apportioning the total value of the first to third emissions by the second activity amount.
[Item H9]
An information processing system comprising: an emission unit acquisition unit that acquires an emission unit for calculating greenhouse gas emissions calculated by an associated company that is a company that is at least either upstream or downstream in a supply chain from the system of the associated company; an emission unit memory unit that stores the emission unit for each associated company; and an output unit that outputs the emission unit for each associated company, wherein when the emission unit acquisition unit acquires the greenhouse gas emissions related to products used for one or more products of the company from the system of the associated company that provides the products used, the emission unit acquisition unit calculates the emission amount by product by apportioning the emission amount based on a predetermined standard, and divides the emission amount by product by the usage amount of the products used to calculate the emission unit corresponding to the associated company and the products used.
[Item H10]
An information processing system according to item H9, comprising: a company information acquisition unit that acquires the company's emissions and activity amount; an emission intensity calculation unit that calculates the company's emission intensity, which is the emission intensity of the company, based on the acquired company's emissions and activity amount; and a transmission unit that transmits the company's emission intensity to a system of the associated company.
[Item H11]
The information processing system according to item H9, further comprising an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires an activity amount of the related company from a system of the related company.

<<Activity estimation function (9th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to eighth functions is an embodiment of the ninth function, which will be described in detail below.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the ninth function will be described below. The information processing system of the ninth function is intended to manage the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by an emitter such as a company. This information processing system accepts the input of the amount of activity of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the emitter, and calculates the amount of emissions by multiplying it by an emission factor. This information processing system manages which emission factor should be used for which amount of activity, and allows the amount of emissions to be calculated simply by inputting the amount of activity. In addition, the information processing system of the ninth function is intended to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry and visualize the calculation results. In the construction industry, construction transactions generally proceed in the following order: (1) proposal/bidding → (2) order/contract → (3) design → (4) construction (construction) → (5) completion/delivery → (6) completion. (1) At the proposal/bidding stage, the business operator who undertakes the construction work always presents an estimate (hereinafter simply referred to as "estimate") for the construction work cost to the client who is the client or the business operator who is the prime contractor for the construction work. This estimate can also be used to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated during construction work. When using an estimate to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to classify the items listed on the estimate and assign an emission intensity unit to each classified item. There are various formats for estimates, and different formats are used by different businesses performing construction work (even the same business may use different formats for different departments). In addition, many estimated items are listed on the estimate. For this reason, there is a problem in that it takes a great deal of man-hours to classify the items listed on the estimate and to assign an emission intensity unit (CO2 emission coefficient) to each classified item. The information processing system of the ninth function is intended to solve such problems.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the ninth function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, vector information memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit, emission coefficient input unit), an estimation unit 270 (activity estimation unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission coefficient acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), an analysis unit 280 (aggregation unit), and an output unit 240 (activity specific information presentation unit, emission coefficient presentation unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission coefficient information). The emission coefficients may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or data obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product).

The emission coefficient storage unit can store emissions in association with activities. The emission coefficient storage unit can store information that identifies an activity (activity specification information), the scope of the activity, and an emission coefficient in association with each other. The emission coefficient storage unit can store activity specification information, the scope of the activity, the category of the activity, and an emission coefficient in association with each other. Note that the scope and category of the activity are assumed to be the scope and category of the GHG Protocol. Also, the category may be omitted.

The activity identification information can be in any format as long as it is information for identifying an activity. For example, if an ID (activity ID) that uniquely identifies an activity is set in the data input to the management server 200 (hereinafter referred to as imported data), the activity ID can be used as the activity identification information.

The vector information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information for identifying an activity. In this embodiment, the information for identifying an activity is vector information in which words are vectorized. The vector information storage unit stores the vector information and the activity identification information in association with each other.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of activity. The activity amount memory unit can store a company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), activity specification information, attribute information, and activity amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, year, month, date, or date and time range. The attribute information can be various items related to the activity (for example, any items such as a supplier of goods, related department, or person in charge).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store the company ID, time information, scope, category, and emission amount in association with each other. The scope and category can be the scope and category registered in the classification memory unit constituting the memory unit 230.

The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of the activity amount. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance transported by logistics (ton-kilometers), the amount of fuel consumed (liters), and the amount (yen). The amount includes material costs, transportation costs, labor costs, and the like. The activity amount input unit accepts input of time information and the activity amount from the user along with various attribute information related to the activity. The activity amount input unit may receive import data from the user terminal 100. The import data may be, for example, data exported from an ERP system or the like (export data), data converted from the export data, receipts and estimates obtained from an OCR, and the like. The import data may be, for example, CSV data, JSON data, or XML data. For example, in CSV data, it is known which item is which type of data, and the type of activity can be identified by what value is entered in which item of the CSV data in the activity identification information. Additionally, for JSON data, XML data, etc., the type of item of the set data may be tagged or set as an attribute.

After the estimate received from the business operator contracting the construction work is input by the input unit 220 (e.g., after reading it by OCR), the analysis unit 280 can analyze and classify the items (estimate items) (e.g., classifying them into items that are absolutely necessary for construction work, such as material costs, transportation costs, and labor costs). The analysis unit 280 can be an analysis unit using machine learning, and the items (estimate items) can be classified by machine learning. In addition, drawing data such as BIM/CIM at the design stage and estimates can be acquired by the acquisition unit 250 from the business operator contracting the construction work, and this drawing data and estimate data can be input by the input unit 220. The items may be scopes and/or categories.

The activity estimation unit constituting the estimation unit 270 identifies an activity based on items related to the amount of activity. The activity estimation unit estimates activity specification information by machine learning based on the items. In this embodiment, the activity estimation unit creates vector information by vectorizing the received items, refers to the vector information storage unit, selects vector information (first vector information) stored in the vector information storage unit according to the distance from the created vector information (second vector information), and can read out activity specification information corresponding to the selected first vector information from the vector information storage unit. The activity estimation unit can, for example, identify a predetermined number (which may be one) in order of the smallest distance between the first and second vector information. When the estimation unit 270 (activity estimation unit) estimates activity specification information, it can also estimate an emission coefficient corresponding to the activity specification information.

The emission coefficient acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires an emission coefficient related to an activity. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can read out an emission coefficient corresponding to the company ID and activity specification information from the emission coefficient storage unit. When the emission coefficient is managed by an external system, the emission coefficient acquisition unit may access the external system to acquire the emission coefficient.

The emission coefficient input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of an emission coefficient. The emission coefficient input unit identifies the company ID indicating the emission entity to which the user belongs (for example, it can accept the input of a company ID. In addition, the management server 200 has a user information storage unit that stores user information related to the user, and the company ID can be set in the user information and acquired from the user information storage unit), accepts input of activity specification information and an emission coefficient from the user, and registers the company ID, activity specification information, and emission coefficient in the emission coefficient storage unit. If an emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity amount related to the import data is not stored in the emission coefficient storage unit, the emission coefficient input unit can, for example, notify the user terminal 100 of that fact and accept the emission coefficient from the user terminal 100.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient and the amount of activity. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount for each piece of information received from the user (e.g., each record included in the import data). The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity-specific information identified based on the items related to the amount of activity.

If the units in which the activity amount is expressed match the units assumed by the emission factor (tCO2/unit), the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission factor. If the units do not match, the emission calculation unit can also calculate the emission amount after performing unit conversion.

The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission amount storage unit. The emission calculation unit can register the company ID, time information such as the current date or time, the scope and category of the calculated emission amount, and the calculated emission amount in the emission amount storage unit in association with each other.

The counting unit constituting the analysis unit 280 counts the emissions. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by scope. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by category. The scope and category corresponding to the company ID and activity specification information can be read from the distribution memory. Note that the counting may be performed by another functional unit such as the calculation unit 210, rather than the analysis unit 280.

The activity specific information presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the estimated activity specific information to the user. In detail, the management server 200 outputs the estimated activity specific information to the user terminal 100. In addition, the emission coefficient presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the estimated emission coefficient to the user. In detail, the management server 200 outputs information on the estimated emission coefficient to the user terminal 100. The information presented may be one or multiple. If there is only one estimated information, one piece of information is presented. If there is multiple estimated information, all information may be presented, or information on the top five (not limited to five) analysis scores based on the results of the analysis may be presented, or one piece of information with the highest analysis score based on the results of the analysis may be presented.

Figure 16 is a diagram explaining the process of identifying activities.

The management server 200 accepts activity amounts and items related to activity amounts from the outside (S1601). For example, it can accept uploads of CSV data from the user terminal 100, accept inputs into forms, and accept data such as acquired receipts and estimates by reading them using OCR. The management server 200 vectorizes the accepted items to create vector information (S1602), and identifies activity-specific information corresponding to the vector information stored in the vector information storage unit that is close to the vectorized vector information (one or more). When the management server 200 identifies multiple activity-specific information, it proposes (presents) the activity-specific information to the user through the output unit 240 (S1604). It may be configured to have the user select one of the multiple activity-specific information (or accept input of other activity-specific information). Furthermore, when multiple pieces of activity-specific information are identified, the management server 200 may propose (present) emission coefficients corresponding to the activity-specific information to the user through the output unit 240 and allow the user to select one (or accept input of other emission coefficients). The management server 200 reads the emission coefficient corresponding to the selected activity-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit (S1605), and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient (S1606). The management server 200 registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit (S1607). The management server 200 may also tally up and output the emission amounts registered in the emission storage unit (S1608).

Figure 17 is a diagram explaining the process of classifying activities.

The management server 200 receives activity amounts and items related to activity amounts from the outside (S1701). For example, it can receive CSV data uploaded from the user terminal 100, receive input into a form, and receive data such as acquired receipts and estimates by reading them using OCR. The management server 200 vectorizes the received items to create vector information (S1702), and identifies activity-specific information corresponding to the vector information (one or more) that is close to the vectorized vector information among the vector information stored in the vector information storage unit (S1703). The management server 200 also classifies items that are close to the vectorized vector information (S1704). For example, it can classify items into items such as material costs, transportation costs, and labor costs based on the contents described in the estimate.

When the management server 200 identifies multiple pieces of activity-specific information, it proposes (presents) the activity-specific information corresponding to the classified items to the user through the output unit 240 (S1705). The management server 200 may be configured to have the user select one of the multiple pieces of activity-specific information (or accept input of other activity-specific information). When the management server 200 identifies multiple pieces of activity-specific information, it may propose (present) emission coefficients corresponding to the activity-specific information to the user through the output unit 240 and have the user select one (or accept input of other emission coefficients). The management server 200 reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the selected activity-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit (S1706), and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient (S1707). The management server 200 registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit (S1708). The management server 200 may also be configured to tally up and output the emission amount registered in the emission storage unit (S1709). The management server 200 also analyzes and identifies items recommended for reduction from the amount of activity, and presents solutions (S1710). The function of providing solutions will be explained in Functions 10 to 15.

After classifying the items on the estimate, the management server 200 presents candidates for the emission unit values (CO2 emission coefficients) to be assigned. For example, when presenting candidates related to material costs, emission unit values (CO2 emission coefficients) corresponding to typical building materials used in construction work, such as steel frame, reinforcing bar, concrete, glass, and aluminum, are presented as candidates. Note that the type of emission unit value (CO2 emission coefficient) corresponding to the building material may be changed and presented depending on the type of building, and the priority order of the presented emission unit values (CO2 emission coefficients) may be changed.

In this way, activities can be estimated from data on activity levels, facilitating data entry. Furthermore, when calculating greenhouse gas emissions using estimates, the amount of work required to classify the items listed on the estimate and to assign emissions units to each classified item can be reduced. This makes it easier to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry.

In this embodiment, the activity is specified according to the distance of the vector information, but the vector information may be set as a prompt and given to a large-scale language model (LLM) to estimate the activity. Also, a learning model can be created by machine learning using the items as input data and the activity specification information as teacher data. In this case, the activity estimation unit can estimate the activity specification information by giving the accepted items to the learning model. Also, the output unit 240 can visualize the emission amount. Also, the analysis unit 280 can analyze and identify items recommended for reduction from the activity amount and propose a reduction solution. Also, in this embodiment, the activity estimation unit of the management server 200 estimates the activity specification information for items related to the activity amount that has been accepted as input, but by linking with an API provided by an external server or the like, the activity estimation unit of the management server 200 estimates the activity specification information and the emission coefficient based on information related to the item related to the activity amount managed by the external server (for example, the account items of the accounting data are registered in CSV data, etc.). In this way, even for data related to activities (e.g., account information) before it is entered into the information processing system, activities and emission coefficients can be estimated and the information can be easily organized.

The input unit 220, estimation unit 270, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, analysis unit 280, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The ninth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item I1 (P059)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emissions in association with activity specification information that specifies an activity that emits greenhouse gases, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of an activity amount related to the activity and an item related to the activity amount, an activity estimation unit that estimates the activity specification information by machine learning based on the item, and an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient corresponding to the estimated activity specification information. Item I1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information for specifying a position of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base specification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and specifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in association with the specified base in the activity amount storage unit.
[Item I2]
The information processing system according to item I1 includes a vector information storage unit that stores first vector information, which is obtained by vectorizing the items, and the activity specification information in association with each other, and the activity estimation unit vectorizes the received items to create second vector information, selects the first vector information according to a distance from the created second vector information, and reads out the activity specification information corresponding to the selected first vector information from the vector information storage unit.
[Item I3]
The information processing system according to item I2, wherein the activity estimation unit estimates the activity specification information by providing a prompt including the first and second vector information to a large-scale language model.
[Item I4]
An information processing system according to item I1, comprising a learning model storage unit that stores a learning model created by machine learning using the items and the activity specification information as training data, and the activity estimation unit provides the received items to the learning model to estimate the activity specification information.
[Item I5 (P066)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient memory unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating greenhouse gas emissions; an activity amount input unit that accepts input of an activity amount relating to an activity that emits greenhouse gases (e.g., an amount in an estimate) and an item related to the activity amount (e.g., an item in the estimate such as a material cost or transportation cost item); an estimation unit that estimates the emission coefficient using machine learning based on the item; and an emission coefficient presentation unit that presents the estimated emission coefficient.
[Item I6]
The information processing system according to item I5, further comprising a vector information storage unit that corresponds and stores first vector information that vectorizes the items and activity specification information that specifies the activities, wherein the estimation unit creates second vector information by vectorizing the received items, selects the first vector information according to a distance from the created second vector information, and estimates the emission coefficient corresponding to the selected first vector information.

<<Solution matching function (10th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to ninth functions is an embodiment of the tenth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, solutions that reduce carbon dioxide are being introduced. There is a problem in that it is difficult to grasp what solutions are available. The tenth function aims to provide a technology that can support the reduction of greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
An example of an information processing system relating to the tenth function, which provides solutions, will be described below using greenhouse gas emissions as an example. The information processing system of this example provides information (hereinafter referred to as solution information) on emission reduction means (also called solutions) to users who are emitters of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorocarbons, etc.). A solution provider registers the solution information, and users can view the solution information. Users can also contact the provider regarding the solution.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the tenth function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (solution storage unit, user information storage unit, emission amount information storage unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission amount information acquisition unit, performance acquisition unit), an analysis unit 280 (extraction unit), an output unit 240 (provision unit), an execution unit (solution unit) and a billing processing unit 290.

The solution storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores solution information. The solution storage unit can store solution information in association with provider identification information (provider ID) that identifies a provider that provides a reduction means. The solution information can include cost information for determining the cost of the reduction means and reduction information for determining the expected reduction amount of greenhouse gases when the reduction means is adopted. In this example, the solution information can include information for identifying the solution (solution ID), provider ID, solution name, solution description, price, reduction amount, and introduction conditions. The solution name is the name of the reduction means (solution). The solution description is a description of the solution, and can include, for example, text data, image data, audio data, etc. The price may be information for determining the amount related to the user's adoption of the solution. As the price, a unit price related to the provision unit of the solution may be set, or an estimated value of a standard introduction cost may be set. The price may be specified by a range such as a price range. The reduction amount may be information indicating the expected reduction amount of greenhouse gases by the introduction of the solution. The reduction amount may be set as a standard amount of greenhouse gases reduced per company when the solution is introduced, or as a standard value of the reduction amount per unit when the device is introduced, or may be a function that calculates the reduction amount according to various activity amounts. The introduction conditions may set conditions for the emitter that introduces the solution. The introduction conditions may specify, for example, the business or activity content or activity amount that is the target of the solution. The introduction conditions may also specify the scope and/or category to be reduced. The solution storage unit stores not only solution information for environmental information, but also solution information for social information and solution information for governance information.

The user information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as user information) about users (dischargers). The user information can include information (user ID) that identifies the user (or discharger), the name of the user (or discharger) (user name), information about the business conducted by the discharger (business information), and information about the equipment used in the business (equipment information). The user information storage unit stores not only user information about environmental information, but also user information about social information and user information about governance information.

The emission information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the emitter (hereinafter referred to as emission information). The emission information can include an aggregated value of the amount of emissions by the emitter. The emission information can include attributes of the emitter. The attributes of the emitter can include the emitter's business, number of employees, region, etc. The attributes of the emitter can also include accounting information such as sales, purchases, and labor costs. The emission information can include additional information related to the activity related to the emission. The additional information can include, for example, activity amount (actual value, aggregated value of actual value, forecast value, etc.). The additional information can also include information for estimating the activity amount. The information for estimating the activity amount can include, for example, floor area, roof area, number of products that can be produced, etc. In this embodiment, the emission information includes information identifying the emitter (e.g., company ID), activity amount, additional information, and emission amount. The emission amount and activity amount can be a specified aggregation period (e.g., year and month), and an aggregated value of the emission amount and activity amount for each scope and category related to the GHG protocol. The additional information may have different setting items depending on the emission entity. The emission information storage unit is the same as the emission storage unit for other functions.

The emission information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires emission information. The emission information acquisition unit can receive emission information from the user terminal 100. The emission information acquisition unit may be configured to access another system to acquire emission information. The management server 200 may also be equipped with an emission calculation unit that acquires, for example, the activity amount and emission coefficient related to the emitter and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the acquired activity amount and emission coefficient, and can also acquire various information used to calculate the emission amount, such as the emission amount and activity amount calculated by the emission calculation unit, as emission information. The acquisition unit 250 acquires not only emission information, but also information related to society and information related to governance.

The extraction unit constituting the analysis unit 280 acquires solution information that matches the emission amount information. The extraction unit can match the emission amount and additional information with the solution information. The extraction unit can extract user information of the emission entity and/or emission amount information that satisfies the introduction condition included in the solution information. The extraction unit can preferentially extract a predetermined number of scopes and categories in descending order of emission amount from the emission amount by scope and category included in the emission amount information, and can search for solution information in which the emission amount and/or corresponding additional information related to the scope and category satisfies the introduction condition, for example. The extraction unit can calculate the unit cost per unit reduction amount determined based on the reduction amount determined based on the reduction information and the cost determined by the cost information, and extract a predetermined number of solution information in descending order of unit cost from the solution information that matches the emission amount information. The extraction unit also extracts solution information that matches information on society and solution information that matches information on governance.

The provision unit that constitutes the output unit 240 can provide the extracted solution information to the user.

The performance acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires information indicating the solution adopted by the emitter and information including the amount of reduction achieved by the solution (hereinafter referred to as performance information). The management server 200 may be provided with a performance information storage unit that stores the performance information.

The billing processing unit constituting the execution unit (solution unit) 290 performs processing (billing) to charge the provider for using the system. The billing processing unit can bill the provider who provided the solution according to the amount of reduction included in the performance information. The billing processing unit may also bill the emitter that adopted the solution according to the amount of reduction included in the performance information. The billing processing unit may, for example, determine the billing amount so that it is higher when the amount of reduction is large. The billing processing unit may, for example, determine the billing amount so that it is lower when the amount of reduction is large. The execution unit 290 also processes solution information for information related to society and solution information for information related to governance.

Figure 18 is a diagram explaining the process of providing solution information. The management server 200 acquires solution information from the provider and registers it in the solution storage unit (S1801), and acquires emission information from the emission entity and registers it in the emission information storage unit (S1802). For each piece of emission information, the management server 200 extracts solution information that matches the emission amount (S1803), and provides the extracted solution information to the emission entity that is the provider of the emission information (S1804). The management server 200 acquires performance information (S1805), and can charge according to the reduction amount included in the performance information (S1806).

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can match solution information with the emitter (emissions amount information).

Conditions for solution information can be set in the emission information, and the management server 200 can narrow down the solution information that matches the emission information to only those that satisfy the emission information conditions.

The management server 200 can display a list of solution information on the user terminal 100. The management server 200 can display the list of solution information in the order in which it was registered.

The management server 200 can manage the solution information viewed by the user terminal 100, and can provide the solution information with a priority according to the number of views. For example, the management server 200 can display the solution information sorted in order of the number of views. The management server 200 can also transmit only a predetermined number of solution information to the user terminal 100 in order of the number of views.

The management server 200 can display a list of only a portion of the solution information on the user terminal 100, accept selection (tap or click) of solution information from the user terminal 100, and manage the selection of solution information. The management server 200 can provide solution information with a priority according to the number of selections. For example, the management server 200 can display the solution information sorted in order of the number of selections. Furthermore, the management server 200 can transmit only a predetermined number of solution information to the user terminal 100 in order of the number of selections.

The management server 200 can obtain and manage evaluations of solutions from users. For example, a list of evaluation values obtained from users and/or aggregate values (e.g., average values or total values) can be set in the solution information. The management server 200 can provide solution information with a priority according to the aggregate value of the evaluation values. For example, the management server 200 can display the solution information sorted in order of evaluation value. Furthermore, the management server 200 can transmit only a predetermined number of solution information to the user terminal 100 in order of evaluation value.

In addition, the management server 200 can provide solution information preferentially if an additional fee is paid by the provider.

The management server 200 may also include an application processing unit that accepts an application for a solution. The management server 200 may provide a reward to a user for the application for the solution.

In addition, when a contract for a solution is concluded, the management server 200 can charge the provider a specified percentage of the contract fee. In addition, the management server 200 can be equipped with a notification unit that notifies the user and/or the provider when a contract is concluded.

The acquisition unit 250, analysis unit 280, output unit 240, and execution unit (solution unit) 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The tenth function also includes the following configuration:
[Item J1 (P039)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires, from a user of an emission entity that emits greenhouse gases, information on the environment including emission information on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the emission entity, information on society, and information on governance, a solution storage unit that stores at least solution information on a means of reducing the greenhouse gases, an extraction unit that extracts the solution information that matches the emission information, and a provision unit that provides the extracted solution information to the user. Item J1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) of the emission entity of the greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emission entity for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a mobile terminal of a user, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item J2]
An information processing system according to item J1, characterized in that conditions for the releasing entity are set in the solution information, and the extraction unit extracts the releasing entity that satisfies the conditions included in the solution information.
[Item J3]
An information processing system according to item J2, characterized in that the emission information is accompanied by additional information relating to activities related to the emission amount, and the extraction unit matches the emission amount and the additional information with the solution information.
[Item J4]
An information processing system according to item J1, characterized in that the emission information includes the greenhouse gas emissions aggregated for each scope and category related to a GHG protocol, and the extraction unit preferentially extracts the solution information corresponding to the scope and the category in which the emissions are large.
[Item J5]
An information processing system according to item J1, wherein the solution information includes cost information for determining the cost of the reduction means and reduction information for determining an expected amount of reduction of the greenhouse gas when the reduction means is adopted, and the extraction unit calculates a unit cost per unit reduction amount determined based on the reduction amount determined based on the reduction information and the cost determined by the cost information, and extracts a predetermined number of the solution information that matches the emission information in order of the unit cost.
[Item J6]
An information processing system according to item J1, characterized in that the solution information includes an expected reduction amount, and a predetermined number of the solution information is extracted according to the reduction amount.
[Item J7]
An information processing system according to item J1, characterized in that it comprises: a performance acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the solution adopted by the emission entity and the amount of reduction achieved by the solution; and a billing processing unit that charges the provider in accordance with the amount of reduction.
[Item J8]
an emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information regarding greenhouse gas emissions from an emission entity that emits greenhouse gases; a solution storage unit that stores solution information including cost information for determining the cost of greenhouse gas reduction measures and reduction information for determining an expected amount of greenhouse gas reduction when the reduction measures are adopted; an extraction unit that extracts a predetermined number of solution information from the solution information that matches the emission information in order of unit cost per unit reduction amount that is determined based on the reduction amount and the cost; and a provision unit that provides the extracted solution information to the emission entity.
[Item J9 (P039)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires X information from a user; a solution storage unit that stores at least solution information related to a reduction means of the X information; an extraction unit that extracts solution information that matches the X information; and a provision unit that provides the extracted solution information to the user.

<<Solution matching function (11th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to tenth functions is an embodiment of the eleventh function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, solutions for reducing carbon dioxide are being introduced. There is a problem that it is difficult to grasp what carbon dioxide reduction solutions are available. The eleventh function aims to provide a technology that can easily grasp reduction solutions for greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and support the reduction of greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the eleventh function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment provides information (hereinafter referred to as solution information) on emission reduction means (also called solutions) to users who are emitters of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorocarbons, etc.). A provider registers solution information for a solution, and users can view the solution information. Users can also contact the provider regarding the solution.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the eleventh function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (solution storage unit, user information storage unit), an output unit 240 (provision unit, user information transmission unit), an input unit 220, an analysis unit 280 (search unit), an execution unit (solution unit) and a billing processing unit 290.

The solution storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores solution information. The solution storage unit can store solution information in association with provider identification information (provider ID) that identifies a provider that provides a reduction means. In this embodiment, the solution information can include information for identifying the solution (solution ID), provider ID, solution name, solution description, price, reduction amount, and introduction conditions. The solution name is the name of the reduction means (solution). The solution description is a description of the solution, and can include, for example, text data, image data, and voice data. The price can be information for determining the amount involved when a user adopts the solution. As the price, a unit price related to the provision unit of the solution may be set, or an estimated value of a standard introduction cost may be set. The price may be specified by a range such as a price range. The reduction amount can be information indicating the amount of greenhouse gas reduction expected by introducing the solution. As the reduction amount, a standard amount of greenhouse gas reduced per company when the solution is introduced may be set, or a standard value of the reduction amount per unit when the device is introduced may be set, or a function that calculates the reduction amount according to various activity amounts. The introduction conditions can be set for the waste producers who will be introducing the solution. For example, the introduction conditions can specify the business or activity that will be the target of the solution, as well as the amount of activity.

The user information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information about users (dischargers) (hereinafter referred to as user information). The user information can include information identifying the user (or discharger) (user ID), the name of the user (or discharger) (user name), information about the business conducted by the discharger (business information), information about the equipment used in the business (equipment information), and the like.

<Functional department>
The providing unit constituting the output unit 240 provides solution information to a user. The providing unit can provide the solution information in response to a request from the user terminal 100. The providing unit can, for example, read out all or part of the solution information stored in the solution storage unit and transmit it to the user terminal 100. The providing unit can, for example, create screen information (which can be described, for example, in HTML) for depicting the solution name, solution description, price, reduction amount, and the like of the solution information, and transmit the screen information to the user terminal 100. For example, when the management server 200 calculates or manages the emission amount of the emission subject, the providing unit may display the solution information together with the output of the emission amount.

The input unit 220 can accept input of solution-specific information (e.g., a solution ID) that identifies solution information from the user. The providing unit can read out the solution information indicated by the accepted solution ID from the solution storage unit and transmit it to the user terminal 100. For example, the providing unit can display a list of solution names, the input unit 220 can accept the specification of a solution from the list, and the providing unit can provide solution information related to the specified solution. The input unit 220 can accept input of solution-related keywords from the user.

The search unit constituting the analysis unit 280 searches for solution information. The search unit can search the solution storage unit for solution information that matches the keywords received by the input unit 220. The search unit can search for solution information in which the keywords are included in the solution name, solution description, implementation conditions, etc., for example. The search unit can provide the search results to the user (for example, send them to the user terminal 100).

The user information transmission unit constituting the output unit 240 provides user information to a provider. The user information transmission unit can provide user information of the user to the provider of a solution specified by the user. For example, when the user information transmission unit receives a solution ID from the user terminal 100, it can obtain solution information corresponding to the received solution ID from the solution storage unit and transmit the user information corresponding to the user to the provider indicated by the provider ID included in the obtained solution information. The destination of the user information can be, for example, the management server 200, which is provided with a provider information storage unit and can manage the provider's contact information (such as an email address or a message destination address) in association with the provider ID.

The billing processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 can perform processing to bill the provider that provided the user information for a referral fee. The billing processing unit can also perform processing to bill the provider identified by the provider identification information corresponding to the solution information stored in the solution storage unit for a listing fee.

<Operation>
FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the process of providing solution information. The management server 200 reads out all or part of the solution information from the solution storage unit, and transmits a list of solutions based on the read solution information to the user terminal 100 (S1901). The management server 200 can read out only solution information whose introduction conditions included in the solution information are satisfied by the user information corresponding to the accessing user. The list of solutions can include, for example, a list of solution IDs and solution names. In addition, the list of solutions can also include a part of the solution description corresponding to the solution name. In addition, the list of solutions can include a price corresponding to the solution name. The list of solutions can include a reduction amount corresponding to the solution name. The list of solutions can be provided by sorting, for example, in order of price (e.g., from lowest to highest). The list of solutions can be provided by sorting, for example, in order of reduction amount (e.g., from highest to lowest).

The management server 200 determines whether or not a keyword has been received from the user terminal 100 (S1902), and if so (S1902: YES), it can search the solution storage unit for solution information that matches the keyword and send a list of solutions based on the searched solution information to the user terminal 100 (S1903). On the other hand, if the management server 200 has not received a keyword from the user terminal 100 in S1902 (NO), it transitions to S1904.

The management server 200 determines whether or not a solution specification (e.g., a solution ID) has been accepted from the user terminal 100 (S1904), and if so (S1904: YES), it reads solution information corresponding to the specified solution ID from the solution storage unit (S1905), reads user information corresponding to the user of the user terminal 100 from the user information storage unit, and can provide the read user information to the provider indicated by the provider ID included in the solution information (S1906). On the other hand, if the management server 200 has not accepted a solution specification from the user terminal 100 in S1904 (NO), it terminates this process.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can inform users of the solutions offered by providers.

The management server 200 can visualize the amount of emissions by each emitter. For example, the management server 200 can acquire the amount of activity and the emission factor, and calculate the amount of emissions by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission factor. The management server 200 can tally up the calculated emissions, for example, by scope and category defined in the GHG Protocol, create screen information for displaying the tally results, and send it to the user terminal 100. The management server 200 can create screen information to display a list of solutions together with the tally results.

In addition, the operator can analyze the results of the emissions calculation as described above, and input the designation of the solution (multiple solutions are possible) that is deemed appropriate for reducing these emissions into the management server 200, and the solution information selected by the operator can be transmitted to the user terminal 100.

The solution information may include the posting date. The management server 200 can sort the list of solutions in order of the posting date. The solution information may also include the last update date and time. The management server 200 can prioritize inclusion in the list of solutions where the last update date and time is within a specified period.

The management server 200 can include in the solution information the number of views by users of the solution information. For example, when the management server 200 transmits a list of solutions to the user terminal 100, it can increment the number of views included in the solution information related to the solution included in the list. For example, when a solution is specified by a user, the management server 200 can increment the number of views of the solution information corresponding to the specified solution. The management server 200 can create a solution list by reading out a predetermined number of solution information in order of most or least number of views. For example, it may display something like "Currently viewed by XX users." The management server 200 may include the number of views of the solution information in the solution list.

The management server 200 may be configured to manage the number of applications for a solution. When an application for a solution is accepted, the management server 200 may be configured to transmit user information to the provider. The management server 200 may also be provided with an application history storage unit that stores the application history of the solution (information that associates the solution ID, the user ID, and the application date and time). The management server 200 may count the number of application histories corresponding to the solution for a specified period (e.g., the past month), calculate the number of applications, and include the number of applications in the list of solutions.

The management server 200 may be configured to manage word-of-mouth evaluations of solutions. The management server 200 is configured to receive word-of-mouth evaluations (scores, likes, etc.) of solution information viewed from the user terminal 100, and to store the received word-of-mouth evaluations. The management server 200 may preferentially present solutions with good word-of-mouth evaluations to the user. For example, a list of solutions may be created in order of the aggregated word-of-mouth evaluation values. The management server 200 may also allow the user to specify multiple (or even two) pieces of solution information, and display the specified solution information for comparison.

The management server 200 may manage the user's past browsing history and output all the solutions stored as the browsing history or application history.

The conditions for introducing solution information can be set to specify the industry and location. In this case, solutions that suit the user's industry and location can be presented to the user.

The management server 200 can manage multiple companies with capital ties. The management server 200 can identify providers with capital ties to the user, extract solution information related to the identified providers, and provide it to the user. Alternatively, the solution information of providers with capital ties to the user may be displayed in a subordinated manner.

The solution information may include a designation of how the solution information is to be displayed. The management server 200 may preferentially display solution information related to providers who are willing to pay an additional fee. The management server 200 may provide a reward to a user who applies for a solution via the management server 200. When a solution contract is concluded between a user and a provider, the management server 200 may perform a process of charging the provider a predetermined percentage of the contract amount. When a solution contract is concluded between a user and a provider, the management server 200 may transmit a message indicating this to the operator of the information processing system.

The output unit 240, the input unit 220, the analysis unit 280, the output unit 240, and the execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The eleventh function also includes the following configuration.
[Item K1 (P037)]
An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores solution information related to greenhouse gas reduction means; and a provision unit that provides the solution information to an emitter that emits the greenhouse gas. Item K1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a position of the base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) of the greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit that receives input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item K2]
An information processing system according to item K1, comprising: an input unit that accepts input of keywords from the outputting entity; and a search unit that searches the memory unit for solution information that matches the keywords and provides the outputting entity with the search results.
[Item K3]
An information processing system according to item K1, characterized in that the memory unit stores the solution information in association with provider identification information that identifies a provider that provides the reduction means, and includes an input unit that accepts input of solution identification information that identifies the solution information from the discharge entity, and a user information transmission unit that acquires from the memory unit the provider identification information corresponding to the solution information identified by the solution identification information, and transmits information regarding the discharge entity to the provider identified by the acquired provider identification information.
[Item K4]
An information processing system according to item K3, further comprising a billing processing unit for performing processing to bill the provider that transmitted the information regarding the waste discharge subject for a referral fee.
[Item K5]
An information processing system according to item K1, characterized in that the memory unit stores the solution information in association with provider identification information that identifies a provider that provides the reduction means, and the information processing system is provided with a billing processing unit that performs processing to bill the provider identified by the provider identification information that corresponds to the solution information stored in the memory unit for a listing fee.
[Item K6 (P037)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores solution information related to a reduction means of the X information; and a providing unit that provides the solution information to a business entity of the X information.

<<Solution matching function (12th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to eleventh functions is an embodiment of the twelfth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, solutions that reduce carbon dioxide are being introduced. There is a problem in that it is difficult to grasp what solutions are available. The twelfth function aims to provide a technology that can support the reduction of greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the twelfth function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment provides information (hereinafter referred to as solution information) on emission reduction means (also called solutions) to users who are emitters of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorocarbons, etc.). The users register information on the emissions of the emitters, and a solution provider proposes solution information suitable for the emitters and provides it to the users.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the twelfth function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emissions amount information memory unit, destination memory unit, performance information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emissions amount information acquisition unit, solution information acquisition unit, execution information acquisition unit, advice acquisition unit), an output unit 240 (emissions amount information provision unit, solution information provision unit, execution information provision unit, advice provision unit), a calculation unit 210 (reduction amount calculation unit), and an execution unit (solution unit) 290 (billing processing unit).

The emission information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the emitter (hereinafter referred to as emission information). The emission information can include an aggregated value of the amount of emissions by the emitter. The emission information can include attributes of the emitter. The attributes of the emitter can include the emitter's business, number of employees, region, etc. The attributes of the emitter can also include accounting information such as sales, purchases, and labor costs. The emission information can include additional information related to the activity related to the emission. The additional information can include, for example, activity amount (actual value, aggregated value of actual value, forecast value, etc.). The additional information can also include information for estimating the activity amount. The information for estimating the activity amount can include, for example, floor area, roof area, number of products that can be produced, etc. In this embodiment, the emission information includes information identifying the emitter (e.g., company ID), activity amount, additional information, and emission amount. The emission amount and activity amount can be a specified aggregation period (e.g., year and month), and an aggregated value of the emission amount and activity amount for each scope and category related to the GHG protocol. The additional information may have different settings depending on the emitter.

The destination memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including information identifying a provider capable of providing emissions information for each emitter (hereinafter referred to as destination information). The destination information can include information identifying the emitter (e.g., a company ID) and information identifying the provider (e.g., a provider ID). It is also possible to specify a different disclosure range for each destination information and destination. For example, the destination information can include a provider ID identifying the destination provider and the disclosure range of emissions information for that provider ID in association with each other.

The performance information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information including greenhouse gas emissions for each emitter (hereinafter referred to as performance information). The performance information can include information identifying the emitter (e.g., a company ID) and the performance value of the greenhouse gas emissions. The performance value can be the aggregate value of the emissions for a specified aggregation period (e.g., year and month) and for each scope related to the GHG Protocol (scope and category for Scope 3).

<Functional department>
The emission information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires emission information. The emission information acquisition unit can receive emission information from the user terminal 100. The emission information acquisition unit may acquire emission information by accessing another system. The management server 200 may include an emission calculation unit that acquires, for example, an activity amount and an emission coefficient related to an emission subject, and calculates an emission amount by multiplying the acquired activity amount and emission coefficient, and may acquire various information used in calculating an emission amount, such as the emission amount and activity amount calculated by the emission calculation unit, as emission information.

The emission information acquisition unit can acquire emission information relating to emissions before the implementation of greenhouse gas reduction measures (hereinafter referred to as pre-implementation emissions) and register it in the emission storage unit, and acquire emission information relating to emissions after the implementation of the reduction measures (hereinafter referred to as post-implementation emissions) and register performance information including the acquired emissions in the performance information storage unit.

The emission amount information providing unit constituting the output unit 240 provides the emission amount information to the provider. The emission amount information providing unit may provide the emission amount information to all providers, or may provide the emission amount information according to the provider that sent the request. Also, the emission entity side may be able to control the destination to which the emission amount information is provided. When destination information corresponding to the company ID included in the emission amount information is registered in the destination storage unit, the emission amount information providing unit may provide the emission amount only to the provider specified in the destination information. Also, when a disclosure range is specified in the emission amount information, the emission amount information providing unit may provide only the disclosure range of the emission amount information.

The solution information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires information on reduction measures (hereinafter referred to as solution information) from the provider. The solution information may include cost information for determining the cost of the reduction measures, and reduction information for determining the amount of greenhouse gas reduction expected when the reduction measures are adopted. The solution information may also include, for example, the name, description, and implementation method of the reduction measures, and information identifying the types of greenhouse gases that can be reduced.

The solution information providing unit constituting the output unit 240 can provide the solution information to the user (transmit it to the user terminal 100). The solution information providing unit may transmit the acquired solution information to the user terminal 100 each time the solution information providing unit acquires the solution information, or the management server 200 may be provided with a solution information storage unit that stores the solution information acquired during a predetermined period for each issuing entity (e.g., company ID), and one or more pieces of solution information stored in the solution information storage unit may be provided.

In addition, when providing multiple solution information for one waste generator, the solution information providing unit can provide the solution information in a priority order according to the reduction information included in the solution information. For example, the solution information providing unit can provide a list of solution information sorted in order of reduction amount (e.g., largest to smallest) determined based on the reduction information. The solution information providing unit may also provide only a predetermined number of solution information in order of the determined reduction amount. The solution information providing unit can provide a list of solution information sorted in order of cost (e.g., lowest to largest) determined by the cost information. The solution information providing unit can calculate the unit cost per unit reduction amount from the reduction amount based on the reduction information and the cost based on the cost information, and can provide solution information with this unit cost attached, provide solution information sorted in order of unit cost (e.g., lowest to largest), or provide only a predetermined number of solution information in order of unit cost.

The execution information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires execution information indicating the execution status of the reduction measures by the emitter. The execution information can include information for identifying the emitter (e.g., a company ID) and information for identifying the reduction amount (actual value and/or predicted value). In this embodiment, the execution information is actual information, and the reduction amount is calculated based on actual information at multiple points in time.

The execution information providing unit constituting the output unit 240 can provide the execution information to the provider of the reduction means. The execution information providing unit can, for example, transmit the execution information to the user terminal 100 of the provider. In this embodiment, performance information before and after execution of the reduction means is provided as the execution information. When destination information is registered in the destination storage unit, the execution information providing unit can transmit the execution information (performance information) only to the provider specified in the destination information.

The advice acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 can acquire advice corresponding to the execution information from the provider. The advice acquisition unit can receive, for example, advice information for the execution information from the provider's user terminal 100. The advice information can include, for example, text data, image data, etc.

The advice providing unit that constitutes the output unit 240 can transmit advice information to the user who is the emitter.

The reduction amount calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 estimates the amount of greenhouse gas reduction resulting from the adoption of the solution, based on the pre-implementation emissions and post-implementation emissions stored in the performance information storage unit. The reduction amount calculation unit can calculate an estimated value of the reduction amount by subtracting the pre-implementation emissions from the post-implementation emissions. The reduction amount calculation unit can also provide the estimated value of the reduction amount to the provider and/or the user. The advice acquisition unit can obtain advice information about this reduction amount from the provider's user terminal 100, and transmit it to the user terminal 100 of the user who is the emitter.

The billing processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 can perform processing (billing) to charge the provider for the use of the system. The billing processing unit can charge the provider according to the amount of reduction. For example, the billing processing unit may periodically charge a registration fee to providers that can receive emission amount information.

<Operation>
20 is a diagram for explaining the process of providing solution information. The management server 200 receives destination information from the user terminal 100 and registers it in the destination storage unit (S2001). The management server 200 receives emission amount information from the user terminal 100 (S2002). The management server 200 can store the emission amount information in the memory 202 or the storage device 203 for a predetermined period of time.

The management server 200 determines whether the destination information corresponding to the company ID indicating the user's emission entity is registered in the destination storage unit (S2003), and if it is registered (S2003: YES), transmits the emission information only to the provider specified in the destination information (S2004). If the destination information has a disclosure range set, the management server 200 can provide only the emission amount included in the disclosure range. On the other hand, if the destination information is not registered in the destination storage unit in S2003 (NO), the management server 200 transmits the emission information to all or some of the providers (S2005). Next, the management server 200 accepts input of solution information from the provider who provided the emission information (S2006), and transmits the accepted solution information to the user terminal 100 (S2007).

In this way, the greenhouse gas emission status of the emitters can be provided to the provider, and the provider can provide solution information regarding reduction measures to the emitter users.

Figure 21 is a diagram explaining the process of managing the execution status of the reduction means. The management server 200 acquires performance information before and after the execution of the reduction means from the user terminal 100 and registers it in the performance information storage unit (S2101). It is also possible to acquire information from the user terminal 100 when the reduction means is executed. The management server 200 provides the performance information before and after the execution to the provider specified in the destination information (S2102). The management server 200 receives advice information from the user terminal 100 of the provider that provided the execution information (S2103), and transmits the received advice information to the user terminal 100 of the user who is the emission subject (S2104). The management server 200 can also estimate the reduction destination by the solution based on the performance information before and after the execution of the reduction means, for example, by subtracting the emission amount after the execution from the emission amount before the execution (S2105). The management server 200 can transmit the estimated reduction amount to the user and/or the provider specified in the destination information (S2106).

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can provide emission information regarding the emission amount of the emitter to the provider, and can also obtain information regarding reduction methods (solutions) for reducing the emissions from the provider and transmit the information to the user terminal 100.

In the above embodiment, the destination storage unit manages providers that can provide emission amount information, but it may also manage providers that are prohibited from providing emission amounts. In this case, the emission amount information providing unit and the execution information providing unit can prevent the emission amount information and performance information from being provided to the provider identified by the destination information.

<User visualization data display method>
The management server 200 can also display new solution information preferentially on the user terminal 100. The management server 200 may also display updated solution information preferentially. The management server 200 can change the priority of emission information and/or solution information according to the industry, location, capital structure, listing classification, etc. of the emitter and/or provider. The management server 200 can also display solution information of a provider that has a capital relationship with the emitter preferentially. The management server 200 can also cause the provider to register solution information, match the solution information with the emission information, and provide the provider with emission information that matches the solution preferentially. The management server 200 can display the emission subject's reduction target and its performance correspondingly. The management server 200 can also receive the designation of the scope and/or category that the emitter desires to reduce from among the emission information, and highlight items related to the scope and/or category that the emitter desires to reduce for the provider. The management server 200 can also highlight the category that the user wishes to reduce on the user terminal 100 of the provider. The management server 200 can also include a provision history storage unit that stores the provision history of the emission amount information, and can enable the user to view the provision history. The management server 200 can also manage the fact that the provider has given a "like" to the emission entity, and provide the emission amount information only to the provider that has given the "like". The management server 200 can also include a specification of the type of business or type of solution of the provider that the user wishes to provide to the user, and can provide only solution information related to providers and solutions that match the user's wishes in the provision destination information.

<Screening of visualized data by providers>
Furthermore, the management server 200 can narrow down the emission information to those matching the conditions such as the industry, location, capital structure, listing classification, and financial information of the emitter, in response to a designation from the provider. Furthermore, the management server 200 can include a type in the emission information, accept a designation of the type from the provider, and provide emission information corresponding to the accepted type. Furthermore, the management server 200 can narrow down the emission information according to the user's registration date or the registration or update date of the emission information in response to a designation from the provider. Furthermore, the management server 200 can accept a designation of a keyword from the provider, and search for emission information matching the accepted keyword.

<Solution proposals by providers>
Furthermore, when the management server 200 receives a request from the user terminal 100 requesting a solution proposal, the management server 200 can set a tag indicating that the provider desires a solution proposal in the emission amount information. The management server 200 can display emission amount information according to the tag to the provider. The management server 200 may also be provided with a function for transmitting and receiving messages between users, and may transmit and receive direct messages between the provider and the user. In this case, the management server 200 can set an upper limit on the number of times direct messages can be sent, and the upper limit may be increased when a fee is charged. The management server 200 may also prevent the provider from viewing all of the emission amount information, and an operator of the management server 200 may mediate communication with the provider and/or the user. The management server 200 may also be provided with a function for adding proposals such as discounts and additional services to the solution information and transmitting the proposals to the user terminal 100. In this case, the proposals can be designated and received from the user terminal 100 of the provider. Furthermore, the management server 200 may include an evaluation value storage unit that receives an input of an evaluation value of a solution and/or a provider from a user and stores an evaluation value for each solution and/or provider. The management server 200 may aggregate the evaluation values and attach the aggregated evaluation values to the solution information. Furthermore, the management server 200 may include an evaluation value storage unit that receives an input of a user's evaluation value from a provider and stores an evaluation value for each user. The management server 200 may aggregate the evaluation values of a solution and/or a provider and attach the aggregated evaluation values to the solution information.

<Display the number of people viewing the visualized data to the user.>
Furthermore, the management server 200 can provide the user with information on the number of pieces of emission amount information provided to the provider, along with information on the status of viewing, such as "Provider X has viewed your company's data."

The output unit 240, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The twelfth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item L1 (P038)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission information acquisition unit that acquires, from a user of an emission entity that emits greenhouse gas, emission information related to the emission amount of the emission entity, an emission information provision unit that provides the emission information to a provider that provides a means for reducing the greenhouse gas, a solution information acquisition unit that acquires solution information related to the reduction means from the provider, and a solution information provision unit that provides the solution information to the user. Item L1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) of the emission entity of the greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount of the emission entity for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a mobile terminal of a user, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item L2]
An information processing system according to item L1, comprising a destination memory unit that manages information identifying the provider that provides the emission information in correspondence with the emission entity, and the emission information providing unit refers to the destination memory unit to obtain the provider that corresponds to the emission entity that is the source of the emission information, and provides the emission information to the obtained provider.
[Item L3]
Item L1. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the emission amount information includes additional information related to an activity related to the emission amount.
[Item L4]
An information processing system according to item L3, comprising a destination memory unit that manages information identifying the provider that provides the emission information in correspondence with the emission entity, and the emission information providing unit provides the emission amount to the provider identified by referring to the destination memory unit.
[Item L5]
An information processing system according to item L1, characterized in that it comprises an execution information acquisition unit that acquires execution information indicating the execution status of the reduction means by the emission entity, and an execution information providing unit that provides the execution information to the provider of the reduction means.
[Item L6]
An information processing system according to item L5, comprising: an advice acquisition unit that receives advice information regarding the execution information from the provider; and an advice providing unit that transmits the advice information to the user of the emission subject.
[Item L7]
The information processing system described in item L1 includes an actual information storage unit that stores the emissions, the emission information acquisition unit acquires emission information regarding a first amount of emissions before the reduction means is implemented, and the emission information acquisition unit acquires emission information regarding a second amount of emissions after the reduction means is implemented, the information processing system including a reduction amount calculation unit that calculates a reduction amount of the greenhouse gas based on the first and second amounts of emissions, and a billing processing unit that charges the provider according to the reduction amount.
[Item L7-2]
an emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information regarding greenhouse gas emissions from an emission entity that emits greenhouse gas; an emission information provision unit that provides the emission information to a provider that provides a means for reducing the greenhouse gas; a solution information acquisition unit that acquires solution information regarding the reduction means from the provider; a solution information provision unit that provides the solution information to the emission entity; a reduction amount calculation unit that calculates a reduction amount of the greenhouse gas based on a first emission amount before implementing the reduction means and a second emission amount after implementing the reduction means; and a billing processing unit that charges the provider in accordance with the reduction amount.
[Item L8]
An information processing system according to item L1, characterized in that the solution information includes cost information for determining the cost of the reduction means and reduction information for determining an amount of greenhouse gas reduction expected when the reduction means is adopted, and the solution information providing unit calculates a unit cost per unit reduction amount determined based on the reduction amount determined based on the reduction information and the cost determined by the cost information, and proposes the solution information in order of the unit cost.
[Item L9 (P038)]
When X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours) is the target, it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires X information from a user; an information provision unit that provides the X information to a provider that provides a means of reducing the X information; a solution information acquisition unit that acquires solution information related to the reduction means from the provider; and a solution information provision unit that provides the solution information to the user.

<<Solution matching function (13th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to twelfth functions is an embodiment of the thirteenth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, waste treatment is evaluated. There is a problem that it is difficult to grasp what kind of recycled materials can be procured from waste. The thirteenth function aims to provide information on recycled materials.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the thirteenth function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment is intended to match an entity (hereinafter referred to as a provider) that provides recycled materials (materials that are collected from used products or waste from manufacturing processes and processed so that they can be used as materials or raw materials for new products) with an entity that intends to procure recycled materials (for example, manufacturers of products, parts, materials, raw materials, etc., and retailers of materials; hereinafter referred to as a procurement entity). In the information processing system of this embodiment, the provider registers information about recycled materials (hereinafter referred to as recycled material information), and a user of the procurement entity can obtain the registered recycled material information and consider procuring it.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the thirteenth function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (recycled material information memory unit, user information memory unit), an output unit 240 (provision unit, user information transmission unit), an input unit 220, an analysis unit 280 (search unit), an execution unit (solution unit) and a billing processing unit 290.

The recycled material information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores recycled material information. The recycled material information storage unit can store recycled material information in association with provider identification information (provider ID) that identifies the provider providing the recycled material. In this embodiment, the recycled material information can include the type of recycled material, information indicating the specific recycled material provided by the provider indicated by the provider ID (recycled material ID), provider ID, recycled material name), description of the recycled material, quality, process, price, implementation record, environmental index, supplyability, circularity index, etc.

The type of recycled material may be, for example, plastic, glass, or iron. The recycled material name is the name of the recycled material. The description is an explanation of the recycled material, and may include, for example, text data, image data, or audio data. The quality may include, for example, information indicating the composition and durability of the recycled material. The process may be information indicating the process of recycling the recycled material. The price may be information for determining the amount involved when the user adopts the recycled material. The price may be set as a unit price for the unit of recycled material provided, or may be set as an estimate of the standard implementation cost. The price may be specified by a range such as a price band. The implementation record is information regarding the recipients of the recycled material, and may be free description using, for example, text information or images.

Environmental indicators are values that express the burden related to various environmental issues. Environmental indicators include, for example, (1) greenhouse gas emission indicators related to climate change (CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, CFC emissions, etc.), (2) ozone-depleting substance (ODP) consumption indexes related to ozone layer destruction (CFC and halon consumption, etc.), (3) nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to the hydrosphere and soil, and nutrient balance (fertilizer consumption and nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock, etc.) related to eutrophication, (4) acidification substance emission indicators related to acidification (NOx, SOx emissions, etc.), (5) heavy metal emissions and organic compound emissions (pesticides consumption, etc.) related to hazardous substance status, (6) SOx, NOx, and VOC emissions in urban areas related to urban environmental quality (urban traffic density, urban vehicle ownership, urbanization degree (urban population growth rate, urban land use), etc.), (7) alteration of biological habitats from their natural state and land conversion related to biodiversity (road network density, soil cover change, etc.), and (8) landscape (9) waste generation (domestic waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste, nuclear waste) (e.g., hazardous waste movement), (10) water resource utilization intensity (extraction fee/available resource amount), (11) forest resource utilization intensity (actual harvesting amount/production capacity), (12) fishery resource utilization volume, (13) soil degradation (erosion/desertification) erosion risk: potential and actual land utilization for agriculture (land use change), (14) material resource utilization intensity, (15) socio-economic sectoral and general indicators (not limited to specific environmental issues), such as population growth rate/density, GDP growth rate and composition, private and government final consumption expenditure, industrial production, energy supply composition, road traffic volume, vehicle ownership, agricultural production, etc. Supplyability can be the amount of recycled material available from the provider (annual or monthly supply amount). Supplyability can also include information indicating the availability of a supply quantity (this can be an explanation in the form of text, etc.), as well as information indicating alternative materials to the recycled material, etc.

Circularity indicators are indicators that show a company's circularity, and can be, for example, CTIs (Circular Transition Indicators).

The user information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information about the user (hereinafter referred to as user information). The user information can include information (user ID) that identifies the user (or procurement entity or provider), the name of the user (user name), information about the products made by the procurement entity or provider (product information), and information about the materials used in the manufacture of the products (material information).

<Functional department>
The providing unit constituting the output unit 240 provides recycled material information to a user. The providing unit can provide recycled material information in response to a request from the user terminal 100. The providing unit can, for example, read out all or part of the recycled material information stored in the recycled material information storage unit and transmit it to the user terminal 100. The providing unit can, for example, create screen information (which can be written, for example, in HTML, etc.) for depicting the recycled material name, description, price, quality, process, implementation record, environmental index, supplyability, circularity index, and the like of the recycled material information, and transmit the screen information to the user terminal 100.

The input unit 220 can accept input of recycled material identification information (e.g., recycled material ID or recycled material name) that identifies recycled material information from the user. The providing unit can read out recycled material information identified by the accepted recycled material identification information from the recycled material information storage unit and transmit it to the user terminal 100. For example, the providing unit may display a list of recycled material names, the input unit 220 may accept the specification of a recycled material from the list, and the providing unit may provide recycled material information related to the specified recycled material. The input unit 220 can accept input of keywords related to the recycled material from the user. The input unit 220 can also accept input of numerical values or numerical ranges. The input unit 220 may accept a combination of keywords, numerical values, numerical ranges, etc.

The search unit constituting the analysis unit 280 can search for recycled material information. The search unit can search the recycled material information storage unit for recycled material information that matches the keywords received by the input unit 220. The search unit can search for recycled material information in which the keywords are included in the recycled material name, description, quality, process, implementation record, etc., for example. The search unit can also search for recycled material information that matches a numerical value. The search unit can also search for recycled material information in which the supply amount included in the supply property matches the input numerical value, is within a predetermined range from the input numerical value, or is within the input numerical value range, for example. The search unit can also search for recycled material information that matches the keywords and also matches the numerical value. The search unit can provide the search results to the user (for example, transmit them to the user terminal 100).

The user information transmission unit constituting the output unit 240 provides user information to a provider. The user information transmission unit can provide user information of the user to a provider of recycled materials specified by the user. For example, when the user information transmission unit receives a recycled material ID from the user terminal 100, it can obtain recycled material information corresponding to the received recycled material ID from the recycled material information storage unit, and transmit the user information corresponding to the user to the provider indicated by the provider ID included in the obtained recycled material information. The destination of the user information can be, for example, the management server 200, which is provided with a provider information storage unit and can manage the provider's contact information (such as an email address or a message destination address) in association with the provider ID.

The billing processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 can perform processing to bill the provider that provided the user information for a referral fee. The billing processing unit can also perform processing to bill the provider identified by the provider identification information corresponding to the recycled material information stored in the recycled material information storage unit for a listing fee.

<Operation>
FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the process of providing solution information. The management server 200 reads out all or part of the recycled material information from the recycled material information storage unit, and transmits a list of recycled materials based on the read recycled material information to the user terminal 100 (S2201). For example, the management server 200 may provide only recycled material information in which the type of material included in the material information included in the user information corresponding to the user matches or is similar to the type included in the recycled material information. The list of recycled materials may include, for example, a list of recycled material IDs and recycled material names. In addition, the list of recycled materials may also include a part of the description, quality, process, etc. of the recycled material. In addition, the price of the recycled material may be included in the list of recycled materials. The list of recycled materials may include an environmental index or a circularity index. The list of recycled materials may be provided sorted, for example, in order of price (for example, from cheapest to cheapest).

The management server 200 determines whether or not a keyword and/or a numerical value (numerical range) has been received from the user terminal 100 (S2202), and if so (YES), it can search the recycled material storage unit for recycled material information that matches the keyword and/or numerical value (numerical range), and transmit a list of recycled materials based on the searched recycled material information to the user terminal 100 (S2203). On the other hand, if no keyword and/or numerical value (numerical range) has been received in S2202 (NO), the management server 200 transitions the process to S2204.

The management server 200 determines whether or not a designation of a recycled material (recycled material specific information) has been received from the user terminal 100 (S2204), and if so (YES), reads out recycled material information identified by the designated recycled material specific information from the recycled material storage unit (S2205), reads out user information corresponding to the user of the user terminal 100 from the user information storage unit, and can provide the read out user information to the provider indicated by the provider ID included in the recycled material information (S2206). On the other hand, if the management server 200 has not received a designation of a recycled material (recycled material specific information) from the user terminal 100 in S2204 (NO), it terminates this process.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can inform users of the recycled materials offered by the provider.

For example, a consultant can understand the manufacturing of a user's product, identify recycled materials that can be used in the manufacturing of the product, input the specification of the identified recycled material (several recycled materials are possible) into the management server 200, and transmit the recycled material information selected by the consultant to the user terminal 100.

The recycled material information may include the posting date. The management server 200 can sort the list of recycled materials in order of posting date.

The recycled material information may include the last updated date and time. The management server 200 may prioritize inclusion in the list of recycled materials those whose last updated date and time are within a specified period.

The management server 200 can include in the recycled material information the number of views by users of the recycled material information. For example, when the management server 200 transmits a list of recycled materials to the user terminal 100, it can increment the number of views included in the recycled material information relating to the recycled material included in the list. For example, when a recycled material is specified by a user, the management server 200 can increment the number of views of the recycled material information corresponding to the specified recycled material. The management server 200 can read out a predetermined number of pieces of recycled material information in order of most or least number of views to create a list of recycled materials. For example, it may display something like "Currently viewed by XX users." The management server 200 may include the number of views of the recycled material information in the list of recycled materials.

The management server 200 may be configured to manage the number of procurement applications for recycled materials. When a procurement application for recycled materials is received, the management server 200 may be configured to transmit user information to the provider. The management server 200 may also be equipped with an application history storage unit that stores the procurement application history for recycled materials (information that associates a recycled material ID, a user ID, and an application date and time). The management server 200 may count the number of application histories corresponding to the recycled material for a specified period (e.g., the past month), calculate the number of applications, and include the number of applications in the list of recycled materials.

The management server 200 may manage word-of-mouth evaluations of recycled materials. The management server 200 receives word-of-mouth evaluations (scores, likes, etc.) of recycled material information viewed from the user terminal 100, and stores the received word-of-mouth evaluations. The management server 200 can preferentially present recycled materials with good word-of-mouth evaluations to the user. For example, a list of recycled materials can be created in order of the aggregated word-of-mouth evaluations. The management server 200 may also allow the user to specify multiple (or even two) pieces of recycled material information, and display the specified pieces of recycled material information for comparison.

The management server 200 may manage the user's past browsing history and output all of the recycled materials stored as browsing history or application history.

The recycled material information can include introduction conditions, and the introduction conditions can be set to specify the type of business and location. In this case, recycled materials that suit the user's type of business and location can be presented to the user.

The management server 200 can manage multiple companies with capital ties. The management server 200 can identify providers with capital ties to the user, extract recycled material information related to the identified providers, and provide it to the user. Alternatively, the recycled material information of providers with capital ties to the user may be displayed in a subordinated manner.

Recycled material information may also include specifications for how the recycled material information is to be displayed.

The management server 200 may preferentially display recycled material information related to providers who pay an additional fee.

The management server 200 may provide a reward to users who apply for recycled materials via the management server 200.

The management server 200 may perform a process to charge the provider a specified percentage of the contract amount when a contract for procurement of recycled materials is concluded between the user and the provider.

When a contract for procurement of recycled materials is concluded between a user and a provider, the management server 200 may send a message to that effect to the operator of the information processing system.

The output unit 240, input unit 220, analysis unit 280, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The thirteenth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item M1 (P040)]
An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores recycled material information relating to recycled materials; and a providing unit that provides the recycled material information to a procurement entity that procures the recycled materials.
[Item M2]
An information processing system as described in item M1, comprising: an input unit that accepts input of keywords from the procurement entity; and a search unit that searches the memory unit for recycled material information that matches the keywords and provides the search results to the procurement entity.
[Item M3]
An information processing system as described in item M1, characterized in that the memory unit stores the recycled material information in correspondence with provider identification information that identifies a provider providing the recycled material, and includes an input unit that accepts input of recycled material identification information that identifies the recycled material information from the procurement entity, and a procurement entity information transmission unit that acquires from the memory unit the provider identification information corresponding to the recycled material information identified by the recycled material identification information, and transmits information regarding the procurement entity to the provider identified by the acquired provider identification information.
[Item M4]
An information processing system according to item M3, characterized in that it includes a billing processing unit that performs processing to bill the provider that transmitted the information regarding the procurement entity for an introduction fee.
[Item M5]
An information processing system according to item M1, characterized in that the memory unit stores the recycled material information in association with provider identification information that identifies a provider providing the recycled material, and the information processing system is provided with a billing processing unit that performs processing to bill the provider identified by the provider identification information that corresponds to the recycled material information stored in the memory unit for a listing fee.

<<Solution matching function (14th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to thirteenth functions is an embodiment of the fourteenth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, waste treatment is evaluated. There is a problem that it is difficult to grasp what kind of recycled materials can be procured from waste. The fourteenth function aims to provide information on recycled materials.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the fourteenth function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment is intended to match an entity (hereinafter referred to as a provider) that provides recycled materials (materials that are collected from used products or waste from manufacturing processes and processed so that they can be used as materials or raw materials for new products) with an entity that intends to procure recycled materials (for example, manufacturers of products, parts, materials, raw materials, etc., and retailers of materials; hereinafter referred to as a procurement entity). In the information processing system of this embodiment, a procurement entity that uses recycled materials registers procurement information including conditions for the recycled materials to be procured, and a provider can view the registered procurement information and propose information on recycled materials that the provider can provide (hereinafter referred to as recycled material information).

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 14th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (procurement information memory unit, destination memory unit, performance information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (procurement information acquisition unit, recycled material information acquisition unit, performance information acquisition unit, advice acquisition unit), an output unit 240 (procurement information provision unit, recycled material information provision unit, performance information provision unit, advice provision unit), and an execution unit (solution unit) 290 (billing processing unit).

The procurement information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as procurement information) regarding recycled materials procured by the procurement entity. The procurement information may include the type of recycled material to be procured, the amount procured per specified unit period (e.g., month or year), and quality conditions. The quality may include, for example, the composition and durability of the recycled material. The quality may also include the number of times the recycled material has been recycled. The procurement information may include attributes of the procurement entity. The attributes of the procurement entity may include the procurement entity's business, number of employees, region, and the like. The attributes of the procurement entity may also include accounting information such as sales, purchase amount, and labor costs. The procurement information may include the amount of greenhouse gas emissions or information for calculating the emissions related to the production of the recycled material.

The destination memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as destination information) including information identifying a provider capable of providing recycled material information for each procurement entity. The destination information can include information identifying the procurement entity (e.g., a company ID) and information identifying the provider (e.g., a provider ID). The destination information can also specify a different disclosure scope for each destination. For example, the destination information can include a provider ID identifying the destination provider and the disclosure scope of procurement information for that provider ID in association with each other.

The performance information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as performance information) regarding the performance of procuring recycled materials for each procurement entity. The performance information can include information identifying the procurement entity (e.g., a company ID), the type of recycled material, information identifying the recycled material (e.g., recycled material ID), and the amount of recycled material procured. The performance information can include the performance value of greenhouse gas emissions related to the production of the procured recycled material. The performance value of the emissions can be, for example, the aggregate value of emissions for a specified aggregation period (e.g., year and month) and for each scope related to the GHG protocol (scope and category for Scope 3). The performance information can include the product quality before the procurement of the recycled material (e.g., the results of strength and durability tests, etc.).

<Functional department>
The procurement information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires procurement information. The procurement information acquisition unit can receive procurement information from the user terminal 100. The procurement information acquisition unit may access another system to acquire the procurement information. The procurement information acquisition unit can register the acquired procurement information in the procurement information storage unit.

The procurement information providing unit constituting the output unit 240 provides the procurement information to the provider. The procurement information providing unit may provide the procurement information to all providers, or may provide the procurement information depending on the provider that has sent the request. Also, the procurement entity may be able to control the destination to which the procurement information is provided. If destination information corresponding to the company ID included in the procurement information is registered in the destination storage unit, the procurement information providing unit may provide the procurement information only to the provider specified in the destination information. Also, if a disclosure range is specified in the procurement information, the procurement information providing unit may provide only the disclosure range of the procurement information.

The recycled material information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires from the provider information on the recycled material provided by the provider (hereinafter referred to as recycled material information). The recycled material information may include the type of recycled material, information indicating a specific recycled material provided by the provider indicated by the provider ID (recycled material ID), provider ID, recycled material name), description of the recycled material, quality, process, price, implementation record, environmental index, supplyability, circularity index, etc.

The type of recycled material may be, for example, plastic, glass, or iron. The recycled material name is the name of the recycled material. The description is an explanation of the recycled material, and may include, for example, text data, image data, or audio data. The quality may include, for example, information indicating the composition and durability of the recycled material. The process may be information indicating the process of recycling the recycled material. The price may be set as a unit price related to the supply unit of the recycled material, or an approximate value of the standard implementation cost may be set. The price may be specified by a range such as a price band. The implementation record is information regarding the supply destination of the recycled material, and may be, for example, free description using text information, images, etc.

Environmental indicators are values that express the burden related to various environmental issues. Environmental indicators include, for example, (1) greenhouse gas emission indicators related to climate change (CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, CFC emissions, etc.), (2) ozone-depleting substance (ODP) consumption indexes related to ozone layer destruction (CFC and halon consumption, etc.), (3) nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to the hydrosphere and soil, and nutrient balance (fertilizer consumption and nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock, etc.) related to eutrophication, (4) acidification substance emission indicators related to acidification (NOx, SOx emissions, etc.), (5) heavy metal emissions and organic compound emissions (pesticides consumption, etc.) related to hazardous substance status, (6) SOx, NOx, and VOC emissions in urban areas related to urban environmental quality (urban traffic density, urban vehicle ownership, urbanization degree (urban population growth rate, urban land use), etc.), (7) alteration of biological habitats from their natural state and land conversion related to biodiversity (road network density, soil cover change, etc.), and (8) landscape (9) waste generation (domestic waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste, nuclear waste) (e.g., hazardous waste movement), (10) water resource utilization intensity (extraction fee/available resource amount), (11) forest resource utilization intensity (actual harvesting amount/production capacity), (12) fishery resource utilization volume, (13) soil degradation (erosion/desertification) erosion risk: potential and actual land utilization for agriculture (land use change), (14) material resource utilization intensity, (15) socio-economic sectoral and general indicators (not limited to specific environmental issues), such as population growth rate/density, GDP growth rate and composition, private and government final consumption expenditure, industrial production, energy supply composition, road traffic volume, vehicle ownership, agricultural production, etc. Supplyability can be the amount of recycled material available from the provider (annual or monthly supply amount). Supplyability can also include information indicating the availability of a supply quantity (this can be an explanation in the form of text, etc.), as well as information indicating alternative materials to the recycled material, etc.

A circularity index is an index that indicates a company's circularity, and can be, for example, the CTI.

The recycled material information providing section constituting the output section 240 can provide the recycled material information to the user (transmit it to the user terminal 100). The recycled material information providing section may transmit the acquired recycled material information to the user terminal 100 each time the recycled material information acquisition section acquires recycled material information, or the management server 200 may be provided with a recycled material information storage section that stores recycled material information acquired during a specified period for each procurement entity (e.g., company ID), and the recycled material information providing section may provide one or more pieces of recycled material information stored in the recycled material information storage section.

In addition, when providing multiple pieces of recycled material information for one procurement entity, the recycled material information providing unit can provide the recycled material information in a priority order determined for the recycled material. For example, the recycled material information providing unit can determine the priority order according to the quality included in the recycled material information. Also, the recycled material information providing unit can determine the priority order according to the price included in the recycled material information. For example, the recycled material information providing unit can provide a list in which the recycled material information is sorted in order of priority (e.g., highest to lowest). Also, the recycled material information providing unit may provide only a predetermined number of pieces of recycled material information in order of priority (e.g., highest to lowest). Also, the recycled material information providing unit can provide a list in which the recycled material information is sorted in order of price (e.g., lowest to highest).

The performance information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires performance information indicating the procurement performance of recycled materials by the procurement entity. The performance information acquisition unit can register the acquired performance information in the performance information storage unit.

The performance information providing unit constituting the output unit 240 can provide performance information to the provider of the recycled material. The performance information providing unit can, for example, transmit the performance information to the user terminal 100 of the provider. When destination information is registered in the destination storage unit, the performance information providing unit can transmit the performance information only to the provider specified in the destination information.

The advice acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 can acquire advice corresponding to the performance information from the provider. The advice acquisition unit can receive, for example, advice information for the performance information from the provider's user terminal 100. The advice information can include, for example, text data, image data, etc.

The advice providing unit that constitutes the output unit 240 can transmit advice information to the procurement entity user.

The billing processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 can perform processing (billing) to charge the provider for the use of the system. For example, the billing processing unit may periodically charge a registration fee to providers that can receive procurement information.

<Operation>
23 is a diagram for explaining the process of providing procurement information. The management server 200 receives the recipient information from the user terminal 100 and registers it in the recipient storage unit (S2301). The management server 200 receives the procurement information from the user terminal 100 (S2302). The management server 200 can store the procurement information in the memory 202 or the storage device 203 for a predetermined period of time.

The management server 200 determines whether the destination information corresponding to the company ID indicating the user's procurement entity is registered in the destination storage unit (S2303), and if it is registered (YES), transmits the procurement information only to the provider specified in the destination information (S2304). If the destination information has a disclosure range set, the management server 200 can provide only what is included in the disclosure range in the procurement information. On the other hand, if the destination information is not registered in the destination storage unit in S2303 (NO), the management server 200 transmits the procurement information to all or some of the providers (S2305). Next, the management server 200 accepts input of recycled material information from the provider who provided the procurement information (S2306), and transmits the accepted recycled material information to the user terminal 100 (S2307).

In this way, the procurement entity can provide procurement information to the provider, and in response receive recycled material information about recycled materials from the provider, which can then be provided to the procurement entity's user.

In the above embodiment, the destination storage unit manages providers that can provide procurement information, but it may also manage providers that are prohibited from providing procurement information. In this case, the procurement information providing unit and the performance information providing unit can prevent the procurement information and performance information from being provided to providers identified by the destination information.

How data is displayed to users
The management server 200 can also preferentially display new recycled material information on the user terminal 100. The management server 200 can also preferentially display updated recycled material information. The management server 200 can also change the priority of the procurement information and/or recycled material information depending on the industry, location, capital structure, listing classification, etc. of the procurement entity and/or the provider. The management server 200 can also preferentially display recycled material information of a provider that has a capital relationship with the procurement entity. The management server 200 can also preferentially provide the provider with procurement information that matches the recycled material to the provider by matching the recycled material information with the procurement information. The management server 200 can also include a provision history storage unit that stores the provision history of the procurement information, and can enable the user to view the provision history. The management server 200 can also manage the fact that the provider has given a "like" to the procurement entity, and provide procurement information only to the provider that has given a "like". In addition, the management server 200 can include in the destination information specifications such as the type of provider the user desires and conditions for recycled materials, so that the user can be provided with only recycled material information relating to providers and recycled materials that match the user's desires.

<Screening by Provider>
Furthermore, management server 200 can narrow down procurement information to those matching conditions such as the procurement entity's industry, location, capital structure, listing classification, and financial information, in response to specifications from the provider. Management server 200 can receive specifications for the type of recycled material from the provider, and provide procurement information corresponding to the received type. Management server 200 can also narrow down procurement information according to the user's registration date or the registration or update date of the procurement information in response to specifications from the provider. Management server 200 can also receive specifications for keywords from the provider, and search for procurement information matching the received keywords.

<Recycling material proposals by providers>
Furthermore, when the management server 200 receives a request from the user terminal 100 requesting a proposal for recycled materials, the management server 200 can set a tag indicating that a proposal for recycled materials is desired in the procurement information. The management server 200 can display procurement information corresponding to the tag to the provider. The management server 200 may also be provided with a function for transmitting and receiving messages between users, and may transmit and receive direct messages between the provider and the user. In this case, the management server 200 may set an upper limit on the number of times direct messages can be sent, and may increase the setting of the upper limit when a charge is made. The management server 200 may also prevent the provider from viewing all of the procurement information, and an operator of the management server 200 may mediate communication with the provider and/or the user. The management server 200 may also be provided with a function for adding proposals such as discounts and additional services to the recycled material information and transmitting the proposals to the user terminal 100. In this case, the proposals can be designated and received from the user terminal 100 of the provider. Furthermore, the management server 200 may include an evaluation value storage unit that receives input of evaluation values of recycled materials and/or providers from users and stores evaluation values for each recycled material and/or provider. The management server 200 may aggregate the evaluation values and attach the aggregated evaluation values to the recycled material information. Furthermore, the management server 200 may include an evaluation value storage unit that receives input of user evaluation values from providers and stores evaluation values for each user. The management server 200 may aggregate evaluation values of recycled materials and/or providers and attach the aggregated evaluation values to the recycled material information.

<Display the number of viewers to the user.>
Furthermore, management server 200 can provide the user with the number of pieces of procurement information provided to the provider as information on the viewing status, such as "Provider X has viewed your company's data."

The output unit 240, acquisition unit 250, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The fourteenth function also includes the following configuration.
[Item N1 (P041)]
An information processing system comprising: a procurement information acquisition unit that acquires procurement information regarding the recycled materials to be procured from a user who is a procurement entity procuring the recycled materials; a procurement information provision unit that provides the procurement information to a provider that provides the recycled materials; a recycled material information acquisition unit that acquires recycled material information regarding the recycled materials provided by the provider from the provider; and a recycled material information provision unit that provides the recycled material information to the user.
[Item N2]
An information processing system as described in item N1, characterized in that it comprises a destination memory unit that manages information identifying the provider that provides the procurement information in correspondence with the procurement entity, and the procurement information providing unit refers to the destination memory unit to obtain the provider that corresponds to the procurement entity that is the source of the procurement information, and provides the procurement information to the obtained provider.
[Item N3]
An information processing system according to item N1, characterized in that the procurement information includes conditions regarding the quality of the recycled material.
[Item N4]
An information processing system as described in item N3, comprising a destination memory unit that manages information identifying the provider that provides the procurement information in correspondence with the procurement entity, and the procurement information providing unit provides the procurement information to the provider identified by reference to the destination memory unit.
[Item N5]
An information processing system according to item N1, characterized in that it comprises a performance information acquisition unit that acquires performance information indicating the procurement entity's procurement performance of the recycled material, and a performance information providing unit that provides the performance information to the provider.
[Item N6]
An information processing system according to item N5, comprising: an advice acquisition unit that receives advice information regarding the execution information from the provider; and an advice providing unit that transmits the advice information to the user of the emission subject.

<<Solution matching function (15th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to fourteenth functions is an embodiment of the fifteenth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, waste treatment is evaluated. There is a problem that it is difficult to grasp what kind of recycled materials can be procured from waste. The fifteenth function aims to provide information on recycled materials.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the fifteenth function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment is intended to match an entity (hereinafter referred to as a provider) that provides recycled materials (materials that are collected from used products or waste from manufacturing processes and processed so that they can be used as materials or raw materials for new products) with an entity that intends to procure the recycled materials (for example, manufacturers of products, parts, materials, raw materials, etc., and retailers of materials; hereinafter referred to as a procurement entity). In the information processing system of this embodiment, a procurement entity that uses recycled materials registers procurement information including conditions for the recycled materials to be procured, and a provider of recycled materials registers recycled material information for the recycled materials provided by the provider, and the procurement information and the recycled material information are matched.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 15th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (recycled material information memory unit, user information memory unit, procurement information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emissions information acquisition unit, extraction unit, performance acquisition unit), an output unit 240 (provision unit), an execution unit (solution unit) 290 (billing processing unit).

The recycled material information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores recycled material information. The recycled material information storage unit can store recycled material information in association with provider identification information (provider ID) that identifies the provider providing the recycled material. In this embodiment, the recycled material information can include the type of recycled material, information indicating the specific recycled material provided by the provider indicated by the provider ID (recycled material ID), provider ID, recycled material name), description of the recycled material, quality, process, price, implementation record, environmental index, supplyability, circularity index, etc.

The type of recycled material may be, for example, plastic, glass, or iron. The recycled material name is the name of the recycled material. The description is an explanation of the recycled material, and may include, for example, text data, image data, or audio data. The quality may include, for example, information indicating the composition and durability of the recycled material. The process may be information indicating the process of recycling the recycled material. The price may be set as a unit price related to the supply unit of the recycled material, or may be set as an approximate value of the standard implementation cost. The price may be specified by a range such as a price band. The implementation record is information regarding the supply destination of the recycled material, and may be, for example, free description using text information, images, etc.

Environmental indicators are values that express the burden related to various environmental issues. Environmental indicators include, for example, (1) greenhouse gas emission indicators related to climate change (CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, CFC emissions, etc.), (2) ozone-depleting substance (ODP) consumption indexes related to ozone layer destruction (CFC and halon consumption, etc.), (3) nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to the hydrosphere and soil, and nutrient balance (fertilizer consumption and nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock, etc.) related to eutrophication, (4) acidification substance emission indicators related to acidification (NOx, SOx emissions, etc.), (5) heavy metal emissions and organic compound emissions (pesticides consumption, etc.) related to hazardous substance status, (6) SOx, NOx, and VOC emissions in urban areas related to urban environmental quality (urban traffic density, urban vehicle ownership, urbanization degree (urban population growth rate, urban land use), etc.), (7) alteration of biological habitats from their natural state and land conversion related to biodiversity (road network density, soil cover change, etc.), and (8) landscape (9) waste generation (domestic waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste, nuclear waste) (e.g., hazardous waste movement), (10) water resource utilization intensity (extraction fee/available resource amount), (11) forest resource utilization intensity (actual harvesting amount/production capacity), (12) fishery resource utilization volume, (13) soil degradation (erosion/desertification) erosion risk: potential and actual land utilization for agriculture (land use change), (14) material resource utilization intensity, (15) socio-economic sectoral and general indicators (not limited to specific environmental issues), such as population growth rate/density, GDP growth rate and composition, private and government final consumption expenditure, industrial production, energy supply composition, road traffic volume, vehicle ownership, agricultural production, etc. Supplyability can be the amount of recycled material available from the provider (annual or monthly supply amount). Supplyability can also include information indicating the availability of a supply quantity (this can be an explanation in the form of text, etc.), as well as information indicating alternative materials to the recycled material, etc.

A circularity index is an index that indicates a company's circularity, and can be, for example, the CTI.

The user information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as user information) relating to the user (procurement entity or provider). The user information may include information (user ID) identifying the user (or procurement entity or provider), the name of the user (or procurement entity or provider) (user name), information relating to the business conducted by the procurement entity or provider (business information), information relating to the equipment used in relation to the business (equipment information), etc.

The procurement information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as procurement information) regarding recycled materials procured by the procurement entity. The procurement information may include the type of recycled material to be procured, the amount procured per specified unit period (e.g., month or year), and quality conditions. The quality may include, for example, the composition and durability of the recycled material. The quality may also include the number of times the recycled material has been recycled. The procurement information may include attributes of the procurement entity. The attributes of the procurement entity may include the procurement entity's business, number of employees, region, and the like. The attributes of the procurement entity may also include accounting information such as sales, purchase amount, and labor costs. The procurement information may include the amount of greenhouse gas emissions or information for calculating the emissions related to the production of the recycled material.

<Functional department>
The procurement information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires procurement information. The procurement information acquisition unit can receive procurement information from the user terminal 100. The procurement information acquisition unit may access another system to acquire the procurement information. The procurement information acquisition unit can register the acquired procurement information in the procurement information storage unit.

The extraction unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires recycled material information that matches the procurement information. For example, the extraction unit can match the type of recycled material included in the procurement information with the type of recycled material included in the recycled material information. Furthermore, the extraction unit can match recycled material information that includes quality information that satisfies the quality conditions included in the procurement information, using the procurement information as a criterion. The extraction unit can determine a priority according to the quality included in the recycled material information. The extraction unit can also determine a priority according to the price included in the recycled material information. For example, the extraction unit can sort the recycled material information in order of priority (e.g., from highest to lowest). The extraction unit can extract procurement information that matches the type of recycled material information and whose quality satisfies the quality conditions, using the recycled material information as a criterion. If a procurement price is set in the procurement information, it can also be sorted in order of procurement price (e.g., from highest to lowest).

The provision unit constituting the output unit 240 can provide the extracted recycled material information to a user who is the procurement entity. The provision unit can also provide procurement information that matches the recycled material information to a user of a provider indicated by the provider ID of the recycled material information.

The performance acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires information including information indicating recycled materials adopted by the procurement entity (hereinafter referred to as performance information). The management server 200 may be provided with a performance information storage unit that stores the performance information.

The billing processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 performs processing (billing) to charge the provider for the use of the system. The billing processing unit may also perform processing (billing) to charge the procurement entity that actually procured the recycled material for the use of the system based on performance information.

<Operation>
24 is a diagram for explaining the process of providing solution information. The management server 200 acquires recycled material information from the provider and registers it in the recycled material information storage unit (S2401), and acquires procurement information from the procurement entity and registers it in the procurement information storage unit (S2402). The management server 200 extracts recycled material information that matches the procurement information for each piece of procurement information (S2403), and provides the extracted recycled material information to the procurement entity that is the provider of the procurement information (S2404). The management server 200 acquires performance information (S2405), and can perform charging according to the performance information (S2406).

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can match recycled material information with procurement entities (procurement information).

In addition, conditions other than quality for the recycled material information can be set in the procurement information, and the management server 200 can narrow down the recycled material information that matches the procurement information to only that which satisfies the conditions of the procurement information.

The management server 200 can display a list of recycled material information on the user terminal 100. The management server 200 can display the list of recycled material information in the order in which it was registered.

The management server 200 can manage the recycled material information viewed by the user terminal 100, and can provide the recycled material information with a priority according to the number of views. For example, the management server 200 can display the recycled material information sorted in order of the number of views. The management server 200 can also transmit only a predetermined number of pieces of recycled material information to the user terminal 100 in order of the number of views.

The management server 200 can display a list of only a portion of the recycled material information on the user terminal 100, accept selection (tap or click) of recycled material information from the user terminal 100, and manage the selection of recycled material information. The management server 200 can provide recycled material information with a priority according to the number of selections. For example, the management server 200 can display the recycled material information sorted in order of the number of selections. Furthermore, the management server 200 can transmit only a predetermined number of pieces of recycled material information to the user terminal 100 in order of the number of selections.

The management server 200 can obtain and manage evaluations of recycled materials from users. For example, a list of evaluation values obtained from users and/or aggregate values (e.g., average values or total values) can be set in the recycled material information. The management server 200 can provide recycled material information with a priority according to the aggregated evaluation values. For example, the management server 200 can display recycled material information sorted in order of evaluation value. Furthermore, the management server 200 can transmit only a predetermined number of pieces of recycled material information to the user terminal 100 in order of evaluation value.

In addition, the management server 200 can provide recycled material information preferentially if an additional fee is paid by the provider.

The management server 200 may also include an application processing unit that accepts applications for recycled materials. The management server 200 may provide a reward to a user for applying for recycled materials.

In addition, when a contract for recycled materials is concluded, the management server 200 can charge the provider a specified percentage of the contract fee. In addition, the management server 200 can be equipped with a notification unit that notifies the user and/or the provider when a contract is concluded.

The output unit 240, acquisition unit 250, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The fifteenth function also includes the following configuration:
[Item O1 (P042)]
An information processing system comprising: a procurement information acquisition unit that acquires procurement information regarding the recycled materials to be procured from a user who is a procurement entity procuring the recycled materials; a recycled material information storage unit that stores recycled material information regarding the recycled materials; an extraction unit that extracts the recycled material information that matches the procurement information; and a provision unit that provides the extracted recycled material information to the user.
[Item O2]
An information processing system as described in item O1, characterized in that conditions for the procurement entity are set in the recycled material information, and the extraction unit extracts the procurement entity that satisfies the conditions included in the recycled material information.
[Item O3]
An information processing system as described in item O2, wherein the procurement information includes conditions for the quality of the recycled material, and the recycled material information includes quality information about the quality of the recycled material, and the extraction unit matches the recycled material information with the procurement information based on whether the quality information included in the recycled material information satisfies the conditions of the procurement information.

<<OCR function (16th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to fifteenth functions is an embodiment of the sixteenth function, which will be described in detail below.

<System Overview>
An information processing system relating to the 16th function will be described below. In this information processing system, activity amounts relating to activities that emit greenhouse gases are extracted from form data (e.g., data on various documents relating to a company's economic activities such as invoices, receipts, and delivery notes. Form data can be text data, document data, image data, etc.), and the type of the activity (scope and/or category in the GHG protocol) is identified. In this embodiment, an LLM (Large Language Model) such as a GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) is used to extract the activity amounts from the form data and identify the type of activity amount.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 16th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a generation unit 260 (generator, generation processing unit) and an acquisition unit 250 (character string extraction unit).

The generator constituting the generation unit 260 generates an answer based on the trained language model. The generator may be a trained language model trained by machine learning and a function that generates a string using the model. In this embodiment, the trained language model is assumed to be GPT. Note that the trained language model may not be managed by the management server 200, and an external server may be provided with the trained model, and an answer to an instruction may be generated using the trained language model by calling an API provided by the external server.

The character string extraction unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 extracts character strings from the form data. It is assumed that the form data includes the amount of activity that emits greenhouse gases. If the form data is text data, the character string extraction unit can read out the contents of the text data. If the form data is image data, the character string extraction unit can extract character strings drawn in the image data by known OCR processing. If the form data is binary data such as a word processor document or a spreadsheet document, the character string extraction unit can extract character string data from the binary data by known methods.

The generation processing unit constituting the generation unit 260 causes the generator to generate the activity amount and scope (and/or category). The generation processing unit can cause the generator to generate the activity amount and scope (and/or category) by providing the generator with the character string extracted by the character string extraction unit, an instruction to generate the specified activity amount, and an instruction to generate the scope (and/or category) corresponding to the activity amount.

The generation processing unit can cause the generator to learn information that associates activity-specific information that identifies an activity with a scope (and/or category). The generation processing unit may perform fine-tuning to cause a pre-trained language model to learn data that associates activity-specific information with a scope and/or category, or may include data that associates activity-specific information with a scope and/or category in instructions (prompts) given to the generator. The generation processing unit can cause the generator to generate activity amounts, scopes, and activity-specific information related to the activity instructed to the generator by providing the generator with character strings extracted from the form data and instructions to generate scope and activity-specific information.

In addition, when multiple activities form a tree structure (when major categories, minor categories, details, etc. of activities are defined), the tree structure may be trained. In this case, the generation processing unit may train the generator to learn, for example, the first activity specification information, the scope, and the second activity specification information that specifies the second activity that is the parent or child in the tree structure of the first activity specified by the first activity specification information. The learning here may also be performed by updating the trained language model in advance by fine tuning, or the prompt may include information that specifies the tree structure (information that indicates the parent-child relationship between the first and second activity specification information). In this way, the generation processing unit can generate multiple hierarchical levels of activity specification information from character strings included in the form data.

The management server 200 may also be provided with a vector information storage unit that records information indicating activity and information obtained by vectorizing the information indicating activity, and the generation processing unit may vectorize the character string extracted by the character string extraction unit, read information indicating activity corresponding to a vector close to the vector of the character string from the vector information storage unit, and include the information in the prompt provided to the generator. The specialized information (information indicating activity) stored in the vector information storage unit may be provided to the generator as learning data to generate the amount of activity and the scope (and/or category).

<Operation>
Next, the operation of the sixteenth function will be described. The management server 200 receives form data from the user terminal 100, extracts character strings from the received form data, provides the generator with learning data including a combination of activity specification information and scope, the character strings extracted from the form data, and an instruction to generate the activity amount, scope, and activity specification information, and obtains and outputs the activity amount, scope, and activity specification information generated by the generator.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can efficiently generate the amount of activity related to activities that emit greenhouse gases and the scope and/or category of the activity from report data.

<Disclosures>
The 16th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item P1 (P050)]
An information processing system comprising: a character string extraction unit that extracts a character string from document data including an activity amount of an activity that emits greenhouse gases; and a generation processing unit that issues an instruction to a generator that generates an answer based on a trained language model to generate the character string, the activity amount, and a scope corresponding to the activity amount, and causes the generator to generate the activity amount and the scope. Item P1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item P2]
The information processing system according to item P1, wherein the generation processing unit causes the generator to learn information that associates activity identification information that identifies the activity with the scope, and gives the generator instructions to generate the character string, as well as the activity amount, the scope, and the activity identification information, thereby causing the generator to generate the activity amount, the scope, and the activity identification information.
[Item P3]
An information processing system according to item P2, wherein a plurality of the activities form a tree structure, and the generation processing unit causes the generator to learn the first activity identification information, the scope, and second activity identification information that identifies a second activity that is a parent or child in the tree structure of the first activity identified by the first activity identification information.

The acquisition unit 250 and generation unit 260 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<<Template function (17th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to sixteenth functions is described in detail below as an embodiment of the seventeenth function. As a background technique, the amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions is calculated. There is a problem that it is required to grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation throughout the entire supply chain. The seventeenth function aims to provide a technique that can grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation. In addition, when calculating greenhouse gas emissions at multiple bases of the same company, each base judged whether or not to input activity items, so the activity items to be input differed from base to base. In addition, depending on the base, some activity items that were required to be input were omitted. For these reasons, accurate greenhouse gas calculations were not possible in companies with multiple bases. When calculating greenhouse gas emissions for a corporate group (whole group), it is necessary for a holding company to request the group companies under its umbrella to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and for the group companies under its umbrella to report the calculation results of greenhouse gas emissions. In such a case, if the activity items entered for each group company are different, or if required activity items are omitted, it is not possible to accurately calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of the corporate group (whole group). The seventeenth function aims to provide a technology that can grasp the greenhouse gas emissions status of a company or corporate group (whole group) with multiple bases.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 17th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (base information memory unit, reduction standard memory unit, reduction target memory unit), an execution unit 290 (reduction target registration unit), an input unit 220 (base information input unit, industry input unit), an output unit 240 (proposal unit), and an analysis unit 280.

The base information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores base information indicating the base of another business entity related to a certain business entity for each of the other business entities. In this example, the base information indicates the names of branches of the same company, such as the head office (first business entity), Tokyo branch (second business entity), and Osaka branch (second business entity), but also includes the location of a factory of the same company. The base information may also be the location or name of a group company consisting of a parent company (first business entity), a subsidiary company (second business entity), a sub-subsidiary company (second business entity), etc. The base information is configured to include related information indicating that these multiple business entities are related. The base information may also be size information explained in the third function.

The reduction standard memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information (reduction standard information) related to standard reduction rates for greenhouse gas emissions (reduction targets set by many companies). The reduction standard information can include reduction rates in association with industry, base, company size, company attributes, and scope related to the GHG Protocol. For Scope 3, categories can also be included.

In this embodiment, the reduction standard information also includes a base year and a target year. The scale can be, for example, sales or asset value. The scale may also be sales for a business corresponding to a specific scope (and category). The attributes can be various attributes related to the company.

The reduction target memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information (reduction target information) relating to the emission reduction targets set by the company. The reduction target information stores the reduction target (base point, target point, and reduction rate from the emission amount at the base point) set by the company in association with information identifying the company (company name and base name in this embodiment), the size and attributes of the company, and the scope related to the GHG Protocol (and category for Scope 3). In this embodiment, the base point and target point are assumed to be years or fiscal years, but may also be years and months or days.

The template registration unit constituting the execution unit 290 registers and stores templates into which information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities is input. The information related to emissions is information included in the first information, for example, greenhouse gas emissions. The first information is, for example, an emission report containing information related to emissions, and details will be explained in the third function. The emission report is also a template used by each business entity when registering its emissions.

The base information input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of base information. The base information input unit can input using a specific user terminal 100. The specific user terminal 100 is exemplified by a user terminal 100 used by an administrator (for example, a head office or a parent company) of a plurality of user terminals 100. The base information input unit inputs the names of branches of the same company, the names of group companies, and the like. In the case of the same company, the names of the Tokyo branch and the Osaka branch can be input. In the case of a group company, the names of the parent company, subsidiary company, sub-subsidiary company, and the like can be input. By inputting the base information, related information indicating that these multiple business entities are related bases or companies is set. In other words, it is set that the multiple business entities are related bases (related companies), in other words, that they are bases belonging to a group. A base (related base) for which related information is set can refer to and use a template used by another base to register emissions when registering emissions. In addition, when the base information is set as size information, the size information can also be input in the base information input unit.

The template input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts input of information related to ejection to a template. The template input unit can input information related to ejection using a specific user terminal 100 or a user terminal 100 other than the specific user terminal 100. In the process in the template registration unit, input is possible in a user terminal 100 at a base where the specific user terminal 100 is registered, but input is not possible in a user terminal 100 at a base where the specific user terminal 100 is not registered. Instead of making input impossible, it is also possible to make it impossible to select and use the template itself. If a specific user terminal 100 has not registered a base, it is configured so that input is not possible even if the base is a base belonging to the group (each branch, subsidiary, or sub-subsidiary).

The industry input section constituting the input unit 220 accepts input of the industry. The industry input section is intended to accept the industry of the company that is trying to set a reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposal unit constituting the output unit 240 proposes reduction targets. The proposal unit can propose standard reduction targets for the industry and base to the user by reading the reduction rate corresponding to the accepted industry and base from the reduction standard storage unit and transmitting it to the user terminal 100. The proposal unit can read the reduction rate by scope corresponding to the industry and base from the reduction standard storage unit, and propose and present the read standard reduction rate by scope as the user's target reduction rate.

In addition, when multiple reduction rates apply, the suggestion unit may suggest a statistical value (e.g., an average value) of the applicable reduction rates.

The proposal unit can also calculate the amount of emission reduction for each unit period (e.g., year or fiscal year) from the base point to the target point so that the amount of emission at the target point is equal to the amount of emission at the base point multiplied by the reduction rate, subtract this amount from the amount of emission at the base point, calculate the ratio of the amount of reduction to the amount of emission at the base point as a reduction rate by time, and propose the reduction rate by time (e.g., reduction rate by fiscal year) to the user.

The reduction target registration unit constituting the execution unit 290 registers the reduction targets of companies and bases in the reduction target storage unit. The reduction target registration unit may accept input of reduction targets from the user terminal 100 of each company or base, or may extract greenhouse gas reduction targets publicly disclosed by companies, for example, from a website. The reduction target may include a reduction rate for each scope (and category for scope 3), a base year (fiscal year), and a target year (fiscal year). The reduction target registration unit can register the base year, target year, and reduction rate in the reduction target storage unit in association with information indicating the company that obtained the reduction target (company name), the size and attributes of the company, and the scope to be reduced.

The analysis unit 280 can analyze the reduction targets stored in the reduction target storage unit to create standard reduction targets. For example, the analysis unit 280 can select the most common reference point (year) as the standard reference point (year). The analysis unit 280 can obtain statistical values such as the mode, average, and median of the number of years from the base year to the target year, and add the statistical values to the base year to set the standard value for the target year. The analysis unit 280 can determine statistical values such as the mode and average of the reduction rate as the standard reduction rate. The analysis unit 280 can perform analysis for each industry, size, attribute, scope, and category, and add or update the industry, base, size, attribute, scope, category, base year, target year, and reduction rate that are the results of the analysis to the reduction standard storage unit.

Figure 25 is a diagram explaining the process of registering a template (processing in the template registration section). The management server 200 receives an instruction to create a new template from the user terminal 100 (S2501). For example, a button to start creating a new template is operated using the user terminal 100 of the head office or parent company, and the management server 200 accepts the button operation. Next, the management server 200 accepts input of the template name from the user terminal 100 (S2502). For example, the name of a new template is input using the user terminal 100 of the head office or parent company, and the management server 200 accepts the input result. Next, the management server 200 accepts the base to which the template is assigned from the user terminal 100 (S2503). For example, the user terminal 100 of the head office or parent company is used to input the base that is to be the related base, such as a branch office, a subsidiary, or a grandchild company, and the management server 200 accepts the input result. The multiple assigned bases are called a specific group. Next, the management server 200 accepts input items from the user terminal 100 (S2504). For example, the user terminal 100 of the head office or parent company as an administrator sets the input items to be displayed in the new template, and the management server 200 accepts the setting results. Examples of input items include material costs, transportation costs, and labor costs, which are described in the third and ninth functions. Next, the management server 200 accepts an instruction to complete the registration of the template from the user terminal 100 (S2505). For example, a registration completion button is operated using the user terminal 100 of the head office or parent company, and the management server 200 accepts the button operation.

At the base (business entity) accepted by the management server 200 in S2504, for example, a base belonging to a specific group of a branch office, subsidiary, or sub-subsidiary, the template registered in FIG. 25 can be used to input and register the required items of the template without having to register a new template using the user terminal 100. Also, at the base belonging to the specific group, the registered template is used to input activity items for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, but this input can be limited to inputting only the necessary activity items. Also, if there is an approver who checks the input contents, by using the template, it is possible to facilitate the approval process by only checking the minimum amount of information that has been input.

The administrator can also copy a template that has already been created and register a new template. When copying and registering a new template, the management server 200 restricts the registration of the same name as the original template as the name of the new template. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the original template from being overwritten. When copying, the management server 200 sets the base registered in the original template as the new template. By configuring in this way, it is not necessary to register a new base. The administrator can also assign a specific template to a specific base. It is also possible to cancel the assignment. When the administrator and users other than the administrator (such as branches and subsidiaries) register the greenhouse gas emissions of the bases they are responsible for, they can add items using the assigned template. When the administrator and users other than the administrator (such as branches and subsidiaries) register the greenhouse gas emissions of the bases they are responsible for, it is possible to distinguish whether the activity items are reflected from the assigned template or individually entered activity items. For example, the background colors of the activity items are different. The administrator can automatically reflect the template to a specific base. The number of templates is not limited to one, and multiple templates can be set.

An example of using templates within the same company is described below.
(1) Group the activities of the business (greenhouse gas emission activities) (e.g. ●● for scope 1, ▲▲ for scope 2, ■■ for scope 3) and use this as an activity item template for greenhouse gas emission data. The administrator user creates the template.
(2) The template is registered in the calculation system and assigned to each base. The administrator user edits the template name and the assigned base.
(3) When calculating greenhouse gas emissions at each location, use the assigned template. For example, when calculating greenhouse gas emissions for July 2023, the Tokyo branch selects template A and inputs the amount of activity, and the Osaka branch also selects template A and inputs the amount of activity.

An example (part 1) of using a template across companies will be described below.
(1) A holding company creates an activity item template for greenhouse gas emission data and assigns this template to its affiliated business companies (group companies). If the four business companies (Company A, Company B, Company C, and Company D) that make up the group each have their own accounts, the administrator user of the holding company assigns the template to the business companies (Company A, Company B, and Company C) that are registered as group companies in the system. The template is not assigned to the business company (Company D) that is not registered as a group company.
(2) When calculating greenhouse gas emissions at a business company (group company), use the assigned template. If the business companies in a group are in different industries, only the common activity items are to be used as templates.
(3) You can prepare different templates for each business company. You can also have subsidiaries and sub-subsidiaries use the same templates.

In addition, the following settings may be made available regarding the authority to view the contents of the template (e.g., activity levels) entered by a business company registered as a group company and the greenhouse gas emissions data calculated by the business company using the template.
(1) A holding company can view all data entered and calculated by its affiliated business companies (group companies) regardless of control (shareholding ratio).
(2) Subsidiary business companies (group companies) can view data within the scope of their control (shareholding ratio) (for example, if business company A has three subsidiaries, all data for 100% subsidiaries A-a and A-b can be viewed, but only part of the data for subsidiary A-c, which has a 50% shareholding ratio, can be viewed).
(3) The data entered/calculated cannot be viewed (shared) between subsidiary business companies A and B.
(4) A parent company can access data from its subsidiary, but a subsidiary cannot access data from its parent company.

An example (part 2) of using a template across companies will be described below.
(1) The bank distributes a template to the companies it invests in and the companies use the template to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and report the results to the bank.
(2) The insurance company distributes a template to its agents, who then use the template to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and report the results to the insurance company.

According to this example, it is possible to accurately calculate greenhouse gas emissions for a company with multiple bases. It is also possible to accurately calculate greenhouse gas emissions for a corporate group.

The management server 200 can also accept input of the user's industry from the user terminal 100, read out standard reduction targets corresponding to the accepted industry from the reduction standard memory unit, and propose the read reduction targets to the user.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can suggest standard reduction targets according to industry to users who are trying to set reduction targets.

In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the trend of the target reduction rate disclosed by a company or the like is constant, but changes in the trend may also be taken into consideration. For example, the analysis unit 280 may analyze the trend of an increase or decrease in the target reduction rate for each company (business entity). In this case, the reduction target storage unit stores information indicating the time when the company disclosed the reduction target (e.g., year, month, or date) in association with the reduction target.

In this case, the suggestion unit can correct the proposed reduction rate (or the statistical value if multiple reduction rates match) according to the trend and propose the corrected statistical value. For example, if the reduction rate is on the rise, the proposed reduction rate can be increased according to the degree of increase.

The input unit 220, output unit 240, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The seventeenth function also includes the following configuration:
[Item Q1 (P031)]
An information processing system comprising: a standard storage unit that stores standard reduction rates that are standard reduction rates of greenhouse gas emissions by industry and scope, an input unit that accepts input of a user's industry, and a proposal unit that reads out the standard reduction rate by the scope corresponding to the accepted industry from the standard storage unit and proposes the read standard reduction rate by the scope as a target reduction rate for the user. Item Q1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item Q2]
The information processing system described in item Q1, wherein the standard storage unit stores a standard base point and a target point for the reduction rate, and the proposal unit calculates a reduction amount of the emission for each unit period from the base point to the target point so that the emission at the target point is a value obtained by subtracting the emission amount at the base point multiplied by the reduction rate from the emission amount at the base point, calculates a ratio of the reduction amount to the emission amount at the base point as a time-point reduction rate, and proposes the time-point reduction rate to the user.
[Item Q3]
an input unit that receives input of a user's industry type; and a proposal unit that reads out from the target memory unit the target reduction rate for the business entity corresponding to the received industry, and proposes a statistical value of the read out target reduction rate as the user's target reduction rate.
[Item Q4]
An information processing system according to item Q3, comprising an analysis unit that analyzes a trend of increase or decrease in the target reduction rate for each business entity, and the proposal unit corrects the statistical value in accordance with the trend and proposes the corrected statistical value.
[Item Q5 (P069)]
An information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores at least base information of a first business entity and a second business entity that constitute a supply chain; a template registration unit that registers a template into which information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the first business entity can be input; and an input unit that enables the second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity using the template.
[Item Q6]
The information processing system according to item Q5, wherein the template registration unit is capable of registering the second business entity as a business entity related to the first business entity, and when the second business entity is registered as a business entity related to the first business entity, the template is used by the second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity, whereas when the second business entity is not registered as a business entity related to the first business entity, the template is not used by the second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity.
[Item Q7 (P031)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a standard storage unit that stores a standard reduction rate that is a standard reduction rate of X information, an input unit that accepts an input of a user's industry, and a proposal unit that reads out a standard reduction rate by classification corresponding to the accepted industry from the standard storage unit and proposes the read standard reduction rate by classification as a target reduction rate for the user.
[Item Q8 (P069)]
An information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores at least base information of a first business entity and a second business entity that constitute a supply chain; a template registration unit that registers a template into which X information of the first business entity can be input; and an input unit that enables a second business entity to input the X information of the second business entity using the template.
[Item Q9]
The information processing system described in item Q1 includes a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter, an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of a mobile device from a user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.

<<GPS function (18th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to seventeenth functions is an embodiment of the eighteenth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is an issue that it is time-consuming to register data required for calculating emissions in the system. The eighteenth function aims to make it easier to register greenhouse gas emissions.

<System Overview>
The emission management system relating to the 18th function will be described below. The emission management system of this embodiment is intended to manage greenhouse gas emissions by emitters such as companies. The emission management system of this embodiment accepts input of the activity volume (referring to the volume related to the scale of business activity, hereinafter the same) of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the emitter's supply chain, and calculates the emission volume by multiplying this by an emission coefficient. The emission volume is tallied for each base of the emitter. A base is, for example, a place where activities that emit greenhouse gases are carried out, such as a business establishment or factory, and a report of the total emission volume for each base is required, but also includes countries, prefectures, cities, towns, and villages.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 18th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (base information memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit, user base memory unit), an execution unit 290 (registration unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit), an analysis unit 280 (base identification unit, distance identification unit, time identification unit), and a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit).

The base information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information relating to the bases of greenhouse gas emitters (hereinafter referred to as base information). The base information can include information (company ID) that identifies the emitter (e.g., a company, etc.), information (base ID) that identifies the base related to the emitter, and location information of the base. The location information can be expressed, for example, by latitude and longitude. The location information may also be expressed, for example, by a geofence.

The activity amount storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information on the amount of activity by the emitter (hereinafter referred to as activity amount information). In this embodiment, the activity amount storage unit stores the amount of activity for each base. The activity amount information can include a company ID that identifies the emitter, a base ID that identifies the base, information indicating the time when the activity was performed (time information), information that identifies the type of activity (type identification information), and the amount of activity at the base by the emitter. The time of the activity may be, for example, in units of hours, days, or months. The unit of the activity amount is not important. For example, the activity amount may be expressed in monetary terms (yen) or physical amounts (tons, kilograms, kiloliters, etc.).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission coefficient information). The emission coefficient information can include emission coefficients in association with a company ID that identifies the emitter and type-specific information that identifies the type of activity. The emission coefficient information may include emission coefficients in association with type-specific information that indicates the type of activity. Emission coefficients may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The emission amount memory unit can store the amount of emissions for each base. The emission amount memory unit can store a company ID indicating the emitter, a base ID indicating the base, information specifying when the activity was performed (time information), a scope, a category, and an emission amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, year, month, date, or date and time range. The scope and category can be, for example, those specified in the GHG Protocol.

The user base storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information indicating bases related to the user (hereinafter referred to as user base information). The user base information can include, in association with information identifying the user (user ID), a company ID identifying the discharge entity to which the user belongs, and information identifying a base (base ID) at which the user may enter data. Multiple company IDs and/or base IDs may be included.

<Functional department>
The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of the activity amount together with the user's location (acquires the user's location information and activity amount). The activity amount input unit can receive from the user terminal 100 the location information obtained by the user terminal 100 processing a signal from a GPS satellite, for example, and the type of activity amount (type-specific information) and activity amount accepted from the user. In addition, the input unit 220 (which may be an acquisition unit) accepts the input of the emission amount when the user calculates the emission amount (acquires the emission amount). Furthermore, the input unit (acquisition unit) accepts the input of time information from the user's mobile terminal (acquires the time information). The input unit (acquisition unit) accepts the input of information related to the activity amount. The information related to the activity amount only needs to include at least the activity amount, and may include time information, an activity ID, an activity amount ID indicating an emission intensity, an intensity ID, and the like. In addition, the input unit (acquisition unit) accepts the input of information related to the emission amount. The information regarding emissions needs to include at least the emissions, and may also include time information, company ID, scope, category, activity amount used to calculate the emissions, activity amount ID indicating the emissions intensity, intensity ID, etc.

The base identification unit constituting the analysis unit 280 (which may be the identification unit) refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base to be input based on the user's location. The base identification unit can, for example, identify the base information including the location information closest to the location information received from the user terminal 100 from among the base information stored in the base information storage unit as the base information related to the base to be input. The base identification unit can also identify the base corresponding to the user and to be input by referring to the user base storage unit and the base information storage unit. The base identification unit can, for example, read out from the user base storage unit a company ID and a base ID corresponding to the user ID that identifies the user of the user terminal 100, and identify, among the base information stored in the base information storage unit, the one that includes the location information closest to the location information acquired from the user terminal 100, as the base information related to the base to be input. The base identification unit can acquire the company ID and base ID included in the identified base information.

The distance determination unit constituting the analysis unit 280 determines the user's travel distance based on the location information. For example, the distance determination unit determines the travel distance from the user's home to the workplace based on the location information based on the signal from a GPS satellite. The distance determination unit can determine the transportation used based on the travel distance from the home to the workplace. In addition, when an employee (user) goes on a business trip or the like and acquires location information outside a predetermined range from the employee's own base, the user's travel distance is determined based on the location information of the business trip destination. For example, when an employee goes on a business trip or the like and acquires location information indicating that another base is closer than the employee's own base, the travel distance from the home to the business trip location is determined based on the location information of the business trip destination based on the signal from a GPS satellite. In addition, a route determination unit can be provided as the determination unit. The route determination unit determines the user's travel route based on the location information. For example, the route determination unit determines the user's travel route from the user's home to the workplace based on the location information based on the signal from a GPS satellite.

The time determination unit constituting the analysis unit 280 can determine the user's travel time based on time information, but can also determine the user's travel time based on location information. For example, the time determination unit determines the travel time from the user's home to the workplace based on location information based on signals from GPS satellites. The time determination unit can determine the transportation used based on the travel time from the home to the workplace. The determination unit may also determine the transportation used from the travel distance and/or travel time from the home to the workplace. In addition, when an employee (user) goes on a business trip or the like and acquires location information that is outside a specified range from the employee's own base, the user's travel time is determined based on location information to the business trip destination. For example, when an employee goes on a business trip or the like and acquires location information indicating that another base is closer than the employee's base, the travel distance from the user's home to the business trip location is determined based on location information to the business trip destination based on signals from GPS satellites.

The registration unit constituting the execution unit 290 can register the input activity amount in association with the identified base. The registration unit can create activity amount information including the acquired company ID and base ID, time information including the current time, and the received type-specific information and activity amount, and register the information in the activity amount storage unit.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 can calculate the greenhouse gas emission amount based on the activity amount stored in the activity amount storage unit. The emission calculation unit accepts the specification of the company ID and base ID to be calculated, reads out the activity amount information corresponding to the accepted company ID and base ID from the activity amount storage unit, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the accepted company ID and the type specification information included in the activity amount information from the emission coefficient storage unit for each of the read activity amount information, and multiplies the activity amount included in the activity amount information by the read emission coefficient, thereby calculating the emission amount. The emission calculation unit may calculate the emission amount by adding up all the calculated emission amounts, or may add up the emission amounts by scope and category. The emission calculation unit may also add up the emission amounts for each base, or may add up the emission amounts for each base, scope, and category. The emission calculation unit can output the calculated emission amount (for example, transmit it to the user terminal 100).

The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount based on the travel distance. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount based on the travel time. The emission calculation unit calculates the emission amount based on the amount of carbon dioxide per person travelling per kilometre on the means of transport used (train, bus, or fuel in the case of a private car). The emission amount may also be calculated based on the amount of fuel consumed or the amount of electricity consumed.

In addition, when the moving body is a car (including trucks), ship, train, airplane, etc., emissions can be calculated using a fuel method that calculates emissions, which are energy usage, from fuel usage (energy usage = fuel usage x unit heat value), a fuel consumption method that calculates emissions (energy usage) from fuel consumption and transport distance (energy usage = transport distance / fuel consumption x unit heat value), an improved ton-kilometer method that calculates emissions (energy usage) from the load factor and fuel type of the vehicle and transport ton-kilometers by maximum load (energy usage = transport ton-kilometers x improved ton-kilometer method fuel usage unit x 1/1000 x unit heat value. Transport ton-kilometers are calculated as transport weight x transport distance), or a conventional ton-kilometer method that calculates emissions (energy usage) from transport ton-kilometers by transport means (energy usage = transport ton-kilometers x energy usage unit x 1/1000. Transport ton-kilometers are calculated as transport weight x transport distance).

<Operation>
26 is a diagram for explaining the operation 1 of the 18th function. The user terminal 100 identifies the location of the user terminal 100 from a GPS signal or the like, and accepts an input of the activity amount (and type-specific information) from the user, and the management server 200 receives the location information and the activity amount (and type-specific information) from the user terminal 100 (S2601). The management server 200 identifies base information (base information including the closest location information from the received location information, or base information corresponding to the user that includes the closest location information from the received location information) based on the received location information (S2602), and registers activity amount information including the base ID and company ID included in the identified base information and the received activity amount and type-specific information in the activity amount storage unit (S2603). Note that the time information is also stored here, but the time information may be time information in a predetermined unit including the current time (for example, it can be expressed in any unit of time such as one hour, one day, one week, one month, one year, etc.), or the user terminal 100 may accept input of time information together with the activity amount from the user and transmit it to the management server 200. The management server 200 identifies an emission coefficient corresponding to the activity amount information for each registered activity amount information, and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the identified emission coefficient (S2604). The management server 200 can aggregate the calculated emission amount for each base and output (for example, transmit to the user terminal 100) (S2605).

In this way, the base to be input can be identified based on the user's location, and the amount of activity can be easily input by specifying that base.

Furthermore, the discharge amount can be registered by using the "activity amount" in FIG. 26 as the "discharge amount."
The user terminal 100 identifies the location of the user terminal 100 using GPS signals or the like, and accepts input of the emission amount (and type identification information indicating the type of emission amount) from the user, and the management server 200 receives the location information and the emission amount (and type identification information) from the user terminal 100 (S2601).
The type-specific information of the emission amount may be the same as the type-specific information of the activity amount. The management server 200 identifies base information (base information including the closest position information from the received position information, or base information corresponding to the user that includes the closest position information from the received position information) based on the received position information (S2602), and registers emission information including the base ID and company ID included in the identified base information and the received emission amount and type-specific information in the emission storage unit 234 (S2603). Note that the time information is also stored here, but the time information may be time information in a predetermined unit including the current time (for example, it can be expressed by any unit time such as one hour, one day, one week, one month, or one year), or the user terminal 100 may accept input of time information together with the emission amount from the user and transmit it to the management server 200. The management server 200 can aggregate the emission amount for each base and output it (for example, transmit it to the user terminal 100) (S2605). Note that, in the case of registering the emission amount, S2604 is not executed.

In this way, the base to be input is identified based on the user's location, and emissions can be easily input specifying that base.

In addition, the satellite data can be used to analyze the past and future surface conditions at each base in a chronological order. The base in this example may be, for example, a place where greenhouse gas emitting activities are carried out, such as a business office or a factory, or may be a predetermined area where an entity that carries out greenhouse gas emitting activities, including one or more business offices or factories, is present. The predetermined area is preferably an area of a predetermined area. The satellite data is image data taken from a GPS satellite. The satellite data is image data of the base of the entity that emits greenhouse gas, and is image data showing an area of a predetermined area. The satellite data is acquired by an acquisition unit. The image data to be analyzed is the first satellite data acquired at a first point in time (e.g., one year ago) and the second satellite data acquired at a second point in time (e.g., the present), and these are compared and analyzed. The first satellite data and the second satellite data are image data showing an area of the same area (the same base). The analysis is performed by an analysis unit. The analysis is performed by comparing the green space area and the forest area in the image data. By analyzing satellite data in this way, it is possible to analyze changes in land use over time, such as the reduction in green spaces and forests. In addition, by analyzing satellite data, it is possible to estimate and register the amount of activity at bases. This type of analysis makes it easy to register the amount of activity at bases. Registration is carried out by the Registration Department. This analysis also makes it possible to analyze biodiversity risks, etc. This is particularly effective when identifying materiality.

Figure 27 is a diagram explaining operation 2 of the 18th function. The management server 200 acquires satellite data of the base of the greenhouse gas emitter (S2701). Next, the management server 200 analyzes the satellite data in time series (S2702). Next, the management server 200 registers the activity amount at the base in the registration unit based on the analysis result (S2703). Next, operation 1 may be executed, or may be configured as follows. The management server 200 identifies the position of the base from the satellite data and stores the position information of the identified base in the base information storage unit. The management server 200 accepts input of the position information of the base and the activity amount by the emitter in the activity amount input unit. The management server 200 refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information by the base identification unit. The management server 200 registers the activity amount at the base in the activity amount storage unit based on the analysis result. Also, the management server 200 registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.

In this embodiment, the input of the amount of activity is accepted from the user, but for example, if the emission coefficient can vary for each location, the input of the emission coefficient can be accepted, the location to be input is identified according to the location information of the user terminal 100, and the emission coefficient of the identified location can be registered.

The calculation unit 210, input unit 220, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

Function 18 also includes the configuration shown in the following example.

(Example 1: Registering sales activities)
A salesman from the Kyushu branch uses a company vehicle to conduct sales activities in Miyazaki Prefecture. He uploads the receipt from the place where he filled up with gasoline using his smartphone. The GPS location information is used to register the amount of activity at the Kyushu branch, which is the nearest registered base. an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emission entity for each of the bases; an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal (for example, location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch performs sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki prefecture) and the amount of activity (for example, the amount of activity when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch performs sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki prefecture) from a user's mobile terminal (for example, uploading a receipt with a smartphone at a place where gas was filled up); a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (for example, identifies the Kyushu branch) based on the location information (for example, location information for Miyazaki prefecture based on a signal from a GPS satellite); and a registration unit that registers the acquired amount of activity in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base (for example, registering as the amount of activity of the Kyushu branch). In this way, it is possible to easily register the amount of greenhouse gas activity. Note that it is also possible to use the amount of emission instead of the amount of activity. In this case, an emission storage unit is provided that stores the amount of emission by the emitter for each base, and a registration unit is provided that registers the acquired emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with the specified base (for example, registers it as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office). In this way, it is possible to easily register the amount of greenhouse gas emission.

In Example 1, the following configuration allows the target emission amount to be set with reference to the registered emission amount. The device includes an emission amount storage unit that stores the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the emitter, an input unit that accepts input of the emission amount reduction target rate by the emitter, a base point in time, and a target point in time, a unit reduction amount calculation unit that acquires the emission amount corresponding to the base point in time from the emission amount storage unit, calculates the amount of reduction by multiplying the acquired emission amount by the reduction target rate, and calculates the unit reduction amount by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the base point in time to the target point in time, a target emission amount calculation unit that calculates the target emission amount by subtracting the cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to the base point in time for each unit time, and an output unit that outputs the target emission amount for each unit time.

(Example 2: Presenting and registering sales activities)
Using the location information (identified from GPS or Wi-Fi) of the device (assuming a smartphone), the GHG information (for example, activity amount, emission amount) recorded by the device is identified as the location closest to a pre-registered base. When a manager of a convenience store uses a smartphone to register activity amount as GHG information, the system suggests the location closest to pre-registered store data. It is also possible to replace "GHG registration" with photographing and uploading supporting data. The information processing system includes a base information storage unit that stores information for identifying the location of each base (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch) of a greenhouse gas emitter, an activity amount storage unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount) that acquires the location information of the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a store under the jurisdiction of the Kyushu Branch conducts business activities in Miyazaki Prefecture. This location information is the location information of the store) and the activity amount (e.g., activity amount at the store) from the user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu Branch) based on the location information (e.g., store location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite), a presentation unit that can present the identified base to the user, and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers it as the activity amount of the Kyushu Branch). This makes it easy to register the activity amount of greenhouse gases. Moreover, by presenting the specified base, it is possible to easily register the base. Incidentally, it is also possible to use the amount of emission instead of the amount of activity. In this case, an emission storage unit is provided that stores the amount of emission by the emitter for each base, and a registration unit is provided that registers the acquired emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with the specified base (for example, registers it as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office). In this way, it is possible to easily register the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

(Example 3: Registration of business activities and emission factors)
A salesman from the Kyushu branch uses a sales vehicle to conduct sales activities in Miyazaki Prefecture. A receipt is uploaded using a smartphone at the location where gasoline was filled up. The receipt is registered as the amount of activity for the Kyushu branch, which is the nearest registered location, from the GPS location information. When the amount of activity and location information are obtained, a location-based emission coefficient that is unique to the area of that location is set. A location information storage unit stores information identifying the location of each location of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch), an activity amount storage unit stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each location, and location information of the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity (e.g., activity amount when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) are obtained from the user's mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity are stored in the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture). The information processing system includes an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount) that uploads receipts to a smartphone via a GPS satellite, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (for example, identifies the Kyushu branch office) based on the location information (for example, location information of Miyazaki Prefecture based on a signal from a GPS satellite), and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base (for example, registers as the activity amount of the Kyushu branch office), and the registration unit registers an emission coefficient corresponding to the activity amount and the location information. In this way, it is possible to easily register the activity amount of greenhouse gases. In addition, by automatically registering the location-based emission coefficient used in the area of the base based on the location information, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of selecting and registering different emission coefficients for each country and area. Note that the amount of emission can be used instead of the amount of activity. In this case, an emission amount storage unit is provided that stores the amount of emission by the emitter for each base, and a registration unit is provided that registers the acquired emission amount in the emission amount storage unit in association with the identified base (for example, registers as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office). This will make it easier to register greenhouse gas emissions.

(Example 4: Registering sales activities and daily reports/operational status)
A salesman from the Kyushu branch uses a sales vehicle to conduct sales activities in Miyazaki Prefecture. A receipt is uploaded using a smartphone at the location where gasoline was filled up. The receipt is registered as the amount of activity of the Kyushu branch, which is the nearest registered location, based on the GPS location information. The amount of activity is stored as time-series information and registered as a daily report or operating status. A location information storage unit stores information identifying the location of each location of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch), an activity amount storage unit stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each location, and location information of the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity (e.g., activity amount when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) are obtained from the user's mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity are stored (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture). The information processing system includes an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount) that uploads receipts at locations where the receipts are collected by smartphones), a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (for example, identifies the Kyushu branch office) based on the location information (for example, location information of Miyazaki Prefecture based on signals from GPS satellites), and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit (for example, registers as the activity amount of the Kyushu branch office) in association with the identified base, and the registration unit registers the activity amount as time-series information. In this way, it is possible to easily register the activity amount of greenhouse gases. Note that emission amount can be used instead of the activity amount. In this case, an emission amount storage unit that stores the emission amount by the emitter for each base is provided, and a registration unit that registers the acquired emission amount in the emission amount storage unit (for example, registers as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office) in association with the identified base. In this way, it is possible to easily register the emission amount of greenhouse gases. In addition, by registering and managing the activity amount and emission amount in a chronological order as time-series information, it is possible to grasp the creation of daily reports and the operation status. The device includes a daily report creation unit that creates a daily report and an output unit that outputs the created daily report. The device also includes a management unit that manages the amount of activity as time-series information and an output unit that outputs information (such as a graph) showing the operating status.

(Example 5: Registering supporting data)
The system automatically determines which branch, store, or other location information is associated with the pre-registered location information and location information from the smartphone's GPS function, and automatically links the uploaded invoice and other data to that location. 6. An information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch); a supporting data storage unit that stores supporting data for each base (e.g., invoices, etc.); an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and supporting data) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal of a user (e.g., location information when a store under the jurisdiction of the Kyushu branch conducts business activities within Miyazaki Prefecture. This location information is location information of the store) and the supporting data; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch) based on the location information (e.g., location information for Miyazaki Prefecture based on signals from GPS satellites); and a registration unit that registers the acquired supporting data in the supporting data storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registering as supporting data for the Kyushu branch). In this way, by registering supporting data such as invoices for calculating greenhouse gas emissions together with location information, it is possible to easily register emissions.

The information processing system in Example 5 may also include a voucher acquisition unit that acquires supporting data displaying basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, a basic data acquisition unit that reads out the basic data from the supporting data, a supporting data storage unit that stores the supporting data, an emissions calculation unit that calculates the emissions based on the basic data, a correspondence database that links and stores information identifying the emissions and information identifying the supporting data, and a supporting data output unit that accepts designation of information identifying the emissions, identifies the supporting data corresponding to the designated emissions from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified supporting data from the supporting data storage unit.

(Example 6: Employee's commute: distance traveled Ver.)
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch); an emission amount storage unit that stores an amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts an input of position information) that acquires position information of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal (e.g., position information when a salesperson at the Kyushu Branch travels from his/her home to the Kyushu Branch where he/she works); a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu Branch) based on the position information (e.g., position information based on a signal from a GPS satellite); a distance identification unit that identifies a travel distance of the user based on the position information (e.g., position information based on a signal from a GPS satellite) (e.g., identifies the travel distance from home to the workplace); an emission amount calculation unit that calculates an emission amount based on the travel distance; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers it as an emission amount of the Kyushu Branch). This will make it easier for employees to register their greenhouse gas emissions related to their commuting.

(Example 7: Employee's commute: travel time version)
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch); an emission amount storage unit that stores an amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts an input of location information) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch travels from his/her home to the Kyushu branch where he/she works); a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch) based on the location information (e.g., location information based on signals from GPS satellites); a time identification unit that identifies a travel time of the user based on the location information (e.g., location information based on signals from GPS satellites) (e.g., identifies the travel time from home to the workplace); an emission amount calculation unit that calculates emissions based on the travel time; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emissions in the emission amount storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers as emissions of the Kyushu branch). This will make it easier for employees to register their greenhouse gas emissions related to their commuting.

(Example 8: Employee business trip: Distance traveled Ver.)
A base information storage unit stores information for identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch), an emission storage unit stores the amount of emission by each base, an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal of a user (e.g., location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch moves from his/her home to the Kyushu branch where he/she works, or location information when he/she goes on a business trip to Hokkaido) and a base information storage unit that acquires the location information from the mobile terminal of the user (e.g., location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch moves from his/her home to the Kyushu branch where he/she works, or location information when he/she goes on a business trip to Hokkaido). an information processing system comprising: a base identification unit that identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch office) based on location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite) (if the location information is obtained outside a predetermined range from the base), a distance identification unit that identifies the travel distance of the user (e.g., identifies the travel distance from home to the location of the business trip) based on the location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite), an emission calculation unit that calculates emissions based on the travel distance, and a registration unit that registers the calculated emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers them as emissions of the Kyushu branch office). This makes it easy to register greenhouse gas emissions related to employee business trips.

(Example 9: Employee business trip: travel time version)
A base information storage unit stores information for identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch), an emission storage unit stores the amount of emissions by each of the emitters, and an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information) acquires location information of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch moves from his/her home to the Kyushu branch where he/she works, or location information when he/she goes on a business trip to Hokkaido), and a base information storage unit stores the location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite) by referring to the base information storage unit. an information processing system comprising: a base identification unit that identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch office) based on location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite) (if the location information is obtained outside a predetermined range from the base), a time identification unit that identifies the travel time of the user (e.g., identifies the travel time from home to the location of the business trip) based on the location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite), an emission calculation unit that calculates emissions based on the travel time, and a registration unit that registers the calculated emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers them as emissions for the Kyushu branch office). This makes it easy to register greenhouse gas emissions related to employee business trips.

(Example 10: Transportation, delivery)
A base information storage unit stores information for identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch), an emission amount storage unit stores the amount of emission by each base, an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of position information) that acquires position information of a mobile terminal (of a user) installed in a mobile object (e.g., position information when a delivery truck of the Kyushu branch moves from the Kyushu branch to Miyazaki Prefecture), and a base information storage unit that acquires the position information (e.g., position information of a GPS satellite signal) by referring to the base information storage unit. an information processing system comprising: a base identification unit that identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch office) based on the position information (e.g., position information based on a signal from a GPS satellite), a distance identification unit that identifies a travel distance of the mobile object based on the position information (e.g., position information based on a signal from a GPS satellite) (e.g., identifies the travel distance from the Kyushu branch office to a delivery point in Miyazaki prefecture), an emission calculation unit that calculates an emission amount based on the travel distance, and a registration unit that registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers it as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office). This makes it easy to register greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation and delivery.

(Example 11: Variations in transportation and delivery)
a base information storage unit that stores information specifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch); an emission amount storage unit that stores the amount of emission by each of the bases; an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information) that acquires location information of a mobile terminal (of a user) provided on a mobile object (e.g., location information when a delivery truck of the Kyushu branch moves from the Kyushu branch to Miyazaki Prefecture); and a base information storage unit that references the base information storage unit and acquires location information based on the past location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite). an information processing system comprising: a base identification unit that identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch office) by using the location information, a distance identification unit that identifies a travel distance of the mobile object based on the location information (e.g., location information based on a signal from a GPS satellite) (if the location information is obtained that is outside a predetermined range from the base) (e.g., identifies the travel distance from the Kyushu branch office to a delivery point in Miyazaki prefecture), an emission calculation unit that calculates an emission amount based on the travel distance, and a registration unit that registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers it as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office). This makes it easy to register greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation and delivery.

(Example 12: Registering sales activities and travel routes)
A salesman from the Kyushu branch uses a sales vehicle to conduct sales activities in Miyazaki Prefecture. A receipt is uploaded using a smartphone at the location where gasoline was filled up. The amount of activity is registered as the amount of activity at the Kyushu branch, which is the nearest registered location, from the GPS location information. The route traveled by the salesman is identified. A location information storage unit stores information identifying the location of each location of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch), an activity amount storage unit stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each location, and location information of the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity (e.g., activity amount when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) are obtained from the user's mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity are obtained from the user's mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesman from the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture). The information processing system is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount) that uploads receipts by a smartphone; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (for example, identifies the Kyushu branch office) based on the location information (for example, location information of Miyazaki Prefecture based on a signal from a GPS satellite); a route identification unit that identifies the user's movement route based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit (for example, registers as the activity amount of the Kyushu branch office) in association with the identified base. In this way, it is possible to easily register the activity amount of greenhouse gases. Emission amount can also be used instead of the activity amount. In this case, an emission amount storage unit is provided that stores the emission amount by the emitter for each base, and a registration unit is provided that registers the acquired emission amount in the emission amount storage unit (for example, registers as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office) in association with the identified base. In this way, it is possible to easily register the emission amount of greenhouse gases. In addition, by identifying the route traveled, it is possible to grasp whether the salesperson is conducting sales activities along an efficient route. It is also possible to calculate the emission amount based on the movement route by calculating the movement distance from the movement route.

(Example 13: Registration of the amount of activity and emissions of moving objects)
A mobile body such as a car, truck, motorcycle, train, airplane, ship, heavy machinery, etc. is used for business activities. A mobile terminal (information terminal) is provided on the mobile body. The mobile terminal may be directly or indirectly attached to the mobile body, or the mobile terminal may be provided on the mobile body when the user boards and operates the mobile body while holding the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal automatically acquires (automatically accepts) location information, activity amount, and discharge amount information from the mobile terminal provided on the mobile body. The mobile terminal can output the activity amount based on the moving distance and operating time of the mobile body. The discharge amount can also be calculated and output. The operating time can be calculated from information (time information) indicating the time when the activity was performed. The time information can be output from the mobile terminal to the information processing system at a predetermined interval, and the information processing system can calculate the activity amount and discharge amount based on this time information. The time information may be information indicating the state in which the mobile body is powered on. The mobile terminal recognizes (confirms, receives time information) the time when the mobile body is powered on (on time), and can calculate the activity amount and discharge amount based on this on time. The information processing system acquires location information and activity amount (emissions) from the mobile terminal, and registers the activity amount (emissions) of the Kyushu branch, which is the registration base, based on the location information.

According to Example 13, the information processing system includes a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch); an activity amount storage unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch performs sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) and the amount of activity (e.g., activity amount when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch performs sales activities using a sales vehicle in Miyazaki Prefecture) from a user's mobile terminal installed in a mobile object; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch) based on the location information (e.g., location information for Miyazaki Prefecture based on a signal from a GPS satellite); and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registers it as the activity amount of the Kyushu branch). In this way, it is possible to easily register greenhouse gas activity amounts. Emission amounts can also be used instead of activity amounts. In this case, an emission amount storage unit is provided that stores the emission amounts by the emitters for each base, and a registration unit is provided that registers the acquired emission amounts in the emission amount storage unit in association with the identified base (for example, registering as the emission amount of the Kyushu branch office). In this way, it is possible to easily register greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Example 13, the information processing system includes a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., Kanto Branch, Tokai Branch, Kansai Branch, Kyushu Branch, Tohoku Branch, Hokkaido Branch); a storage unit that stores the input time of the mobile body by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit (an input unit that accepts input of location information and input time) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal (e.g., location information when a salesperson at the Kyushu branch conducts sales activities in Miyazaki prefecture using a sales vehicle) and the power-on time of the mobile body (e.g., the time when the power of the sales vehicle is turned on) from a user's mobile terminal installed on the mobile body; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base (e.g., identifies the Kyushu branch) based on the location information (e.g., location information for Miyazaki prefecture based on signals from GPS satellites); and a registration unit that registers the acquired input time in the storage unit in association with the identified base (e.g., registering it as the input time related to the activity amount and emission amount of the Kyushu branch). In this way, the input time required to calculate activity levels and emissions can be obtained, making it easier to register activity levels and emissions.

Function 18 can also address the issue of there being no mechanism for users to provide information regarding offsetting emissions. Function 18 also aims to provide technology that can provide information regarding offsetting emissions of environmentally hazardous substances.

<System overview relating to an example of adding the 18th function>
An information processing system (also referred to as an offset support system) according to an example of adding the 18th function will be described below. This information processing system supports users who are users to offset environmental load substances. The environmental load substances are assumed to be greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). In this information processing system, the CO2 emissions related to the user's actions accompanied by CO2 emissions are calculated. The actions accompanied by CO2 emissions may include, for example, the use of transportation, the purchase of goods at EC sites, convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores, etc., and the display of goods and services. When using transportation, for example, CO2 is emitted by combustion in an internal combustion engine. When purchasing goods at EC sites, etc., CO2 is emitted from trucks, etc. when the goods are delivered. When displaying target items (goods and services), for example, CO2 is indirectly emitted by lighting, etc. when the goods are presented. The information processing system of this embodiment can also offset CO2 emissions. The offset of environmental load substances can be performed, for example, by purchasing offset rights (environmental value) such as J-Credits.

The information processing system generates an image (second image, hereafter referred to as frame image) to be composited with an image (first image) such as a photo related to an action involving CO2 emissions as described above. The frame image can be an image with a transparent background on which information related to the offset performed by the user is depicted. The information processing system can composite the frame image with an image such as a photo of the user to create an image (third image, hereafter referred to as composite image) indicating that the CO2 emissions related to the action have been offset. The information processing system can further post the composite image to a social networking service.

The user terminal 100 is a computer such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or personal computer that serves as a mobile terminal operated by a user. The user can operate the user terminal 100 to access the management server 200 in order to offset CO2 emissions. The user terminal 100 also has, for example, a camera function and can take photographs.

The management server 200 is a computer that calculates the amount of CO2 emissions related to the actions of users and offsets the CO2. The management server 200 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

The SNS server is a computer that provides a social network service. The user terminal 100 and the management server 200 can post messages to the social network service by using the API provided by the SNS server.

The management server 200 has the following functional units: an emission calculation unit, an offset processing unit, an image input unit, an image generation unit, an image synthesis unit, and a posting unit, as well as the following memory units: a behavioral information memory unit, and an environmental value information memory unit.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount of environmental load substances related to the user's behavior. The emission calculation unit can perform calculations using, for example, the Green House Gas (GHG) protocol. The emission calculation unit acquires information (behavior information) related to the user's behavior involving CO2 emissions. The behavior information includes the date and time of the behavior, the type of behavior, and the amount of activity related to the behavior. The behavior information is registered in the behavior information storage unit. The behavior information storage unit stores the behavior information (date and time, type of behavior, amount of activity) in association with the behavior ID that uniquely identifies the behavior and the user ID that identifies the user. The emission calculation unit may receive the behavior information from, for example, the user terminal 100, or may acquire the behavior information from a business that sells products and provides services to the user (for example, a transportation server or an EC site). The emission calculation unit can calculate the amount of emission by multiplying the acquired amount of activity by an emission coefficient specified in the GHG protocol.

The offset processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 performs processing related to offsetting CO2 emissions. Emissions can be offset, for example, by purchasing environmental value such as J-Credits on behalf of the user or the business that provided the product or service. The offset processing unit can, for example, access an external server (not shown) that trades environmental values and purchase environmental value using an API provided by the external server. The offset processing unit may purchase an amount of environmental value corresponding to the amount of emissions each time, or the management server 200 (the system operator, the entity that performs the proxy invalidation such as the system operator) may purchase the environmental value in advance and perform the proxy invalidation. When performing proxy invalidation, the environmental value information storage unit stores the amount of environmental value held by the entity that performs the proxy invalidation, and the offset processing unit can reduce the amount of environmental value held by the entity each time proxy invalidation is performed, and register the amount of environmental value (emission amount) related to the proxy invalidation in the environmental value information storage unit in association with the transfer destination.

Information about the purchased environmental value is registered in the environmental value information storage unit. The environmental value information storage unit can store, in association with a user ID and an action ID that identifies the action, the date and time when the environmental value was purchased, the amount of CO2 emissions to be offset, the type (brand) of the purchased environmental value, the provider (or seller) of the environmental value, the amount of the purchased environmental value, the price of the purchased environmental value, and the like.

The image input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts input of a user image (first image) relating to an action involving CO2 emissions. The user image may be, for example, an image captured by a camera (not shown) provided in the user terminal 100, an image acquired by the user terminal 100 from another computer, a screenshot of the screen of the user terminal 100, or an image of the purchased item provided by the EC site. In other words, the user image can be any image prepared by the user. The user image may be a moving image.

The image generating unit constituting the generating unit 260 generates a frame image (second image) indicating that the CO2 emissions have been offset. As described above, in this embodiment, the frame image is a background-transparent image. The image generating unit can draw, for example, the behavioral information, the calculated emissions of the target item, information on the purchased environmental value, the offset value of the emissions of the target item, the reduction rate value of the amount equivalent to the CO2 emissions of the target item, and the CFP value as a character string in the transparent image. Note that the behavioral information, the calculated emissions of the target item, information on the purchased environmental value, the offset value of the emissions of the target item, the reduction rate value of the amount equivalent to the CO2 emissions of the target item, and the CFP value are emission-related information. The image generating unit may also draw an image such as an arbitrary logo or icon in the frame image. In this embodiment, the image generating unit creates a background-transparent image that displays at least one of the amount of the environmental load substance (CO2) that has been offset, the entity that performed the offset (provider, seller), and the content of the environmental value related to the offset (type, purchase amount, price, date, etc.). When the emission-related information is a text image, and the text image is the name of the target item, the provider, the seller, and/or the details of the environmental value related to the target item (type, purchase amount, price, date, etc.), it is preferable for the emission-related information text image to be the largest image size. This allows you to make a great appeal on social media about your efforts to reduce environmental impact.

The image synthesis unit constituting the generation unit 260 synthesizes a user image (first image) and a frame image (second image) to generate a synthetic image (third image). The generation unit 260 also generates emission-related information regarding greenhouse gas emissions from information related to the amount of activity. The emission-related information is the emission amount value, the emission offset value, and the reduction rate value of the amount of CO2 emitted by the target item. The emission-related information may be a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode that includes information on these values.

The posting unit constituting the output unit 240 can send the composite image to an SNS server and post the composite image to a social networking service. The posting unit can accept a text message about the user image from the user terminal 100 and post the composite image together with the accepted message to the social networking service. The output unit 240 also outputs emission-related information to a mobile terminal. For example, it outputs a QR code (registered trademark) including information on the value of the reduction rate of the amount equivalent to the CO2 emissions of the target item to the user terminal 100. On the user terminal 100, the value of the emission amount of the target item, the value of the offset of the emission amount of the target item, and the value of the amount equivalent to the CO2 emissions of the target item can be confirmed.

Next, the operation of the management server 200 of this embodiment will be described. The emission calculation unit of the management server 200 receives behavioral information from the user terminal 100. Next, the emission calculation unit of the management server 200 calculates the amount of CO2 emissions by multiplying the amount of activity by an emission coefficient. Next, the offset processing unit of the management server 200 purchases environmental value according to the calculated amount of CO2 emissions, and offsets the CO2 emissions. Note that the offset processing unit may also perform proxy invalidation as described above.

Next, the image input unit of the management server 200 receives a user image from the user terminal 100. An example is shown in which an image of a latest PET bottle beverage product is received as the user image. Next, the image generation unit of the management server 200 generates a frame image that depicts information related to the offset. In this example, an example is shown in which the frame image depicts a message indicating that "10g" of CO2 emissions have been offset, and the date and time when the offset was performed. Note that an image of a percentage, which is the rate at which the latest PET bottle beverage has reduced the amount of CO2 emissions equivalent to that of a conventional PET bottle beverage, may also be displayed. Next, the image synthesis unit of the management server 200 creates a composite image by synthesizing the frame image so as to superimpose it on the user image. The composite image depicts information indicating that 10g of CO2 has been offset on the image of the latest PET bottle beverage product.

The posting unit of the management server 200 transmits the composite image to the SNS server and posts the composite image to the social network service. As described above, the posting unit may receive a text message from the user terminal 100 and post the composite image together with the text message to the social network service.

As described above, the information processing system of this embodiment accepts behavioral information related to behavior involving CO2 emissions from a user, automatically calculates the amount of environmental load substances emitted according to the behavioral information (activity amount), and automatically offsets the amount by purchasing an environmental value corresponding to the calculated amount of emissions or by performing proxy invalidation processing. Furthermore, the information processing system of this embodiment can notify people connected to the user that the environmental load substances related to the user's behavior have been offset by superimposing a frame image indicating that the offset has been made onto the user's image and posting the image on a social networking service. By superimposing a frame image onto the user's image and posting the image on a social networking service, the user's efforts to reduce the environmental load related to their behavior can be made very appealing on SNS.

In this embodiment, the management server 200 posts the composite image to a social network service, but this is not limited to the above. The management server 200 may transmit a frame image to the user terminal 100, and the user image and the frame image may be composited on the user terminal 100 side and posted to the SNS server.

In addition, in this embodiment, the behavioral information is acquired from the user terminal 100, but this is not limited to the above, and the behavioral information (amount of activity) may be acquired from a server of a service provider such as an EC site or a travel site. In addition, the emission amount may be calculated on the user terminal 100 side, and the management server 200 may receive the calculation result.

The operation of the management server 200 can also be as follows. The input unit of the management server 200 accepts input of information on the location of the mobile device and the amount of activity from the user's mobile device. Next, the identification unit of the management server 200 refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information. Next, the registration unit of the management server 200 registers the amount of activity from the input information on the amount of activity in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base. Next, the generation unit of the management server 200 generates emission-related information on greenhouse gas emissions (emission value, emission offset value, reduction rate value equivalent to the amount of CO2 emitted by the target item. QR code (registered trademark) or barcode containing information on these values) from the information on the amount of activity. Next, the output unit of the management server 200 outputs the emission-related information to the mobile device.

According to this embodiment, a base information storage unit stores information for identifying the location of each base (country, prefecture, city, town, or village) of a greenhouse gas emitter, and an activity amount storage unit stores the amount of activity by each emitter at each base.
It is possible to provide an information processing system comprising: an input unit that accepts input of location information and information regarding activity amount from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to a base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information; a registration unit that registers the activity amount in the activity amount storage unit from the input information regarding the activity amount in association with the identified base; a generation unit that generates emission-related information regarding greenhouse gas emissions from the information regarding the activity amount (emission value, emission offset value, reduction rate value of the amount equivalent to CO2 emissions of the target item; such as a QR code (registered trademark) or barcode containing information on these values); and an output unit that outputs the emission-related information to the mobile device.

According to this embodiment, a base information storage unit stores information for identifying the location of each base (country, prefecture, city, town, or village) of a greenhouse gas emitter, and an emission amount storage unit stores the amount of emission by each emitter,
It is possible to provide an information processing system comprising: an input unit that accepts input of location information and information regarding emissions from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to a base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information; a registration unit that registers emissions from the inputted emission information in the emission memory unit in association with the identified base; a generation unit that generates emission-related information regarding greenhouse gas emissions from the emission information (emission value, emission offset value, reduction rate value equivalent to the amount of CO2 emitted by the target item; such as a QR code (registered trademark) or barcode containing information on these values)); and an output unit that outputs the emission-related information to the mobile device.

In addition, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an information processing system (information processing device) that is characterized by having an image input unit that accepts input of a first image related to a target item, an image generation unit that generates a second image showing information regarding the greenhouse gas emissions of the target item, an image synthesis unit that synthesizes the first image and the second image, and a posting unit that posts a third image, which is a synthesis of the first image and the second image, to a social network.

According to this embodiment, an information processing system (information processing device) can be provided that includes a calculation unit that calculates the amount of environmentally hazardous substances emitted related to the user's behavior, an offset processing unit that performs processing related to offsetting the amount of emissions, an image input unit that accepts input of a first image related to the behavior, an image generation unit that generates a second image indicating that the offset has been performed, and an image synthesis unit that synthesizes the first and second images. The system can also include a posting unit that posts a third image, which is a synthesis of the first and second images, to a social network. Furthermore, the image generation unit can be characterized by creating a background-transparent image that displays at least one of the amount of the environmentally hazardous substances offset, the entity that performed the offset, and the content of the environmental value related to the offset.

In addition, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an information processing method characterized in that a computer executes the steps of calculating the amount of emissions of environmental load substances related to the user's behavior, performing processing related to offsetting the amount of emissions, accepting input of a first image related to the behavior, generating a second image indicating that the offset has been performed, and synthesizing the first and second images.

In addition, according to this embodiment, a program can be provided that causes a computer to execute the steps of: calculating the amount of emissions of environmentally hazardous substances related to the user's behavior; performing processing related to offsetting the amount of emissions; accepting input of a first image related to the behavior; generating a second image indicating that the offset has been performed; and synthesizing the first and second images.

<Disclosures>
In addition, the 18th function also includes the following configuration.
[Item R1 (P043)]
an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each of the greenhouse gas emitters; an activity amount input unit that receives input of location information of the mobile device and the activity amount from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R2]
An information processing system according to item R1, comprising: an emission coefficient memory unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating the greenhouse gas emission amount; an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount stored in the activity amount memory unit by the emission coefficient; and an emission memory unit that stores the emission amount for each of the base locations.
[Item R3]
An information processing system according to item R1, comprising a user base storage unit that stores information indicating the base in correspondence with the user, and the base identification unit refers to the user base storage unit and the base information storage unit to identify the base corresponding to the user.
[Item R4 (P048)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires satellite data of a base of a greenhouse gas emitter, an analysis unit that analyzes the satellite data in time series, and a registration unit that registers an amount of activity at the base based on an analysis result. Item R4 may be as follows: An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires satellite data of a base of a greenhouse gas emitter, an analysis unit that analyzes the satellite data in time series, a base information storage unit that stores position information that identifies a position of the base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of the position information of the base and an activity amount by the emitter, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers an amount of activity at the base based on an analysis result, and registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R5 (P043)]
When X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours) is the subject, it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information specifying the position of a base for each base of a business entity; a storage unit that stores the business entity's X information for each base; an input unit that accepts input of the position information and the X information of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information; and a registration unit that registers the input X information in the storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R6 (P048)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires satellite data of a business entity's base; an analysis unit that analyzes the satellite data in time series; and a registration unit that registers X information at the base based on the analysis results.
[Item R7]
An information processing system according to item R4, comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.

[Item R11 (P086, Example 1, Part 1)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile device and the activity amount from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R11 (Example 1, Part 2)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission storage unit that stores the emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the emissions from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R11-2]
An information processing system according to item R11, comprising: an emission amount memory unit that stores greenhouse gas emissions by an emitting entity; an input unit that accepts input of a reduction target rate of emissions by the emitting entity, a base point in time, and a target point in time; a unit reduction amount calculation unit that acquires the emission amount corresponding to the base point in time from the emission amount memory unit, calculates a reduction amount by multiplying the acquired emission amount by the reduction target rate, and calculates a unit reduction amount by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the base point in time to the target point in time; a target emission amount calculation unit that calculates a target emission amount for each unit time by subtracting a cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to the base point in time; and an output unit that outputs the target emission amount for each unit time.
[Item R12 (Example 2, Part 1)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user's mobile device and the activity amount from the mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; a presentation unit that can present the identified base to a user; and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R12 (Example 2, Part 1)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission amount storage unit that stores the emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the emissions from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; a presentation unit that can present the identified base to a user; and a registration unit that registers the acquired emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R13 (Example 3, Part 1)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile device and the activity amount from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base, wherein the registration unit registers an emission coefficient corresponding to the activity amount and the location information.
[Item R13 (Example 3, Part 2)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission memory unit that stores the amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the emission amount from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired emission amounts in the emission memory unit in correspondence with the identified base, wherein the registration unit registers an emission coefficient corresponding to the emission amount and the location information.
[Item R14 (Example 4, Part 1)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires position information of the mobile device and the activity amount from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base, wherein the registration unit registers the activity amount as time-series information.
[Item R14 (Example 4, Part 2)]
a base information storage unit that stores information for identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission amount storage unit that stores an emission amount by each emitter; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the emission amount from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired emission amount in the emission amount storage unit in association with the identified base, wherein the registration unit registers the emission amount as time-series information.
An information processing system comprising:
[Item R15 (Example 5)]
An information processing system comprising: a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; a supporting document data memory unit that stores supporting document data for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the supporting document data from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired supporting document data in the supporting document data storage unit in correspondence with the identified base.
[Item R15-2 (Example 5)]
An information processing system according to item R15, comprising: a voucher acquisition unit that acquires supporting data indicating basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions; a basic data acquisition unit that reads out the basic data from the supporting data; a supporting data storage unit that stores the supporting data; an emission amount calculation unit that calculates the emissions based on the basic data; a correspondence database that links and stores information identifying the emissions and information identifying the supporting data; and a supporting data output unit that accepts designation of information identifying the emissions, identifies the supporting data corresponding to the specified emissions from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified supporting data from the supporting data storage unit.
[Item R16 (Example 6)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission storage unit that stores the amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user's mobile terminal from the mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; a distance identification unit that identifies a travel distance of the user based on the location information; an emission calculation unit that calculates emissions based on the travel distance; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R17 (Example 7)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission storage unit that stores emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user's mobile terminal from the mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; a time identification unit that identifies the user's travel time based on the location information; an emission calculation unit that calculates emissions based on the travel time; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R18 (Example 8)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission amount storage unit that stores the amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user's mobile device from the mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the past location information; a distance identification unit that identifies a distance traveled by the user based on the location information (if location information outside a specified range from the base is acquired); an emission calculation unit that calculates an emission amount based on the travel distance; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R19 (Example 9)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission storage unit that stores the amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile device from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the past location information; a time identification unit that identifies the user's travel time based on the location information (if location information outside a specified range is acquired from the base); an emission calculation unit that calculates emissions based on the travel time; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emissions in the emission storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R20 (Example 10)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission amount storage unit that stores the emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal installed in a mobile body; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; a distance identification unit that identifies a traveled distance of the mobile body based on the location information; an emission calculation unit that calculates an emission amount based on the traveled distance; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emission amount in the emission memory unit in correspondence with the identified base.
[Item R21 (Example 11)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission amount storage unit that stores the amount of emissions by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user's mobile terminal from the mobile terminal installed in a mobile body; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the past location information; a distance identification unit that identifies a distance traveled by the mobile body based on the location information (if the location information acquired is outside a specified range from the base); an emission calculation unit that calculates an emission amount based on the travel distance; and a registration unit that registers the calculated emission amount in the emission memory unit in correspondence with the identified base.
[Item R22 (Example 12)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a position of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires position information of a mobile device and the activity amount from a user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information; a route identification unit that identifies a travel route of the user based on the position information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R23 (Example 13)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the amount of activity from a user's mobile terminal installed in a mobile object; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired amount of activity in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R24 (Example 13)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; a memory unit that stores the power-on time of a mobile body by the emitter for each base; an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the mobile terminal and the power-on time of the mobile body from a user's mobile terminal installed in the mobile body; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the acquired power-on time in the memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item R25 (Example 13)]
an information processing system comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter; an emission storage unit that stores the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the emitter for each base; an input unit that accepts input of location information of the mobile terminal and the emission amount from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the input emission amount in the emission storage unit in correspondence with the identified base.

<<Credit function (19th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to eighteenth functions is an embodiment of the nineteenth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emission rights are traded. There is an issue that registering offsettable greenhouse gas emissions is time-consuming. The nineteenth function aims to make it easier to register offsettable greenhouse gas emissions.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the 19th function will be described below. The information processing system according to this embodiment is intended to support trading of greenhouse gas emission rights (J-credits are assumed in this embodiment, but emission rights other than J-credits can also be applied). Emission rights created by greenhouse gas emission reduction or absorption are matched with the greenhouse gas emissions to be offset. The number of J-credits available varies depending on the greenhouse gas emission activity. In addition, the number of J-credits available for reporting varies depending on the rules such as the Global Warming Act, the Energy Conservation Act, SBT, CDP, and RE100. In the information processing system according to this embodiment, available emission rights are provided to a user (hereinafter referred to as a user) who wishes to offset greenhouse gas emissions.

The information processing system of the 19th function includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicatively connected to each of the owner terminal as the user terminal 100, the user terminal as the user terminal 100, and the invalidation server via the communication network 300.

The holder terminal is a computer operated by a user (hereinafter referred to as the holder of the emission rights) who has created emission rights by reducing or absorbing greenhouse gas emissions. The holder terminal may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, etc. The holder terminal is connected to be able to communicate with the user terminal, the management server 200, and the invalidation server via the communication network 300.

The user terminal is a computer operated by a user. The user terminal may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, etc. The user terminal is connected to be able to communicate with the owner terminal, the management server 200, and the invalidation server via the communication network 300.

The management server 200 is a computer that manages information related to emission rights and proposes emission rights to users. The management server 200 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

The invalidation server is a computer of an organization that issues emission credits and invalidates greenhouse gas emissions based on emission credits (the organization that operates the J-Credit Scheme). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the invalidation process is performed by sending a request to invalidate the emission credits to the invalidation server (including, for example, sending a request for invalidation by email). The invalidation server is connected to be able to communicate with user terminals, holder terminals, and management server 200 via communication network 300.

The hardware configuration of the owner terminal, user terminal, and invalidation server can also be the same as that of the management server 200.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 19th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission credit memory unit, offset attribute memory unit, invalidation information memory unit), an input unit 220 (request reception unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission credit acquisition unit), and an execution unit 290 (invalidation processing unit).

The emission rights storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information on emission rights that can offset greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission rights information). The emission rights information may include the name of the emission meter (emission rights name), the attributes of the emission rights, and the maximum value (maximum offset amount) and minimum value (minimum offset amount) of the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission rights, in association with emission rights identification information (emission rights ID) that identifies the emission rights. The minimum offset amount sets the sales unit of the emission rights and can be set arbitrarily by the holder of the emission rights, and may be in units of 1 ton, 50 ton, 100 ton, etc., for example. The attributes may include a methodology related to the emission rights (which specifies the scope of application, the calculation method and monitoring method of the emission reduction/absorption amount for each technology that contributes to emission reduction/absorption). The attributes may include the type of emission rights. The emission rights information is also information on emission rights trading and credits.

The offset attribute memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores attributes of emission credits that can offset emissions related to an activity, in association with activity specific information that identifies the activity. In this embodiment, the offset attribute memory unit stores rule specific information that identifies the rules related to reporting emissions, activity specific information, and attributes in association with each other. The rule specific information can be, for example, "Act on Global Warming Countermeasures," "Energy Conservation Act," "Carbon Offset," "CDP Questionnaire," "SBT," "RE100," etc. The activity specific information can be, for example, "fuel combustion," "electricity use," etc.

The invalidation information storage unit that constitutes the storage unit 230 stores information about the emission amount that the user wishes to offset (hereinafter referred to as invalidation information). The invalidation information can include an invalidation ID that identifies the invalidation information, rule specific information, activity specific information, and the emission amount that is desired to be offset. The invalidation information can also include information indicating whether or not the invalidation process is to be performed automatically on the management server 200 side (automatic invalidation).

<Functional department>
The input unit 220 can accept input of activity specification information that specifies the activity for which the user wishes to offset, and the emission amount related to the activity. In this embodiment, the input unit 220 accepts input of invalidation information. The input unit 220 can transmit screen information that displays an input form for the invalidation information to the user terminal, and can accept the invalidation information by receiving data for each item of the invalidation information from the user terminal. The input unit 220 can register the accepted invalidation information in the invalidation information storage unit.

The emission rights acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 identifies emission rights that can be presented for the invalidation information. The emission rights acquisition unit can refer to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission rights storage unit to identify attributes that correspond to the activity specific information included in the invalidation information, and acquire emission rights specific information that corresponds to the identified attributes and the maximum offsettable amount that is equal to or greater than the emissions included in the invalidation information. In addition, if rule specific information is set in the invalidation information, the emission rights acquisition unit can identify attributes that correspond to the rule specific information and activity specific information included in the invalidation information from the offset attribute storage unit.

The emission rights acquisition unit can present the identified emission rights to the user. The emission rights acquisition unit can, for example, transmit the emission rights information to the user terminal.

The emission rights acquisition unit may search for invalidation information capable of presenting the emission rights for the emission rights information. For example, the emission rights acquisition unit may select a combination (which may be one) of invalidation information such that the emission amount (when there is one invalidation information) or the total emission amount (when there are multiple invalidation information) included in the invalidation information is equal to or less than the maximum offsettable amount of the emission rights information for the emission rights information. The emission rights acquisition unit may also select a combination (which may be one) of invalidation information such that the emission amount (when there is one invalidation information) or the total emission amount (when there are multiple invalidation information) included in the invalidation information is equal to or greater than the minimum offsettable amount. For example, the emission rights acquisition unit may select a combination of invalidation information (or combinations) such that the emission amount (or the total amount) included in the invalidation information is equal to or less than the maximum offsettable amount of the emission rights information and equal to or greater than the minimum offsettable amount for one emission rights information, such that the total amount of emission amount included in the invalidation information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or is at its maximum.

The request reception unit constituting the input unit 220 can receive an invalidation request from a user terminal. The request can include information that identifies the invalidation information (e.g., an invalidation ID) and information that identifies the emission credits (e.g., an emission credit ID).

The invalidation processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 performs processing related to invalidating emissions using emission credits (hereinafter referred to as invalidation processing). As the invalidation processing, the invalidation processing unit can, for example, send an invalidation request including information identifying the emission credits and invalidation information to the invalidation server. In this case, the operator of the management server 200 will perform the invalidation on behalf of the user. Note that the invalidation may also be performed by the user himself.

For invalidation information for which automatic invalidation is "false", the invalidation processing unit can perform the invalidation process in response to an invalidation request from the user terminal. For invalidation information for which automatic invalidation is "true", the invalidation processing unit can perform the invalidation process without receiving a request from the user terminal. In this case, the invalidation processing unit can perform a sale process of the emission rights from the holder to the user prior to the invalidation process. Note that the sales process will not be explained here as it uses the process used in a general trading system.

In addition, when the invalidation processing unit performs invalidation processing for multiple pieces of invalidation information using one emission credit, the invalidation processing unit can perform processing related to the invalidation (for example, sending an invalidation request to the invalidation server) so that the activity-specific information and emission amounts contained in each piece of invalidation information are included in the invalidation notice.

<Operation>
FIG. 28 is a diagram for explaining the operation 1 of the 19th function (a diagram for explaining the process of invalidation information whose automatic invalidation is "false"). The management server 200 accepts input of invalidation information from the user terminal and registers it in the invalidation information storage unit (S2801). The management server 200 acquires attributes corresponding to the rule specific information and the activity specific information included in the invalidation information from the offset attribute storage unit (S2802), and searches the emission credit information corresponding to the acquired attributes and in which the emission amount of the invalidation information is equal to or greater than the minimum offsettable amount and equal to or less than the maximum offsettable amount from the emission credit storage unit (S2803). The management server 200 can transmit the searched emission credit information to the user terminal and present the emission credit to the user (S2804). Here, the management server 200 may perform a process of selling the emission credit to the user. When the management server 200 receives a request for invalidation from the user terminal (S2805), the management server 200 performs an invalidation process using the emission credit related to the emission credit information based on the emission credit information and the invalidation information specified in the request (S2806).

In this way, the management server 200 can present users with emission credits that can be used to offset emissions. The management server 200 can also invalidate emissions on behalf of users in response to their requests.

Figure 29 is a diagram explaining the operation 2 of the 19th function (a diagram explaining the processing of invalidation information with automatic invalidation set to "true"). The management server 200 accepts input of invalidation information from the user terminal and registers it in the invalidation information storage unit (S2901). The management server 200 acquires rules and activities corresponding to the attributes of the emission rights information from the offset attribute storage unit (S2902). The management server 200 reads out invalidation information corresponding to the acquired rules and activities from the invalidation information storage unit, and selects a combination of invalidation information from the read out invalidation information such that the total emission amount is equal to or greater than the minimum offsettable amount and equal to or less than the maximum offsettable amount (S2903). Here, the management server 200 can select a combination such that the total emission amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The management server 200 may also select a combination such that the total emission amount is maximized. The management server 200 can perform invalidation processing such that the activity specification information and emission amount included in each of the invalidation information included in the selected combination are included in the invalidation notice (S2904).

In this way, the management server 200 can automatically execute invalidation processing for the emission amount that the user wishes to offset. Therefore, for example, invalidation information related to an emission amount that is less than the minimum offsettable amount can be invalidated all at once. Also, when offsetting an emission amount that is less than the maximum offsettable amount, invalidation can be performed together with other invalidation information.

In addition, the satellite data can be used to analyze the past and future surface conditions at each base in a chronological order. The base in this example may be, for example, a place where greenhouse gas emitting activities are carried out, such as a business office or a factory, or may be a predetermined area where an entity that carries out greenhouse gas emitting activities, including one or more business offices or factories, is present. The predetermined area is preferably an area of a predetermined area. The satellite data is image data taken from a GPS satellite. The satellite data is image data of the base of the entity that emits greenhouse gas, and is image data showing an area of a predetermined area. The satellite data is acquired by an acquisition unit. The image data to be analyzed is the first satellite data acquired at a first point in time (e.g., one year ago) and the second satellite data acquired at a second point in time (e.g., the present), and these are compared and analyzed. The first satellite data and the second satellite data are image data showing an area of the same area (the same base). The analysis is performed by an analysis unit. The analysis is performed by comparing the green space area and the forest area in the image data. By analyzing satellite data in this way, it is possible to analyze changes in land use over time, such as the reduction of green spaces and forests. Furthermore, by analyzing satellite data, it is possible to estimate and register the amount of activity at the base. Furthermore, by analyzing satellite data, it is possible to estimate and register the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that can be offset. Through this analysis, it is possible to easily register the amount of activity at the base and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that can be offset. Registration is performed by the registration department. Furthermore, this analysis makes it possible to analyze biodiversity risks, etc. This is particularly effective when identifying materiality. Furthermore, it can lead to greenwashing. Note that there are cases where offsetting is not possible depending on the analysis results, in which case it is possible to estimate and register the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that cannot be offset.

Figure 30 is a diagram explaining operation 3 of the 19th function. The management server 200 acquires satellite data of the base of the greenhouse gas emitter (S3001). Next, the management server 200 analyzes the satellite data in chronological order (S3002). Next, the management server 200 estimates the offsettable greenhouse gas emissions at the base based on the analysis results and registers them in the registration unit (S3003). Next, the following configuration may be used. The management server 200 registers the amount of activity at the base in the registration unit based on the analysis results. The management server 200 identifies the location of the base from the satellite data and stores the location information of the identified base in the base information storage unit. The management server 200 accepts input of the location information of the base and the amount of activity by the emitter in the activity amount input unit. The management server 200 refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information by the base identification unit. The management server 200 registers the amount of activity at the base in the activity amount storage unit based on the analysis results. The input activity amount is registered in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base. Action 3 may also be combined with action 1 or 2.

In this embodiment, one or more pieces of invalidation information are matched to one piece of emission rights information, but one or more pieces of invalidation information may be matched to multiple pieces of emission rights information. In this case, for example, when there is a remainder (fraction) in the emission amount of the invalidation information in units of the minimum offsettable amount, another emission rights information may be matched by that fraction.

For example, in this embodiment, the management server 200 automatically performs the invalidation process (acts as an invalidator), but it may be configured to merely present the user with the emission credits that can be used for invalidation.

The input unit 220, acquisition unit 250, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The nineteenth function also includes the following configuration:
[Item S1 (P046)]
an emission rights storage unit that stores, in association with each other, emission rights specification information that specifies emission rights capable of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, an offsettable amount which is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission rights, and attributes of the emission rights; an offset attribute storage unit that stores, in association with activity specification information that specifies an activity, the attributes of the emission rights capable of offsetting the emissions related to the activity; an input unit that accepts input of the activity specification information that specifies the activity for which a user wishes to offset and the emissions related to the activity; and an emission rights acquisition unit that refers to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission rights storage unit to specify the attributes that correspond to the activity specification information that has been input, and acquires the emission rights specification information that corresponds to the specified attributes and the offsettable amount that is equal to or greater than the emissions that have been input.
[Item S2]
Item S1. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the attributes include a methodology related to the emission credits.
[Item S3]
An information processing system according to item S1, wherein the offset attribute storage unit stores rule specifying information that specifies a rule related to the reporting of the emission amounts, the activity specifying information, and the attributes in association with each other, the input unit accepts input of the emission amounts, the activity specifying information, and the rule specifying information, and the emission credit acquisition unit specifies the attributes that correspond to the input rule specifying information and activity specifying information.
[Item S4]
An information processing system according to item S1, comprising: a request receiving unit that receives an invalidation request from the user; and an invalidation processing unit that, in response to the request, executes processing related to invalidating the emission amount related to the activity indicated by the input activity specification information, using the emission credit specified by the acquired emission credit specification information.
[Item S5]
an invalidation information storage unit that stores the emission right specifying information, the offsettable amount, and the attributes, in association with a minimum amount of the emission right that can be offset, and that stores invalidation information including the activity specifying information and the emission amount; and an invalidation processing unit that performs processing related to invalidating the emission amounts using the emission right, wherein the emission right acquisition unit selects a plurality of the invalidation information so that the total of the emission amounts is equal to or greater than the minimum amount and equal to or less than the offsettable amount, and identifies, for each of the selected invalidation information, the emission right specifying information that corresponds to the invalidation information, and the invalidation processing unit performs processing related to invalidating the emission amounts of the selected invalidation information using the emission right specified by the emission right specifying information.
[Item S6]
An information processing system according to item S5, characterized in that the invalidation processing unit performs processing related to the invalidation so that the activity specification information and the emission amount contained in each of the invalidation information are included in an invalidation notice.
[Item S7 (P049)]
An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires satellite data of a greenhouse gas emission base; an analysis unit that analyzes the satellite data in chronological order; and a registration unit that registers offsettable greenhouse gas emissions at the base based on the analysis results.
[Item S8]
The information processing system described in item S7 includes a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a location of each base of a greenhouse gas emitter, an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from a user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.

<<Comparison function (20th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to nineteenth functions is an embodiment of the twentieth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. There is a challenge in that it is required to grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases throughout the entire supply chain. The twentieth function aims to provide a technology that can grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 20th function will be described using FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, scale information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (activity amount acquisition unit, information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (information presentation unit, emission coefficient presentation unit). Note that the emission coefficient memory unit, scale information memory unit, acquisition unit (activity amount acquisition unit, information acquisition unit), emission amount calculation unit, and presentation unit (information presentation unit, emission coefficient presentation unit) are the same as those in the third function, and therefore will not be described here.

<Operation 1>
Next, the operation 1 of the 20th function as a comparison function will be described with reference to FIG. 31. The management server 200 stores an emission coefficient for calculating the greenhouse gas emission amount for each calculation target in the emission coefficient storage unit (S3101). Next, the management server 200 acquires the activity amount related to the calculation target by the acquisition unit (S3102). Next, the management server 200 calculates the first emission amount corresponding to the first calculation target by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount by the emission amount calculation unit (S3103). The first calculation target is a calculation target that serves as a reference. The first calculation target is exemplified as product A, but is not limited to this, and may be any target for which the emission amount can be calculated. The first calculation target may also be a business entity such as the first business entity.

Next, the management server 200 calculates the second emission corresponding to the second calculation target by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount using the emission calculation unit (S3104). The second calculation target is a calculation target to be compared. The second calculation target is exemplified by a product with a changed specification of product A, but is not limited to this, and may be any target for which emissions can be calculated. The second calculation target may be a business entity such as the second business entity. The second calculation target may be product A or the first business entity, in which case it is product A or the first business entity after a predetermined period of time has passed (e.g., one month later) after the emissions are calculated for the first calculation target.

Next, the management server 200 presents the first emission amount and the second emission amount in a comparable manner by the presentation unit (S3105). An example of a comparable manner is a manner in which the first emission amount and the second emission amount are displayed side by side in a bar graph for comparison, but it may also be a pie chart or a line graph, and is not limited to these. In addition, the comparable manner includes various comparison manners, such as a manner in which the emission amounts are displayed as numbers for comparison.

Although an example of comparing two products, product A and a product with a specification change of product A, is shown, the comparison is not limited to two products, and multiple products such as three products may be compared and displayed. It can also be combined with a function for comparing changes over time, which will be described later. In other words, it is possible to display changes over time in a comparison of multiple products. When comparing changes over time, an analysis function using the analysis unit 280 may be used. For example, a report may be output stating that the amount of emissions has decreased due to this reason. It may also be combined with other functions (for example, the third function). In addition, when product A is composed of parts a and b, and the product with a specification change of product A is composed of parts a and b with changes, that is, when the product is composed of multiple parts, part a is displayed in the order of first priority and part b is displayed in the order of second priority, but the parts with higher emissions may be displayed with higher priority. By displaying in this way, it is possible to focus on parts with high importance in terms of emissions.

In this manner, the information processing system of this embodiment can compare the first emission amount and the second emission amount and present them to the user.

<Operation 2>
Next, the operation 2 of the 20th function as a function for comparing changes over time will be described with reference to FIG. 32. The management server 200 stores an emission coefficient for calculating the greenhouse gas emission amount for each calculation target in the emission coefficient storage unit (S3201). Next, the management server 200 acquires the activity amount related to the calculation target by the acquisition unit (S3202). Next, the management server 200 calculates the first emission amount corresponding to the calculation target by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount by the emission calculation unit (S3203). The calculation target is a reference calculation target. The calculation target is exemplified as product A in May 2023, but is not limited thereto, and may be any target for which the emission amount can be calculated. The calculation target may be a business entity in May 2023, etc. In addition, the first emission amount is exemplified as the emission amount calculated for product A in May 2023.

Next, the management server 200 calculates the second emission corresponding to the calculation target by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the emission calculation unit calculated the first emission (S3204). The second emission is exemplified by the emission calculated for product A in June 2023. Note that the predetermined period of time is exemplified as one month later, but is not limited to this period.

Next, the management server 200 presents the first emission amount and the second emission amount in a comparative manner by the presentation unit (S3205). The comparative manner is, for example, a manner in which the first emission amount and the second emission amount are displayed side by side in a bar graph for comparison, but is not limited to these and may be a pie chart or a line graph. Various comparison manners are included, such as a manner in which the emission amount is displayed as a number for comparison. In addition, the number of bar graphs displayed may be 13 as the number of aging changes, and displayed as a comparative manner. It is preferable that the number of bar graphs displayed is more than 12 months so that the aging changes over at least one year can be confirmed. In addition, it may be combined with the comparison function of operation 1, or may be combined with another function (for example, the third function).

In this manner, the information processing system of this embodiment can compare the first emission amount with the second emission amount and present the change over time to the user.

<Disclosures>
In addition, the 20th function also includes the following configuration.
[Item T1 (P070)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating a greenhouse gas emission amount for each calculation target, an acquisition unit that can acquire an activity amount related to the calculation target, an emission calculation unit that can calculate a first emission amount corresponding to a first calculation target by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount and can calculate a second emission amount corresponding to a second calculation target by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount, and a presentation unit that presents the first emission amount and the second emission amount in a comparable manner. Item T1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base position for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item T2]
An information processing system according to item T1, characterized in that the calculation target is a business entity.
[Item T3]
An information processing system according to item T2, comprising a scale information storage unit that stores, for each of the business entities, scale information indicating at least one of sales scale and asset scale, and wherein the presentation unit, when the emission coefficient corresponding to a first business entity is not registered, reads out the scale information corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit, refers to the scale information storage unit, identifies a second business entity corresponding to the scale information that matches or is similar to the read-out scale information, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the identified second business entity from the emission coefficient storage unit, and presents the read-out emission coefficient.
[Item T4 (P071)]
an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating greenhouse gas emissions for each calculation object; an acquisition unit that can acquire an activity amount related to the calculation object; an emission calculation unit that can calculate a first emission amount corresponding to the calculation object by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount, and that can calculate a second emission amount corresponding to the calculation object by multiplying the emission coefficient by the activity amount after a predetermined period has elapsed since the calculation of the first emission amount; and a presentation unit that presents the first emission amount and the second emission amount in a comparable manner.
[Item T5]
An information processing system according to item T4, characterized in that the calculation target is a business entity.
[Item T6]
An information processing system according to item T5, comprising: a scale information storage unit that stores, for each of the business entities, scale information indicating at least one of sales scale and asset scale; and when the emission coefficient corresponding to a first business entity is not registered, the presentation unit reads out the scale information corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit, refers to the scale information storage unit, identifies a second business entity corresponding to the scale information that matches or is similar to the read-out scale information, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the identified second business entity from the emission coefficient storage unit, and presents the read-out emission coefficient.

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, output unit 240, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<<Emissions intensity display restriction function (21st function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to twentieth functions is an embodiment of the twenty-first function, which will be described in detail below. The twenty-first function is a function for switching between displaying and hiding an emission intensity unit (emission coefficient) whose use is restricted for each user. As background technology, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions is estimated. There is an issue that restrictions on the use of the emission intensity unit may be set. The twenty-first function aims to provide a technology that can appropriately use the emission intensity unit.

In addition, as companies have made progress in calculating and reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fuel, electricity, etc., attention has been focused on "scope 3 emissions," which are emissions other than scope 1 and 2, with the aim of further reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to the company. By calculating scope 3 emissions in addition to scope 1 and 2 emissions, the aim is to provide an information processing system that can grasp greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire supply chain.

The emission unit (emissions coefficient) used to calculate Scope 3 emissions is specified in detail in the emission unit database (hereinafter referred to as DB) used for each category. For example, when calculating greenhouse gas emissions in category 1 "purchased products and services," greenhouse gas emissions are calculated using either an accumulated-based emission unit, an input-output table-based emission unit, a domestic emission unit DB, or an overseas emission unit DB.

Among such emission intensity DBs, there are emission intensity DBs provided free of charge (hereinafter referred to as primary data DBs) and emission intensity DBs provided for a fee (hereinafter referred to as secondary data DBs). Secondary data DBs are sold by providers, and when a business uses a secondary data DB to calculate greenhouse gas emissions (especially Scope 3 emissions), it must purchase the secondary data DB from the provider and obtain permission to use it. Then, in order to calculate greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain, the business uses an information processing system to calculate Scope 1, 2 and Scope 3 emissions. It is desirable that this information processing system registers not only the primary data DB used to calculate Scope 1 and 2 emissions, but also the secondary data DB sold by the provider as master data. And when the secondary data DB is registered in the information processing system as master data, a problem arises in that, while the calculated greenhouse gas emissions are displayed to all users of the information processing system, users who have the authority to license the secondary data DB and users who do not have the authority to license the use of the secondary data DB must be properly managed.

In addition, the emission unit values registered in the secondary data database are broken down to a level of granularity that is not used in practice by businesses that calculate greenhouse gas emissions. Businesses that calculate greenhouse gas emissions only need to be able to calculate greenhouse gas emissions at the level of granularity that they use in practice, and in some cases do not need to purchase a secondary data database.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the 21st function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment is intended to manage greenhouse gas emissions by emitters such as companies. The information processing system of this embodiment accepts input of the amount of activity of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the emitter's supply chain, and multiplies this by an emission intensity (emission coefficient) to calculate the amount of emissions.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the emission intensity units are sold by a business operator (hereinafter referred to as a provider) and that the provider has given permission to use the emission intensity units. The information processing system of this embodiment manages users who have obtained permission to use the system, and while displaying the calculated emission amount to all users, it does not display the emission intensity units to users who have not obtained permission to use the system. Furthermore, the information processing system of this embodiment does not display the activity amount to users who have not obtained permission to use the system, thereby making it impossible to estimate the emission intensity units.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 21st function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (activity amount memory unit, emission intensity memory unit, user memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an execution unit 290 (emission intensity unit registration unit), an acquisition unit 250 (activity amount acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the activity amount related to the activity of emitting greenhouse gases. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance (ton-kilometers) transported by logistics, the amount of fuel consumed (liters) and the amount of money (yen). The activity amount memory unit can store the activity amount in association with information identifying the activity amount (activity amount ID), information identifying the emitter (company ID), information identifying the activity that emits greenhouse gases (activity identification information), and time information. The activity identification information can be in any form as long as it is information for identifying the activity. For example, when an ID (activity ID) that uniquely identifies the type of activity is set in the data input to the management server 200, the activity ID can be the activity identification information. In addition, information including the type of data and conditions for the values of items included in the data can be the activity identification information. For example, if the data is financial accounting data, the activity specification information can be information specifying "financial accounting data" and the condition that the "account item" is "travel expenses" and the description includes "taxi." In addition, as activity specification information, a function or learning model that inputs data and outputs activity can also be set. Time information is information that specifies the period during which an activity took place. Time information can be, for example, a date, a year, or an academic year.

The emission intensity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including an emission intensity for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission intensity information). There are primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or data obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) and secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from emissions of multiple companies providing the same type of product), but in this embodiment, it is assumed that the emission intensity is secondary data sold by a provider. The emission intensity information may include activity-specific information and emission intensity in association with information identifying the emission intensity (intensity ID), information identifying the provider providing the emission intensity (provider ID), information identifying the set of emission intensity (intensity name), and the version of the set of emission intensity. The provider ID may be, for example, the name of the emission intensity sold by the provider. The version may be, for example, the fiscal year. There may be multiple pairs of activity-specific information and emissions intensity corresponding to one provider ID, intensity unit name, and version pair.

The user memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information for identifying users who can use the emission intensity units. For example, the user memory unit stores, in association with information identifying a user (user ID), a company ID that identifies the emitter to which the user belongs, a provider ID that indicates the provider, the version of the emission intensity units provided by the provider, and a usage permission flag that indicates whether the user is authorized to use the emission intensity units.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information regarding the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount (hereinafter referred to as emission amount information). The emission amount information can include a company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), a scope, a category, an activity amount ID and an emission amount unit ID indicating the activity amount and emission amount unit used to calculate the emission amount, and the emission amount. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range. The scope and category can be the scope and category registered in the classification memory unit described above.

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the activity amount. The activity amount acquisition unit can receive the activity amount from, for example, the user terminal 100. For example, the activity amount can use items included in data exported from an ERP system or the like (export data) or data converted from the export data. These data can be, for example, CSV data, JSON data, or XML data. For example, in CSV data, it is known which item is data for which activity, and the activity can be identified by what value is entered in which item of the CSV data in the activity identification information. In addition, in JSON data, XML data, etc., the type of item of the set data may be tagged or set in an attribute.

The emission intensity registration unit constituting the execution unit 290 registers the emission intensity related to the activity in the emission intensity storage unit. The emission intensity registration unit can receive the emission intensity from the user terminal 100, for example. The emission intensity registration unit can access the provider's computer (not shown), for example, to obtain the version and emission intensity, and register them in the emission intensity storage unit.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission intensity. The emission calculation unit can aggregate the emission amount by scope and category. Note that, for the process of aggregating the emission amount by scope and category, for example, the scope and category corresponding to the activity amount can be specified and aggregated by setting the corresponding scope and category for each activity. The emission calculation unit can create emission information including the calculated emission amount, an activity amount ID indicating the activity amount used to calculate the emission amount, and an intensity ID indicating the emission intensity used to calculate the emission amount, and register it in the emission storage unit.

The output unit 240 outputs the calculated emission amount. The output unit 240 can refer to the user memory unit to determine whether the user to whom the emission amount is to be output (e.g., the user who has accessed the management server 200 from the user terminal 100 and is currently logged in) can use the emission intensity unit used to calculate the emission amount. If the user can use the emission intensity unit, the output unit 240 can output at least one of the activity amount and the emission intensity unit used to calculate the emission amount in association with the emission amount.

If the user is unable to use the emission intensity unit, the output unit 240 does not output either the activity amount or the emission intensity unit used to calculate the emission amount. If the user to whom the output is to be made is unable to use the emission intensity unit, the output unit 240 may mask the activity amount and the emission intensity unit before outputting them.

<Operation>
33 is a diagram explaining the flow of the calculation process of the emission amount. The management server 200 displays the version of the emission intensity unit that the user can use (S3301). For example, the management server 200 can read the intensity unit name and version corresponding to the user ID indicating the user who has logged in to the management server 200 from the user terminal 100 from the user storage unit, and transmit screen data displaying the read intensity unit name and version to the user terminal 100. At this time, the management server 200 can also transmit a list of the activity amount to the user terminal 100.

The management server 200 accepts from the user the activity amount and the emission intensity unit to be used (S3302). The emission intensity unit may be the intensity unit name and version sent in step S301, or the activity specific information and emission intensity unit specification corresponding to the intensity unit name and version sent in step S301 (e.g., it can be specified by the intensity unit ID). The management server 200 can be configured not to accept emission intensity units that differ from the intensity unit name and version sent in step S301.

The management server 200 calculates the amount of emissions by multiplying the specified amount of activity by the emission intensity (S3303), creates emission information including the amount of activity, the emission intensity, and the amount of emissions, and registers this information in the emission memory unit (S3304).

Figure 34 is a diagram explaining the flow of the emission amount output process. The management server 200 reads out the emission amount information stored in the emission amount storage unit, and outputs the emission amount contained in the read emission amount information (S3401). The management server 200 can, for example, acquire a company ID corresponding to a user ID indicating a user who has logged in to the management server 200 from the user terminal 100, and read out the emission amount information corresponding to the acquired company ID from the emission amount storage unit. The management server 200 may also accept time information specified by the user, and narrow down the emission amount information corresponding to the specified time information.

The management server 200 identifies the emission unit name and version corresponding to the unit ID included in the emission information including the output emission amount from the emission unit storage unit (S3402). The management server 200 reads the user ID indicating the user and the usability flag corresponding to the identified unit name and version from the user storage unit, and determines whether the user can use the emission unit based on the read usability flag (S3403).

If the user is able to use the emission unit (S3403: YES), the management server 200 determines whether the number of users is equal to or less than a specific number (S3404). For example, if there is one IDEA license, the specific number is three, and if there are two licenses, the specific number is six. Depending on the number of licenses, the specific number is set to, for example, a multiple of three. Note that S3404 is only applied when the number of users is limited based on the license, so if there is no limit on the number of users, this process is not performed and the process moves to S3405.

If the number of users is equal to or less than a specific number (S3404: YES), the management server 200 outputs the corresponding emission intensity unit and activity amount along with the emission amount (S3405). On the other hand, if the number of users exceeds a specific number (S3404: NO), the management server 200 outputs a mask for the corresponding emission intensity unit and activity amount (S3406). Also, if the user cannot use the emission intensity unit in S3403 (S3403: NO), the management server 200 outputs a mask for the corresponding emission intensity unit and activity amount (S3406).

Figure 35 shows an example of an emission amount output. In the example in this figure, it is assumed that there is a usage restriction on sales for the emission intensity unit related to coal consumption. When the emission intensity unit is available, the activity amount and the emission intensity unit are displayed together with the emission amount, as shown in the figure (a). However, when the user is not authorized to use the emission intensity unit related to coal consumption, both the activity amount and the emission intensity unit are masked and output, as shown in the figure (b). This means that users who are not authorized to use it cannot check the emission intensity unit on the screen, nor can they back-calculate the emission intensity unit from the emission amount.

In this way, the information processing system of function 21 can appropriately utilize the emission intensity unit for which a license is set.

Even if the use of the emission intensity unit is permitted, if the number of users who can use it is limited, the following configuration is used. When the user is permitted to use the emission intensity unit, that is, when the user can use the emission intensity unit, the management server 200 outputs information on at least one of the activity amount and the emission intensity unit and the emission amount to a specific number of users (for example, three users). On the other hand, for users exceeding the specific number, the management server 200 does not output either the activity amount or the emission intensity unit. In this way, the activity amount, emission intensity unit, and emission amount information can be displayed only to the number of users who can use it. Even if the number of users does not exceed the specific number, the user has a function to restrict the display of the emission intensity unit for users who are permitted to use the emission intensity unit. When the function to restrict the display of the emission intensity unit is set, not only are the emission intensity unit and emission amount not displayed on the user terminal 100, but the emission intensity unit and emission amount are not output in the exported data.

While the use of the emission intensity unit is set on a per-user basis, the number of simultaneous uses can also be set for each company. In this case, the management server 200 can further include an online number determination unit and an organization information storage unit.

The user memory unit that constitutes the memory unit 230 stores organization-specific information that identifies the organization to which the user belongs and the number of simultaneous available uses.

The organizational information storage unit that constitutes the storage unit 230 stores a company ID that identifies the organization to which each user belongs.

The online number determination unit constituting the analysis unit 280 determines the online number, which is the number of users belonging to the same organization who are currently accessing the information processing system. The online number determination unit can count the number of users who correspond to a specific company ID among those who are logged in to the management server 200.

The output unit 240 refers to the organization information storage unit to identify the organization (company ID) to which the output destination user belongs, and if the available number corresponding to the company ID is equal to or greater than the online number, it can determine that the emission intensity unit is available.

The calculation process for greenhouse gas emissions is as follows:
(1) The management server 200 outputs information on the emission unit value and the version so that the emission unit value and the version corresponding to the user ID logged in to the information processing system are displayed on the user terminal 100 .
(2) The management server 200 receives from the user the activity amount and the emission unit value to be used.
(3) The management server 200 calculates the greenhouse gas emission amount by multiplying the specified activity amount by the emission intensity, and generates greenhouse gas emission amount information including the activity amount, the emission intensity, and the emission amount. The emission amount information is information in which the activity amount, the emission intensity, and the emission amount are associated with each other.
(4) The management server 200 registers the generated greenhouse gas emission information in the information processing system.

The output process for the calculation results of greenhouse gas emissions is as follows.
(1) The management server 200 receives output of greenhouse gas emission information from a user.
(2) The management server 200 determines whether or not the user who specified the output of the greenhouse gas emission information is authorized to use the secondary data DB. In other words, it determines whether or not the user is authorized to use the secondary data DB.
(3) If the management server 200 determines that the user who specified the output of greenhouse gas emission information is authorized to use the secondary data database, it outputs information on the amount of activity and emission unit, displays these on the user terminal 100, and also outputs information on greenhouse gas emission amounts so that the emission amount values can be displayed on the user terminal 100.
(4) If the management server 200 determines that the user who specified the output of greenhouse gas emission information is not authorized to use the secondary data database, the management server 200 outputs information on greenhouse gas emission amounts without outputting information on activity level and emission unit (which cannot be displayed on the user terminal 100), and processes the information so that the emission amount value can be displayed on the user terminal 100.

The management server 200 performs various display restriction processes as follows.
(1) When the management server 200 determines that the user who specified the output of greenhouse gas emission information is not authorized to use the secondary data DB, the management server 200 outputs the greenhouse gas emission amount while restricting the display of the activity amount and the emission intensity. Restricting the display of the activity amount and the emission intensity means that, although information on "activity amount,""emissionintensity," and "emission amount" are normally output, the corresponding values for "activity amount" and "emission intensity" are not output, and only the value corresponding to "emission amount" is output.
(2) When the management server 200 determines that the user who specified the output of greenhouse gas emission information is not a person authorized to use the secondary data DB, it restricts the coefficient values of the registered secondary data DB (stored in the storage unit 230) so that users who are not authorized to use the secondary data DB cannot view them. Restricting the coefficient values of the secondary data DB so that users who are not authorized to use the secondary data DB cannot view them means that the value corresponding to only the "emissions intensity" is not output, but the values corresponding to the "activity amount" and "emissions amount" are output.
(3) When the management server 200 determines that the user who specified the output of greenhouse gas emission information is not authorized to use the secondary data DB, it restricts the display so that an emission coefficient is not inferred from the displayed data. Restricting the display so that an emission coefficient is not inferred from the displayed data means that, in normal cases, information on "activity amount,""emissionsunit," and "emissions" are each output in a table, but since outputting values corresponding to "activity amount" and "emissions unit" would lead to the inference of "emissions unit," values corresponding to "activity amount" and "emissions unit" are not output and only the value corresponding to "emissions" is displayed.

By using the 21st function, in an information processing system in which both a primary data DB and a secondary data DB are registered as master data, it is possible to properly manage users who have permission to use the secondary data DB and users who do not. It is also possible to provide an environment in which users who have permission to use the secondary data DB and users who do not have permission to use the secondary data DB can coexist and use the secondary data DB.

Next, the function of displaying the total activity amount when any two or more IDEA items are selected will be described with reference to FIG. 35(c). In this example, the case where cherry tomatoes and large tomatoes are selected from among multiple items belonging to tomatoes will be described. It should be noted that this is not limited to these two items, and items such as medium tomatoes are also included. If only one IDEA item is selected, the "activity amount" and "emissions intensity unit" are not displayed so that the emission intensity unit of IDEA is not displayed (as shown in FIG. 35(b)). On the other hand, if multiple IDEA items are selected, the "emissions intensity unit" is not displayed, but the "activity amount" is displayed, as shown in FIG. 35(c). The "activity amount" does not display X1 and Y1, but displays "X1+Y1", which is the sum of cherry tomatoes and large tomatoes. It should be noted that if the emission intensity units of cherry tomatoes and large tomatoes are the same, the management server 200 is configured to limit the output (display) of the value of "X1+Y1". For "emissions unit value," X2 and Y2 are not displayed, and "X2 + Y2," the sum of cherry tomatoes and large tomatoes, is not displayed either. For "emissions amount," X2 and Y2 are displayed, and "X2 + Y2," the sum of cherry tomatoes and large tomatoes, is also displayed. When multiple IDEA items are selected in this way, displaying "emissions amount" and "activity amount" does not allow an accurate "emissions unit value" to be calculated, so "activity amount" can be displayed.

In addition, as a method of displaying greenhouse gas emissions calculated using the secondary data DB while hiding the secondary data DB for users who are determined not to be authorized to use the secondary data DB, the management server 200 can add a certain amount of noise to the emission intensity data, and display values unrelated to the original emission intensity except for the value at the top of the emission intensity value. For example, assume that the exact emission intensity of a certain object is 0.12345 tN2O/t. In this case, the top value at the first decimal place, 1, is not changed, and the other values at the second decimal place and below, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are changed. The emission intensity after the noise addition process is executed is, for example, 0.13456 tN2O/t. In this example, 0.01111 is set as the noise value in the noise addition process. The noise addition process can add noise in the range of -N to +N. The noise addition process also includes an adjustment process that adjusts the top value to a range that does not change. In addition, a random number with a limited range may be generated so that the cumulative error between the items of the emission intensity is within a certain range, and a process of adding noise using this random number value may be performed. In this way, by performing a process of adding a certain amount of noise, the value of the emission intensity can be reported, although it is an approximate value. Note that even if the use of the emission intensity is permitted, if the number of users who can use it is limited, the management server 200 outputs information on at least one of the activity amount and the emission intensity and the amount of emissions to a specific number of users (e.g., three users) if the users are permitted to use the emission intensity, that is, if the emission intensity can be used. On the other hand, for users exceeding the specific number, the management server 200 does not output either the activity amount or the emission intensity. In this way, the information on the activity amount, the emission intensity, and the amount of emissions can be displayed only to the number of users who can use it.

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, output unit 240, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
In addition, the 21st function also includes the following configuration.
[Item U1 (P067)]
an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity related to an activity that emits greenhouse gases; an emission unit storage unit that stores an emission intensity unit for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emissions; a user storage unit that stores information for identifying a user who can use the emission intensity unit; an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission intensity unit; a determination unit that determines whether a user of an output destination can use the emission intensity unit by referring to the user storage unit; and an output unit that outputs at least one of the activity amount and the emission intensity unit and the emission amount if the user of the output destination can use the emission intensity unit, and outputs the emission amount without outputting either the activity amount or the emission intensity unit if the user of the output destination cannot use the emission intensity unit. Item U1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity that emits greenhouse gases (hereinafter referred to as a base), an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item U2]
The information processing system according to item U1, wherein the output unit outputs the activity amount and the emission unit after masking them when the user of the output destination cannot use the emission unit.
[Item U3]
The information processing system described in item U1, characterized in that the user memory unit stores organization identification information that identifies the organization to which the user belongs and the number of simultaneous available uses, and includes an organization information memory unit that stores the organization identification information that identifies the organization to which each user belongs, and an online number identification unit that identifies the online number, which is the number of users belonging to the organization who are accessing the information processing system, and the output unit identifies the organization to which the output destination user belongs by referring to the organization information storage unit, and determines that the emission unit is usable if the number of available uses corresponding to the organization is greater than or equal to the online number.
[Item U4]
the emission unit memory unit stores the emission unit for each activity in association with set identification information that identifies a set of the emission unit, the user memory unit stores the set identification information in association with information for identifying the user who can use the emission unit included in the set identified by the set identification information, and the emission calculation unit accepts designation of the set identification information from an input user who is different from the user of the output destination, and refers to the user memory unit to determine whether the input user is able to use the emission unit corresponding to the designated set identification information, and if so, reads out from the emission unit memory unit the emission unit corresponding to the set identified by the designated set identification information and the activity related to the activity amount, and multiplies the read emission unit by the activity amount to calculate the emissions.
[Item U5 (P068)]
an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity related to an activity that emits greenhouse gases; an emission unit storage unit that stores an emission unit for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emissions; a user storage unit that stores information for identifying users who can use the emission unit; an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission unit; a determination unit that determines whether a destination user can use the emission unit by referring to the user storage unit; and an output unit that, if the destination user is able to use the emission unit, outputs at least one of the activity amount and the emission unit and the emission amount to a specific number of users, while outputting the emission amount without outputting either the activity amount or the emission unit to users exceeding a specific number.
[Item U6]
The information processing system described in item U5, wherein the output unit is capable of outputting the activity amount corresponding to the sum of the multiple emissions when the number of users to which the output is to be made exceeds a specific number and multiple emissions are output.
[Item U7]
The information processing system according to item U6, wherein when the emission intensity of each emission is the same, the activity amount corresponding to the sum of the multiple emission amounts is not output.

<<Const function (22nd function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 21 is set as an embodiment of Function 22, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. There is a problem that it is difficult to grasp the amount of emissions at a construction site because multiple contractors work there. Function 22 aims to provide technology that can calculate the amount of emissions at a construction site.

Below, the information processing system relating to function 22 will be described. The information processing system of function 22 is intended to determine greenhouse gas emissions at a construction site. In function 22, the construction work is assumed to be work in the construction industry. The construction work may be civil engineering or architecture. In function 22, the emissions for each task related to the construction work are calculated. In addition, the information processing system of function 22 allows for budget-versus-actual management of greenhouse gas emissions by calculating and presenting the emissions at the time of planning and the emissions during actual construction work.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 22nd function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (construction plan memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, work performance memory unit, emission amount memory unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit, emission performance calculation unit), and an output unit 240.

The construction plan memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information related to construction plans (hereinafter referred to as construction plan information). The construction plan information can include information identifying the construction site (site ID), information identifying the work planned to be performed in the construction at the construction site (work identification information), and the planned activity amount related to each work. The construction plan information can also include information identifying the worker (which may be an individual worker or the business to which the worker belongs. In this embodiment, this is referred to as the business) who is scheduled to perform the work (business ID).

The construction plan memory unit may be configured, for example, to include a system that manages existing construction plans and a system that manages emissions for each planned task.

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores an emission coefficient for each task related to the construction work. The emission coefficient is a value multiplied by the amount of activity related to the construction work to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the work. The emission coefficient memory unit can store an emission coefficient for each worker (business ID) and task (task specific information).

The work performance memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information relating to work performed in construction (hereinafter referred to as work performance information). The work performance information can include information identifying the worker (business operator ID), information identifying the work performed in construction (work identification information), and a performance value of the activity amount related to the work. The work performance information can also include information identifying the worker who performed the work (business operator ID).

<Functional department>
The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The emission calculation unit can read out an emission coefficient corresponding to the work included in the construction plan from the emission coefficient storage unit, and calculate the planned value of the emission amount for each work by multiplying the read-out emission coefficient by the amount of activity corresponding to the work included in the construction plan information. The emission calculation unit can also calculate the planned value of the emission amount due to the construction work at the construction site by adding up the planned values of the emission amounts due to all the works.

The emission calculation unit may calculate planned emission values corresponding to the work and workers. The emission calculation unit can acquire work planned to be performed in the construction work and the workers who are scheduled to perform the work, as well as the amount of activity, from the construction work plan storage unit, read out emission coefficients corresponding to the acquired work and workers from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiply the activity amount by the emission coefficient to calculate planned emission values corresponding to the work and workers.

The emission performance calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the actual emission amount during construction. The emission performance calculation unit acquires the performance values of the work and the amount of activity from the work performance storage unit, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the acquired work from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiplies the amount of activity by the emission coefficient to calculate the performance values of the emission amount corresponding to the work and the worker.

The emission performance calculation unit can also calculate the performance values of emissions for each worker and task. The emission performance calculation unit can acquire the performance values of the task, worker, and activity amount from the task performance storage unit, read out the emission coefficient corresponding to the acquired task and worker from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiply the activity amount by the emission coefficient to calculate the performance values of emissions corresponding to the task and worker.

The output unit 240 can output the planned and actual emissions at the construction site. The output unit 240 can also output the planned and actual emissions for each task. The output unit 240 can also output the planned and actual emissions for each task and worker.

<Operation>
Next, the process of calculating the emission amount at the construction site will be described with reference to FIG. 36. The management server 200 acquires the planned value of the activity amount for each task included in the construction plan information (S3601). Next, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount by multiplying the emission coefficient corresponding to the task (S3602). Next, the management server 200 acquires the actual value of the activity amount for each task included in the task actual result information (S3603). Next, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount by multiplying the emission coefficient corresponding to the task (S3604). Note that the planned value and actual value of the emission amount may be calculated for each task and worker. Next, the management server 200 outputs the planned value and actual value of the emission amount for each task (and worker) (S3605). In this way, the management server 200 of the 22nd function can calculate the emission amount at the construction site.

The calculation unit 210 of the management server 200 and the output unit 240 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
In addition, the 22nd function also includes the following configuration.
[Item V1]
An information processing system comprising: a construction plan storage unit that stores a construction plan including information specifying work to be performed in the construction and a scheduled activity amount related to the work, an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating the greenhouse gas emission amount due to each work related to the construction, and an emission calculation unit that reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the work included in the construction plan from the emission coefficient storage unit, calculates the emission amount due to the work by multiplying the read-out emission coefficient by the activity amount related to the work, and calculates the emission amount due to the construction by summing up the emissions due to all the works. Item V1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a position of a base for each construction entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount of the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile device from a user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item V2]
The information processing system according to item V1, comprising: a work performance storage unit that stores information identifying the work performed in the construction and work performance including a performance value of the activity amount related to the work; and an emission performance calculation unit that reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the work from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiplies the read-out emission coefficient by the performance value to calculate a performance value of the amount of emissions due to the work.
[Item V3]
The information processing system according to item V1, wherein the construction plan includes information identifying a worker who is scheduled to perform the work, the emission coefficient storage unit stores the emission coefficient for each worker and each work, and the emission calculation unit reads out, from the emission coefficient storage unit, the emission coefficient corresponding to the work included in the construction plan and the worker who is scheduled to perform the work.
[Item V4]
The information processing system according to item V2, wherein the work performance includes information identifying a worker who performed the work, and the emission calculation unit further reads out, from the emission coefficient storage unit, the emission coefficient corresponding to the work included in the work performance and the worker who performed the work.

<<Logistics function (23rd function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 22 is set as an embodiment of Function 23, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. Since logistics is carried out by multiple transport companies, there is an issue that it is not specified how emissions should be calculated. Function 23 aims to provide technology that can appropriately calculate greenhouse gas emissions related to logistics.

The information processing system relating to the 23rd function will be described below. The information processing system relating to the 23rd function is intended to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions related to logistics. In particular, the information processing system relating to the 23rd function calculates the amount of emissions for each piece of luggage related to logistics.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that a shipper requests a transport company that manages logistics (hereinafter, a transport company requested by a shipper is referred to as a business entity) to transport luggage, and although the business entity itself may transport luggage, the business entity may request another transport company (hereinafter, a transport company other than the business entity is simply referred to as a transport company) to transport luggage. Note that the business entity itself does not have to be a transport company. For example, a seller or trading company may act as a business entity and accept a request to transport luggage from a shipper. A transport company may transport luggage from multiple business entities together. In the information processing system of this embodiment, the greenhouse gas emissions by the transport company are apportioned according to the load of luggage linked to a specific business entity, and the emissions for each business entity and each luggage are calculated.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 23rd function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (luggage information memory unit, requested amount memory unit, luggage attribute memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (transportation information acquisition unit, company emission acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emissions calculation unit, basic unit calculation unit, emissions aggregation unit), and an output unit 240.

The luggage information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information about luggage to be delivered by logistics (hereinafter referred to as luggage information). In this embodiment, a luggage is a unit requested by a shipper for delivery. For example, when a shipper delivers 12 products, the shipper may treat one product as one luggage, or may treat one cardboard box in which 12 products are packed as one luggage. The luggage information includes the amount of luggage. The amount of luggage can be expressed by the size and/or weight of the luggage. In this embodiment, the luggage information includes information identifying the business entity (business entity ID) and size and/or weight in association with information identifying the luggage (luggage ID). During delivery, multiple luggage may be mixed in one container such as a pallet or container. Note that one luggage is not disassembled for delivery.

The requested quantity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information regarding requests from shippers (hereinafter referred to as request information). The request information includes a business entity ID that identifies the business entity, information that identifies the transport company requested by the business entity to deliver the package (transport company ID), information that identifies the shipper related to the package (shipper ID), the quantity of package requested from the transport company (size and/or weight), and the number of packages, pallets, containers, and other containers in which the package is loaded.

The luggage attribute storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information related to the attributes of luggage (hereinafter referred to as luggage attribute information). The luggage attribute information includes attributes including at least one of a luggage ID that identifies the luggage, a shipper ID that identifies the shipper of the luggage, a route, and a means of transportation. The luggage attribute information may also include the number of luggage.

<Functional department>
The transport information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires greenhouse gas emissions relating to the means of transport on which the transporter has loaded the cargo, and the proportion of the requested amount from the business entity for the transport means. The transport information acquisition unit acquires the emissions and the proportion of the requested amount for each means of transport. The transport information acquisition unit may acquire an emission coefficient for each transporter and means of transport, and an activity amount of the transporter, and calculate the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient. The transport information acquisition unit may acquire the amount of cargo (size and/or weight) for each business entity that has requested the transporter to transport, and calculate the proportion of the requested amount from a specific transporter according to the amount of cargo.

The emission calculation unit that constitutes the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount related to the transportation of goods for a specific business by apportioning the acquired emission amount by the transport company in proportion to the amount requested by the business entity to the transport company.

The company's own emissions acquisition unit, which constitutes the acquisition unit 250, acquires the greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the business entity itself in relation to the cargo.

The unit calculation unit that constitutes the calculation unit 210 calculates the amount of emissions (emissions unit) for each piece of luggage. The unit calculation unit calculates the total of the amount of emissions by the transport company requested by the business entity (emissions calculated by the emissions calculation unit) and the amount of emissions by the business entity, and divides the total by the amount of luggage to calculate the emission unit for one piece of luggage. The unit calculation unit can calculate the amount of emissions (emissions unit) for one piece of luggage by reading the size or weight of the luggage from the luggage information storage unit and dividing the total by the read size or weight.

The unit consumption calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 may calculate the emission amount per container by dividing the above total value by the number of containers (the number of containers included in the corresponding request information), and may divide the emission amount per container by the number of packages contained in the container to calculate the emission amount per package (emission unit consumption). When calculating the emission amount per container, the transport information acquisition unit may acquire the number of all containers (e.g., pallets) transported by the transport company instead of the requested proportion, and the unit consumption calculation unit may calculate the number of containers requested by the business (the number of containers included in the request information corresponding to the business and transport company) relative to the total number of containers as the requested proportion.

The emission amount counting unit constituting the calculation unit 210 counts up the emission amounts. The emission amount counting unit reads out the parcel information corresponding to a specific business operator from the parcel information storage unit, reads out the attributes corresponding to the parcel ID included in the read out parcel information from the parcel attribute information storage unit, and multiplies the number of parcels by the emission unit for each read out attribute, thereby being able to count up the emission amounts related to parcels requested by a certain business entity.

The output unit 240 outputs the aggregated emission amount. The output unit 240 can output the aggregated emission amount for each attribute. The output unit 240 can transmit the emission amount for each attribute to the user terminal 100, for example.

<Operation>
Next, the process of calculating the emission amount for each parcel will be described with reference to FIG. 37. The management server 200 acquires from the transporter the emission amount of the transporter and the ratio of the amount requested by the business entity to the transporter (S3701). The management server 200 can identify the transporter based on the request information corresponding to the business entity. Next, the management server 200 multiplies the emission amount by the ratio to calculate the emission amount related to the parcel requested by the business entity to the transporter (emission amount for each parcel) (S3702). Next, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount per parcel (PCF) by apportioning the calculated emission amount per parcel by the amount of parcel (S3703). Next, the management server 200 aggregates and outputs the calculated PCF by parcel attribute (S3704). In this way, according to the information processing system of the 23rd function, the emission amount per parcel can be calculated even in logistics where one parcel is delivered by multiple transporters.

The calculation unit 210, output unit 240, and acquisition unit 250 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
In addition, the 23rd function also includes the following configuration.
[Item W1]
An information processing system comprising: a transport information acquisition unit that acquires greenhouse gas emissions related to a transport means on which a transporter, which has been requested by a business entity to transport all or part of a cargo requested by a shipper, has loaded the cargo, and a ratio of the requested amount from the business entity to the transport means, and an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount related to the transport of the cargo by apportioning the acquired emission amount by the ratio. Item W1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a position of a base for each entity (hereinafter, base) of the transport means of a greenhouse gas emitter, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item W2]
An information processing system according to item W1, further comprising a unit calculation unit that calculates an emission unit relating to the cargo by dividing the emission amount by the amount of the cargo.
[Item W3]
An information processing system according to item W2, wherein the transportation information acquisition unit further includes a company emission acquisition unit that acquires a first emission amount and acquires a second emission amount of the greenhouse gas emitted by the business entity in relation to the cargo, and the unit emission calculation unit calculates the emission unit related to the cargo by summing up the first and second emission amounts and dividing the total value by the amount of the cargo.
[Item W4]
The information processing system according to item W2, further comprising a luggage information storage unit that stores the size or weight of each of the luggage, and the amount of the luggage is represented by the size or weight of the luggage,
An information processing system characterized in that the unit calculation unit reads the size or weight of the luggage from the luggage information storage unit, and calculates the emission unit by dividing the emission amount by the read size or weight.

<<Approval function (24th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to twenty-third functions is an embodiment of the twenty-fourth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, approval work for environmental information is being carried out. There is a demand to grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation throughout the entire supply chain, and since only one approval route can be set for emissions of carbon dioxide and the like as environmental information, there is a problem that the approval work becomes cumbersome. The twenty-fourth function aims to provide a function that can grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation and reduce the management man-hours for the approval work.

As required by the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures (Global Warming Countermeasures Act), businesses calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by their business activities and report the results to administrative authorities. In addition, in recent years, some listed companies have been required to disclose non-financial information such as greenhouse gas emissions. Businesses that calculate greenhouse gas emissions and have bases other than their head office (branches, sales offices, factories, etc.) must calculate not only the greenhouse gas emissions emitted from their head office, but also the greenhouse gas emissions emitted from their bases (branches, sales offices, factories, etc.). When such a business reports its greenhouse gas emissions to government agencies or discloses them to investors as non-financial information, the general procedure is as follows: (1) calculate greenhouse gas emissions for each base (branch, sales office, factory, etc.) → (2) the base manager (branch manager, sales office manager, factory manager, etc.) approves the calculation results → (3) submit the calculation results to the head office → (4) tally the calculation results at the head office → (5) the aggregated data is approved by a decision maker → (6) submit greenhouse gas emissions to the government agency and disclose them to investors as non-financial information. When calculating greenhouse gas emissions, the "activity items" and "activity amounts" must be entered accurately, so it is necessary to check whether there are any omissions in the "activity items" that correspond to the company's business activities in the calculation data created at the base (branch, sales office, factory, etc.) or errors in the "activity amounts," and obtain approval from the appropriate decision maker as accurate calculation data before submitting it internally or disclosing it externally. Therefore, the above steps (2) and (5) are necessary. Many businesses use systems to calculate greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional systems only allowed the setting of one approval route, not multiple approval routes, so multiple bases were set for one approval route. As a result, all users linked to the target base had to be registered in the approval route, resulting in a significant amount of user registration work. In addition, there was also the problem that errors would occur during the approval process if a user linked to a base was not registered.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 24th function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (base information storage unit, emission amount storage unit), an execution unit 290 (approver setting unit, approval route setting unit, approval route selection unit, approval execution unit), an input unit 220, and an output unit 240.

The base information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information indicating business entities that correspond to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The base information storage unit stores information indicating a first business entity (e.g., base A) among the business entities, information indicating a second business entity (e.g., base B), and information indicating a third business entity (e.g., base C). The base information storage unit does not only store information indicating three bases, but can store information indicating multiple bases. The base information storage unit is the same as the base information storage unit described in the other functions.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the greenhouse gas emissions of the business entities. The emission amount memory unit stores information indicating the emissions of the first business entity, information indicating the emissions of the second business entity, and information indicating the emissions of the third business entity. The emission amount memory unit does not only store information indicating the emissions of the three bases, but can store information indicating the emissions of multiple bases. The emission amount memory unit is the same as the emission amount memory unit and emission information memory unit described in the other functions.

The approver setting section constituting the execution section 290 sets an approver who checks and approves the greenhouse gas emissions of the business entity. The greenhouse gas emissions of the business entity will be described as calculation data. The calculation data of the base will be described as base calculation data. The approver setting section can register the set approver in the storage section 230. For example, an approver who checks and approves the emissions of base A is set. The approver is a user who has approval authority. The approver is set as a person belonging to the business entity (e.g., a person at base A), but a person belonging to another business entity that is a different base (e.g., a person at base B) can also be set. The approver (person at base A) can be replaced by an approver (person at base B), and an approver (person at base B) can be set in addition to the approver (person at base A).

The approval path setting unit constituting the execution unit 290 sets an approval path (e.g., a workflow) for checking and approving the calculation data. The approval path setting unit can set multiple approval paths. The approval path setting unit can register the set approval path in the storage unit 230. For example, as an approval path for checking and approving the emission amount at base A, a first approval path in which an approver at base B is not set and a second approval path in which an approver at base B is set can be set. In this case, the approver of the first approval path is a person at base A, but a person at another base may be added, or a person at another base may be set instead of the person at base A. In addition, the approver of the second approval path is a person at base B, but a person at another base may be added. The approval path setting unit can set an approval path for each base and freely construct the approval path. The approval path setting unit allows a user with administrator authority at the base to set the approval path. The approval path setting unit can set a path (e.g., a report destination) to be shared with users other than the approver.

The approval path selection unit constituting the execution unit 290 selects an approval path. The approval path selection unit can register the selected approval path in the storage unit 230. When multiple approval paths are set, for example, when the first approval path and the second approval path are set and registered, the approval path selection unit can select either the first approval path or the second approval path. When the first and second approval paths are set, an approval path other than the first and second approval paths can be selected. When multiple approval paths are not set, for example, when only the first approval path is set and registered, the approval path selection unit can select only the first approval path and cannot select other approval paths. Note that the approval path selection unit may be a part of the function of the approval path setting unit. After selecting an approval path, the approval path to be forwarded or circulated can be set and registered by pressing the approval path registration completion button.

The approval execution unit constituting the execution unit 290 executes "approval" based on an approver who checks and approves the calculation data pressing an approval button or the like. The approval execution unit executes "return" based on an approver pressing a return button. "Approval" and "return" are not limited to functions executed based on pressing the approval button or return button. In each approval route, the approver "approves" or "returns." The approver can check the emission amount, which is the minimum amount entered in the template.

The input unit 220 can accept input from the approver, the user who requested the approval, and other users. For example, the approver can input comments when "approving" or "returning." The input unit 220 is the same as the input units described in the other functions. The 24th function also has the input function described in the template function.

The output unit 240 outputs information from the approver setting unit, approval path setting unit, approval path selection unit, and approval execution unit, and outputs the information to each terminal so that each user can view it. The output unit 240 is the same as the output unit described in the other functions. When outputting information from the approval execution unit, when the approver logs in to the information processing system, the information is output so that the number of cases waiting for approval is displayed. The number of cases waiting for approval can be displayed by emphasizing the number of unprocessed cases by changing the display mode of the characters (changing the color or changing the font size). When the application is forwarded to the approver, the output unit 240 can notify the approver by email. In addition, when the application is "returned" by the approver, the output unit 240 can notify the user who requested the approval by email that the application has been returned. In addition, when the user who requested the approval "cancels the application," the output unit 240 can notify at least the related parties, including the approver, by email that the application has been canceled.

<Operation>
FIG. 38 is a diagram explaining the flow of the process of setting an approval route. The management server 200 sets and registers an approver who checks and approves the emission amount of the business entity (S3801). Next, the management server 200 sets and registers an approval route that checks and approves the emission amount of greenhouse gases of the business entity (S3802). The approval route can be set in multiple patterns as shown in the (example) described later. Next, the management server 200 judges whether multiple approval routes are registered (S3803). If multiple approval routes are registered (YES in S3803), the management server 200 allows multiple approval routes to be selected (S3804). On the other hand, if multiple approval routes are not registered (NO in S3803), the management server 200 allows only one registered approval route to be selected (S3805). Next, the management server 200 sets and registers an approval route to be forwarded based on the pressing of the approval route registration completion button (S3806). An approval route to be forwarded may be set and registered based on the lapse of a predetermined time. If multiple approval routes are not registered (NO in S3803), an approval route to be forwarded may be registered without making the registered approval routes selectable.

In addition, the calculation data can be uniquely requested for approval by type, year/month, and base. In addition, if the user in charge of base B (the approver of base B) is set in the approval route of base A, the user in charge of base B can be set as the approver if he/she also has the authority of the user in charge of base A (the approver of base A). On the other hand, if the user in charge of base B does not also have the authority of the approver of base A, he/she cannot be set as the approver. If the user in charge of base B does not also have the authority of the approver of base A, the management server 200 can not set the user in charge of base B as the approver, or can not forward the request even if the user in charge of base B is set. In this way, even if a user in charge of another base is set in the approval route by mistake, an error will not occur. In addition, if a user associated with a base is not registered (for example, if there are many or few users), an error will occur in the approval process, but the error can be cleared by withdrawing the application.

The approval path can be set up as shown in the example below.
(example)
Approval route 1 (Step 1: Approval within the site)
Person in charge of inputting calculation data at base A → Head of base A (Approver)
B base calculation data entry person → B base manager (approver)
C base calculation data entry person → C base manager (approver)
Approval route 2 (Step 2: Base approval)
Site Director A → Site Director (Approver) Site Director B → Site Director (Approver) Site Director C → Site Director (Approver)
Approval route 3 (Step 3 Headquarters approval)
Branch Manager → Head Office Person in Charge (Approver)
Approval route 4 (Step 4 Headquarters approval)
Head office staff → Head office decision maker (approver)

The approval route for forwarding approval of monthly calculation data is Approval Route 1 (Step 1: Approval within the base). The approval route for forwarding approval of annual calculation data is Approval Route 2 (Step 2: Base approval) and Approval Route 3 (Step 3: Headquarters approval). Approval Route 4 (Step 4: Headquarters approval) is added as the approval route for forwarding approval when submitting and disclosing calculation data externally.

In this way, multiple approval routes can be set, and multiple approval routes can also be combined to set up a new approval route for forwarding. Also, by setting approval routes for each location, the labor required for unnecessary user registration can be reduced. Furthermore, the labor required for managing approval routes can be reduced.

The execution unit 290, input unit 220, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 24th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item X1 (P072)]
An information processing system comprising: a storage unit (base information storage unit) that stores information indicating a business entity corresponding to at least one of the upstream and downstream of a supply chain, an emission amount storage unit that stores greenhouse gas emissions of the business entity, an approver setting unit that sets an approver who checks and approves the greenhouse gas emissions of the business entity, and an approval path setting unit that allows a plurality of approval paths to be set for checking and approving the greenhouse gas emissions of the business entity. Item X1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying the position of the base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is a greenhouse gas emitter, an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount of the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item X2]
an information processing system comprising: a memory unit (base information memory unit) that stores information indicating a first business entity and information indicating a second business entity among business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in a supply chain; an emission amount memory unit that stores the greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity and the second business entity; an approver setting unit that sets an approver who will confirm and approve the greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity; and an approval route setting unit that makes it possible to set, as approval routes for confirming and approving the greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity, a first approval route that does not set an approver for the second business entity and a second approval route that sets an approver for the second business entity. Item X2 includes a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item X3]
An information processing system according to item X2, comprising: an approval path selection unit capable of selecting a first approval path or a second approval path.
[Item X4]
An information processing system according to item X2, comprising: a template registration unit that registers a template into which information related to greenhouse gas emissions by a first business entity can be input; and an input unit that enables a second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity using the template.
[Item X5 (P072)]
The following is the case where X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 harmful substance emissions and human rights DD working hours) is the target. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system characterized by comprising: a base information storage unit that stores information indicating a business entity corresponding to at least one of the upstream and downstream of a supply chain; a storage unit that stores the X information of the business entity; an approver setting unit that sets an approver who checks and approves the X information of the business entity; and an approval path setting unit that allows multiple approval paths to be set for checking and approving the X information of the business entity. Item X5 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of the base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas; an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount of the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit that accepts input of the location information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from the user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.

<<Emissions intensity linkage function (25th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to twenty-fourth functions is an embodiment of the twenty-fifth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is an issue that restrictions on the use of emission intensity units may be set. The twenty-fifth function aims to provide technology that can appropriately use emission intensity units.

<System Overview>
The information processing system relating to the 25th function will be described below. The information processing system of this embodiment is intended to manage greenhouse gas emissions by emitters such as companies. The information processing system of this embodiment accepts input of the amount of activity of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the emitter's supply chain, and multiplies this by an emission intensity (emission coefficient) to calculate the amount of emissions.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 25th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (base information memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission intensity memory unit, user memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an execution unit 290 (emission intensity registration unit), an acquisition unit 250 (activity amount acquisition unit, emission intensity acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240.

The base information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information indicating business entities that correspond to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The base information storage unit stores information indicating a first business entity (e.g., a head office or base A), information indicating a second business entity (e.g., a subsidiary or base B), and information indicating a third business entity (e.g., a sub-subsidiary or base C). The base information storage unit does not only store information indicating three bases, but can store information indicating multiple bases. The base information storage unit is the same as the base information storage unit described in the other functions.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the activity amount related to the activity of the product used, which is the target object. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance transported by logistics (ton-kilometers), the amount of fuel consumed (liters) and the amount of money (yen). The activity amount memory unit can store the activity amount in association with information identifying the activity amount (activity amount ID), information identifying the emitter (company ID), information identifying the activity that emits greenhouse gases (activity identification information), and time information. The activity identification information can be in any form as long as it is information for identifying the activity. For example, when an ID (activity ID) that uniquely identifies the type of activity is set in the data input to the management server 200, the activity ID can be the activity identification information. In addition, information including the type of data and conditions for the values of items included in the data can be the activity identification information. For example, if the data is financial accounting data, the activity specification information can be information specifying "financial accounting data" and the condition that the "account item" is "travel expenses" and the summary includes "taxi." In addition, a function or learning model that inputs data and outputs activity can also be set as the activity specification information. Time information is information that specifies the period during which an activity was performed. Time information can be, for example, a date, year, or fiscal year. The activity amount storage unit is the same as the activity amount storage unit described in other functions.

The emission intensity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including an emission intensity for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission intensity information). There are primary data (data collected by the emitting entity itself, obtained from direct measurement, or obtained from calculation based on direct measurement in the first information source) and secondary data (data other than primary data) for the emission intensity. In this embodiment, the emission intensity is the emission intensity shared by a user of the primary data with a third party as secondary data. In other words, the first business entity provides information on the emission intensity to the second business entity so that the emission intensity used by the first business entity (e.g., a parent company or base A) can be used by the second business entity (e.g., a subsidiary or base B). The first business entity can also be a subsidiary and the second business entity can be a parent company. In this way, the emission intensity can be linked so that the emission intensity used by the first business entity can be used by the second business entity related to the first business entity. The emission intensity unit information may include activity specification information and emission intensity units in association with information identifying the emission intensity units (intensity unit ID), information specifying the provider providing the emission intensity units (provider ID), information specifying the set of emission intensity units (intensity unit name), and the version of the set of emission intensity units. The provider ID is as described in the 21st function. In the 25th function, the emission intensity unit information may not include the provider ID. The emission intensity units also include the emission intensity units used in the CFP. The emission intensity unit memory unit is the same as the emission intensity unit memory unit described in the other functions.

The user memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information for identifying users (business entities) that can use the emission intensity units. For example, the user memory unit stores, in association with information (user ID) that identifies a user, a company ID that identifies the emission entity to which the user belongs, a provider ID that indicates the provider, the version of the emission intensity units provided by the provider, and a usage permission flag that indicates whether the use of the emission intensity units is permitted for the user. If the user of the first business entity, which is the user of the output source, has already granted permission to use the emission intensity units to the user of the second business entity, a usage permission flag indicating that the use is permitted is stored. On the other hand, if the use is not permitted, a usage prohibition flag indicating that the use is not permitted is stored. If the usage permission flag is stored, the user of the second business entity can use the emission intensity units. If the usage prohibition flag is stored, the user of the second business entity cannot use the emission intensity units. As an example of a method of permission to use, an information processing system will be shown in which a first business entity issues permission to use the emission intensity unit to a second business entity, but permission to use the emission intensity unit may also be output from the first business entity to the second business entity by email or other means.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information regarding the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount (hereinafter referred to as emission amount information). The emission amount information can include a company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), a scope, a category, an activity amount ID and an emission amount unit ID indicating the activity amount and emission amount unit used to calculate the emission amount, and the emission amount. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range. The scope and category can be the scope and category registered in the classification memory unit described above.

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the activity amount related to the used product, which is the object of the business entity. In this embodiment, the object is exemplified as a product commonly used by the first business entity and the second business entity. The activity amount can be, for example, the amount of product provided by the related enterprise, such as the number of products, the amount of energy, or the distance traveled by logistics. The activity amount acquisition unit can acquire the activity amount from the activity amount storage unit of the information processing system. The activity amount acquisition unit may be configured to accept input of the activity amount from the user terminal 100. In addition, the activity amount acquisition unit may access, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, an inventory management system, or the like, and acquire the number (amount) of products purchased from the related enterprise as the activity amount.

The emission intensity registration unit constituting the execution unit 290 registers the emission intensity related to the activity in the emission intensity storage unit. The emission intensity registration unit can receive, for example, the emission intensity output from the user terminal 100 of the first business entity.

The output unit 240 outputs the emission intensity unit used for the object of the first business entity and the calculated emission amount. The output unit 240 can refer to the user memory unit to determine whether the user of the second business entity, who is the output destination user, can use the emission intensity unit used to calculate the emission amount. However, the determination can be made by a determination unit constituting the analysis unit 280 separate from the output unit 240. This determination unit can refer to the user memory unit to determine whether the second business entity can use the output emission intensity unit. If the user of the first business entity, who is the output source user, has given the second business entity user permission to use the emission intensity unit, the second business entity user can use the emission intensity unit registered in the emission intensity unit registration unit. If the second business entity can use the emission intensity unit, the output unit 240 can output the emission intensity unit to the second business entity.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission intensity unit. If the second business entity is able to use the emission intensity unit as a result of the determination made by the determination unit, the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount of the second business entity related to the target object based on the activity amount and the output emission intensity unit. The basic function of the emission calculation unit is the same as function 21.

<Operation>
FIG. 39 is a diagram for explaining the process of linking emission intensity units. The management server 200 stores information indicating the first business entity and information indicating the second business entity (S3901). Next, the management server 200 stores the activity amount related to the object (S3902). Next, the management server 200 outputs the emission intensity unit used (used) in the calculation of the emission amount of the first business entity to the second business entity (S3903). Next, the management server 200 judges whether the second business entity can use the output emission intensity unit (S3904). If the second business entity can use the output emission intensity unit (YES in S3904), the management server 200 presents the emission intensity unit to the second business entity (S3905). Next, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount related to the object of the second business entity based on the activity amount related to the object of the second business entity and the output emission intensity unit (S3906). On the other hand, if the second business entity cannot use the outputted emission intensity (NO in S3904), the management server 200 executes a process of not presenting the emission intensity to the second business entity (S3907). Next, the management server 200 executes a process of not being able to calculate the emission amount of the second business entity based on the activity amount related to the object of the second business entity and the outputted emission intensity (S3908). In S3908, not only is it not possible to perform the calculation, but it is also possible to notify the user of the second business entity that the calculation is not possible. Next, the management server 200 outputs the result (S3909). If S3906 is passed, the emission amount is presented, but the emission intensity can also be presented. If S3908 is passed, the emission amount is not presented, and it is notified that the emission amount cannot be calculated.

In this way, the emission unit value for a specific object used by a first business entity can also be used by a second business entity related to the first business entity. The second business entity can calculate the amount of emissions from the specific object using the emission unit value provided by the first business entity, making it easier for the related business entity to calculate the amount of emissions from the specific object.

The execution unit 290, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 25th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item Y1 (P073)]
An information processing system comprising: a memory unit that stores information indicating a first business entity and information indicating a second business entity among business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in a supply chain; an activity amount memory unit that stores an activity amount related to a target object; an emission intensity memory unit that stores an emission intensity for calculating the greenhouse gas emissions related to the target object; an output unit that outputs to the second business entity the emission intensity used in calculating the emissions of the first business entity; and an emission calculation unit that calculates the emissions of the second business entity based on the activity amount (related to the target object of the second business entity) and the output emission intensity. Item Y1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item Y2]
An information processing system according to item Y1, characterized in that it determines whether or not the second business entity can use the outputted emission unit, and if the result of the determination is that the emission unit can be used, makes it possible to calculate the second business entity's emissions (related to the target object) based on the amount of activity and the outputted emission unit.

<<Authentication information output function (26th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of Functions 1 to 25 will be described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 26.

In recent years, businesses have been actively working on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among them, businesses that manufacture products for general consumers (e.g. palm oil, coffee, chocolate, nonwoven masks, etc.) are promoting the manufacture of environmentally friendly "sustainable products" by switching the raw materials used in their products from non-sustainable raw materials derived from petroleum to sustainable biomass raw materials, with the aim of increasing the added value of their products and increasing their corporate value. In order to prove that the products they manufacture are "sustainable products," certification by a third-party organization in accordance with the biomass certification system is required. In order to obtain certification by this third-party organization, businesses that manufacture "sustainable products" must obtain a biomass raw material certificate (certification that the raw materials supplied are biomass raw materials) from the raw material supplier and then undergo an examination. The biomass raw material certificate must be exchanged between the business that manufactures the "sustainable product" and the raw material supplier for each transaction of raw materials, and a great deal of effort is required for the creation, issuance procedure, and management of the biomass raw material certificate. Therefore, this function aims to provide a system that makes it easy to exchange biomass raw material certificates in the supply chain.

In the 26th function, palm oil is used as an example of the target, but other targets related to biomass raw materials such as coffee, chocolate, and nonwoven masks (hereinafter referred to as biomass products) may also be used. Palm oil has been certified in two ways: at the production stage and at the supply chain stage (referred to as SCCS certification). This certification is carried out by a third-party certification body. SCCS certification certifies whether or not the certification requirements are met during the manufacturing, processing, and distribution process of products using certified palm oil. In addition, each process up to the final product, such as trading companies that purchase certified palm oil from overseas, companies that process the oil, and manufacturers that manufacture products, is subject to certification. The purpose of the 26th function is to provide certification data to business entities that make up the supply chain through an information processing system in order to facilitate the certification work of third-party certification bodies.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 26th function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (base information storage unit), an acquisition unit 250 (information acquisition unit), an output unit 240 (information presentation unit), a generation unit 260 (information generation unit), and an input unit 220 (information input unit).

The base information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information indicating business entities that correspond to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The base information storage unit stores information indicating a first business entity (e.g., a palm oil refinery) among the business entities, information indicating a second business entity (e.g., a palm oil final product manufacturer), and so on. The base information storage unit does not only store information indicating two bases, but can store information indicating multiple bases. The base information storage unit is the same as the base information storage unit described in the other functions.

The information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires first information and second information. The first information is information that includes at least information for certification of a first object (e.g., palm oil or biomass products handled by a refinery) handled by a first business entity that is upstream or downstream of the supply chain. The first information is information that includes at least information for certification of a second object (e.g., palm oil or biomass products handled by a manufacturer, end product manufacturer, or retailer) handled by a second business entity that is upstream or downstream of the supply chain. The information for certification is, for example, information used in SCCS certification. The first information is, for example, a report for SCCS certification (hereinafter, certification report), a group of information showing multiple external findings, etc.

The second information is information indicating the attributes of the business entity. If the business entity is a first business entity, the second information is information indicating the attributes of the first business entity. If the business entity is a second business entity, the second information is information indicating the attributes of the second business entity. The second information is, for example, information on a refinery, manufacturer, final product manufacturer, retailer, etc. The second information can be various information such as attribute information of each business entity, as well as information on internal and external knowledge such as size information and industry information.

The method of the information acquisition unit acquiring the first information and the second information includes a method of acquiring information input from one or more user terminals 100 and a method of the management server 200 acquiring information. In the case of the method of acquisition by the management server 200, the scale information of other business entities and information for palm oil certification are acquired based on the attribute information corresponding to the first business entity. In the case of the method of acquisition by the management server 200, the scale information of other business entities and information for palm oil certification are acquired based on the attribute information corresponding to the second business entity. For example, if the attribute information corresponding to the first business entity is a palm oil refinery, the information for palm oil certification and scale information of the other business entity that is a palm oil refinery are acquired. The information for palm oil certification is, for example, information held (held) by other business entities that have received SCCS certification. The information for palm oil certification may be information of the content to be described in the certification report.

The information generation unit constituting the generation unit 260 reads out second information (e.g., refinery information) corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit described in the third function, refers to the scale information storage unit to identify other business entities (e.g., other refineries) corresponding to second information that matches or is similar to the read out second information, reads out palm oil certification information (e.g., information on the contents to be included in the certification report) corresponding to the identified other business entities from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information different from the first information and second information (e.g., a biomass raw material certificate, a certification report reflecting the review results, or a new certification report) based on the read out palm oil certification information.

The information generation unit also reads out second information (e.g., information about an oil refinery) corresponding to the second business entity from the scale information storage unit described in the third function, refers to the scale information storage unit to identify other business entities (e.g., other refineries) corresponding to second information that matches or is similar to the read out second information, reads out information for palm oil certification (e.g., information on the contents to be included in a certification report) corresponding to the identified other business entities from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information different from the first information and second information (e.g., a biomass raw material certificate, a certification report reflecting the review results, or a new certification report) based on the read out information for palm oil certification.

The third information is information that reflects the contents to be written in the certification reports of other business entities (for example, biomass raw material certificate). In other words, the third information is information that is created based on the certification reports of other business entities, and the management server 200 stores the certification reports of multiple other business entities and generates the third information based on this information. In detail, the certification reports of multiple other business entities are analyzed by the generation unit 260, and the third information is generated based on the analysis results. Note that an analysis unit 280 as a function different from the generation unit 260 may be provided separately from the generation unit 260, and the analysis unit 280 may analyze the certification reports of multiple other business entities, and the generation unit 260 may generate the third information based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 280. The generated third information may be the certification report itself, and in this case, the information generation unit creates a new certification report. In addition, the analysis of the certification reports of multiple other business entities by the generation unit 260 or the analysis unit 280 may be performed by a system (mechanical system) having artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

The information presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the third information. The information presentation unit outputs and transmits the presented third information to the user terminal 100, making it possible to display the third information on the user terminal 100. In addition, the third information transmitted to the user terminal 100 can be edited and processed on the user terminal 100.

The information input unit constituting the input unit inputs information corresponding to the first business entity input from the user terminal 100 and third information edited and processed by the user terminal 100 to the management server 200. The management server 200 acquires the input information corresponding to the first business entity, etc., by the information acquisition unit.

<Operation>
FIG. 40 is a diagram for explaining a process of generating and outputting information for receiving authentication by a third-party organization. The management server 200 acquires and stores information indicating business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (S4001). When there are a plurality of business entities that constitute the supply chain, for example, when there are two, information indicating a first business entity and information indicating a second business entity are acquired and stored. Next, the management server 200 acquires first information including at least information for authentication of the object (S4002). When there is a first object handled by the first business entity and a second object handled by the second business entity, the management server 200 acquires first information (first information A) including at least information for authentication of the first object and first information (first information B) including at least information for authentication of the second object. In addition, the management server 200 acquires second information indicating at least the attributes of the business entities (S4003). If there are multiple business entities that make up the supply chain, for example, if there are two, second information (second information A) indicating the attributes of the first business entity and second information (second information B) indicating the attributes of the second business entity are obtained.

Next, the management server 200 stores and registers the acquired first information and second information in the scale information storage unit (S4004). Next, the management server 200 reads out the second information corresponding to the first business entity from the scale information storage unit (S4005). Next, the management server 200 refers to the scale information storage unit to identify other business entities corresponding to second information that matches or is similar to the read out second information (S4006). Next, the management server 200 reads out information for authenticating the object corresponding to the identified other business entity from the scale information storage unit, and generates third information based on the read out information for authenticating the object (S4007). Next, the management server 200 outputs the third information (S4008).

According to the 26th function, an information processing system can be provided that includes: first information (e.g., a certification report) including information for certification of an object (e.g., a biomass product) by a business entity constituting an upstream or downstream of a supply chain (e.g., information for SCCS certification); an acquisition unit that acquires second information indicating attributes of the business entity (e.g., a refinery, a manufacturer, a final product manufacturer, a retailer, etc.); an information generation unit that generates third information (e.g., a new certification report, a certification report reflecting a review result) based on information for certification of an object (biomass product) of a second business entity (e.g., another company that has received SCCS certification and has the attribute of a refinery) that matches or is similar to the second information (e.g., information indicating the attributes of a refinery) corresponding to the first business entity (e.g., a company that is seeking SCCS certification); and a presentation unit that presents the third information. Note that the first information and the third information are not limited to the same type of report, and may be different types of reports. In this way, a report different from a certain type of report can be easily created from a certain type of report.

In this way, a certification report format suited to the user is provided simply by inputting prerequisites such as the first and second information, so even businesses without specialized knowledge or know-how can easily create certification reports. In addition, the information processing system reviews the reports based on a large number of published certification reports, which helps to improve the accuracy of certification reports created in-house.

The information processing system also includes an input unit that inputs instruction information (e.g., question information, instruction information for the information generation unit), and an information generation unit that generates new information (e.g., answer to a question, questionnaire, new email address, code) based on the instruction information. The analysis unit 280 may be provided to execute evaluation of the authentication report acquired by the acquisition unit 250 and acquire reports with high evaluations. The previous year's scores may be referred to and analyzed to sort in descending order of score, and a top 10 (not limited to the top 10) report may be acquired, or scores for multiple years such as the previous year and the year before may be referred to and analyzed to acquire a top 10 report with high average scores, or when multiple years' scores are referred to and analyzed, the latest score may be used preferentially. The analysis unit 280 may also machine-learn the information acquired by the acquisition unit 250 to generate the best authentication report. In this way, the top authentication reports in the industry indicated by the attributes are analyzed and presented, so that authentication reports with high scores can be created and can be used for authentication strategies, etc. The authentication reports may also be acquired automatically and machine-learned. Additionally, when obtaining an authentication report, the user can specify the authentication report that they wish to view individually using the user terminal 100.

In the 26th function, a business entity (e.g., a manufacturer) that produces a "sustainable product" and a raw material supplier (e.g., an oil refinery) can be linked in an information processing system. In addition, biomass raw material certificate data (third information) can be created and issued for each transaction of biomass raw materials on the information processing system. In order to ensure that the biomass raw material certificate data has been issued correctly by the raw material supplier, the raw material supplier's electronic seal may be attached to the biomass raw material certificate data, and the issue date, issuer, and tampering history of the biomass raw material certificate data may be tracked using a blockchain function such as the 5th function. The biomass raw material certificate data is stored and saved in a biomass raw material certificate data storage unit in the system, and when certification by a third-party organization is obtained, the biomass raw material certificate data saved in the system can be acquired and utilized by the acquisition unit. In the certification by a third-party organization, the amount of GHG emissions and the amount of reduction emitted by the business entity when producing a "sustainable product" are taken into consideration, so the biomass raw material certificate data may be exchanged in the course of the supply chain in cooperation with a GHG emission calculation system. It can be used not only for general consumer products, but also for trading commodities traded between businesses, such as timber, energy such as crude oil and gasoline, precious metals such as gold and platinum, and grains such as corn and soybeans.

By using Function 26, it will be easier to exchange biomass raw material certificates in the supply chain, and some of the procedures for obtaining biomass certification from a third-party organization can be simplified. As a result, the manufacturing of "sustainable products" by businesses will become more widespread, and the selection and purchase of "sustainable products" by general consumers will also become more widespread. This will ultimately expand efforts toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Japan.

The acquisition unit 250, output unit 240, generation unit 260, input unit 220, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 26th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item Z1 (P074)]
An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores information indicating a business entity corresponding to at least one of an upstream and downstream of a supply chain, an information generation unit that generates information for a third party to authenticate an object handled by the business entity, and an output unit that outputs the generated information. Item Z1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a base position for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item Z2]
An information processing system according to item Z1, comprising an acquisition unit that acquires first information including at least information for authentication of an object and second information indicating attributes of a business entity, an information generation unit that generates third information as information for receiving authentication by a third party based on information for authentication of an object of another business entity that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the business entity, and an output unit that outputs the third information.
[Item Z3]
An information processing system comprising: a memory unit that stores information indicating a first business entity and information indicating a second business entity among business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in a supply chain; an information generation unit that generates information for receiving third-party certification for a first object handled by the first business entity and a second object handled by the second business entity; and an output unit that outputs the generated information.
[Item Z4]
An information processing system according to item Z3, comprising an acquisition unit that acquires first information including at least information for authentication of a first object and a second object, and second information indicating attributes of the first business entity and the second business entity, an information generation unit that generates third information as information for receiving authentication by a third party based on information for authentication of objects of other business entities that matches or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity and the second business entity, and an output unit that outputs the third information.

<<Function to display grades based on data trends (27th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Function 1 to Function 26 is set as an embodiment of Function 27, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide is calculated. There is a need to grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation throughout the entire supply chain. Function 27 aims to provide a technology that can grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 27th function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (base information memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission intensity memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an analysis unit 280, a calculation unit 210 (aggregation unit), an estimation unit 270 (activity estimation unit), an output unit 240, and an execution unit 290.

The base information storage unit that constitutes the storage unit 230 stores information indicating business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain. The base information storage unit has been explained in other functions, so explanations of this function will be omitted.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information on the amount of activity by the emitter and the amount of activity related to the activities that emit greenhouse gases. The activity amount memory unit has been explained in other functions, so explanation of this function is omitted.

The emission intensity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission intensity units for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission intensity information). The emission intensity memory unit has been explained in other functions, so explanation of this function is omitted.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information regarding the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount (hereinafter referred to as emission amount information). The emission amount memory unit has been explained in other functions, so explanation of this function is omitted.

The analysis unit 280 analyzes the greenhouse gas emissions of the business entity over a specified period. For example, the analysis unit 280 analyzes the trends (trends) of the greenhouse gas emissions and activity of the first business entity over the most recent three-month period. The specified period is not limited to a continuous period such as a three-month period, and includes non-consecutive periods such as August 2020, August 2021, and August 2022, as well as periods of one year, one month, one week, one day, etc. The analysis of the trends of the emissions and activity is an example of analyzing whether or not there is a downtrend in the specified period, but it is sufficient to analyze trends in the emissions and activity in the specified period, such as trends of whether or not there is an uptrend, trends of whether or not there is a proportional relationship, trends of whether or not there is an inverse proportional relationship, etc. The analysis unit 280 can also analyze trends in the greenhouse gas emissions and activity of other business entities such as the second business entity over a specified period. The analysis unit 280 performs analysis on information whose trends can be confirmed by exporting, comparing, and analyzing the information to be analyzed (information including emissions and activity amounts). In other words, information whose trends can be confirmed without exporting, or information that does not require much effort, is not the subject of analysis. By having the analysis unit 280 perform analysis on information that requires much effort to analyze in this way, it is possible to reduce the amount of work required for the user to analyze information. The emission amount is determined using information stored in the emission storage unit, and the activity amount is determined using information stored in the activity amount storage unit. The emission amount stored in the emission storage unit is obtained by multiplying the activity amount stored in the activity amount storage unit by the emission intensity stored in the emission intensity storage unit. The analysis unit 280 also has the functions described in other functions.

The counting unit constituting the analysis unit 280 can also count the amount of emissions and activity. The counting unit can count the amount of emissions and activity calculated by the amount of emissions calculation unit by scope and by category. The analysis unit 280 analyzes the results counted by the counting unit, and analyzes which classification (scope, category) is showing a good trend in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and activity of the business entity in a specified period. The counting unit may be a function constituting the calculation unit 210, and also has the functions described in the other functions. The analysis unit 280 analyzes which classification (scope, category) is showing a good trend (for example, referring to a trend of reducing emissions or a downtrend in emissions, efforts to reduce emissions are working well, and the effectiveness of emission reduction measures has been proven, but is not limited to these, and the same applies below), but can also analyze whether there is a good trend in more detailed items (for example, gasoline emissions).

The activity estimation unit constituting the estimation unit 270 identifies the activity of the second business entity based on the items related to the activity amount of the first business entity. The activity estimation unit estimates activity specific information by machine learning based on the items (e.g., gasoline emissions) of the first business entity analyzed by the analysis unit 280. The activity estimation unit creates vector information by vectorizing the items, and can select vector information (first vector information) stored in the vector information storage unit according to the distance from the created vector information (second vector information) by referring to the vector information storage unit of the ninth function, and can read out activity specific information corresponding to the selected first vector information from the vector information storage unit. The activity estimation unit can, for example, identify a predetermined number (which may be one) in order of the smallest distance between the first and second vector information. When the estimation unit 270 (activity estimation unit) estimates activity specific information, it can also estimate an emission intensity corresponding to the activity specific information. The activity estimation unit identifies items related to the activity amount, and estimates activity specific information by machine learning based on the items. The activity estimation unit may be the same as the 9th function, or this function may also have other functions described in the 9th function.

Based on the results of the analysis, the output unit 240 outputs first analysis information that serves as the basis for performance (information on trends) and example information when performing a simulation for the second business entity. For example, if the results of the analysis show a positive trend (downtrend) as the first trend, information on the downtrend is output to the second business entity, which is information indicating that the first business entity's efforts on emissions are on a positive trend. Note that if the results of the analysis for the first business entity show a downtrend and the results of the analysis for the second business entity show no downtrend, it is preferable to output information on the downtrend as information indicating a positive trend for the second business entity. Furthermore, the output unit 240 can output a positive trend, such as a downtrend, using a graph or the like.

The output unit 240 in this function provides (suggests) information on the activities of the first business entity (the company) from the trends in emissions or activity amounts as information related to the downtrend. The suggested information is positive information, not negative information such as deviation from the target. For example, when there are multiple bases and multiple items to be approved by the approval function, this function suggests good trends such as a downtrend compared to last month, the same month last year, etc., to the company's own base and other bases. By outputting in this way, it is possible to inform the person in charge of other bases of positive content such as that this base is working well on emissions measures and that emissions measures are being successfully implemented in this item, and further to give the person in charge of other bases an awareness of what kind of efforts are being made. In other words, this function can inform other users of the positive points and promote sustainability activities within the company and group companies. In addition, by outputting in this way, it is possible to output content that praises bases that are responding well to emissions reduction. The output unit 240 also has the functions described in the other functions.

The output unit 240 also presents the estimated activity specific information to the second business entity. The output unit 240 also presents the estimated emission unit to the user. The information presented may be one or multiple pieces of information. When there are multiple pieces of estimated information, all pieces of information may be presented, or the information with the top five (not limited to five) analysis scores based on the results of the analysis may be presented, or the information with the highest analysis score based on the results of the analysis may be presented.

In addition, a solution section constituting the execution section 290 can be provided to provide example information (also referred to as simulation information or solution information) in the case where the utilization method of the base that has become down-trended based on the first analysis information is applied to other bases. For example, a simulation is performed in which the down-trending of the first business entity over a three-month period is applied to the second business entity, and the result of the simulation is provided as example information. In addition, for example, if a down-trending trend is shown in the gasoline emissions of the first business entity, the analysis section 280 can analyze the number of automobiles owned by the first business entity and the information written on the vehicle inspection certificates of the owned vehicles, and can reveal as an analysis result that the first business entity owns many hybrid vehicles. Based on the result, the execution section 290 can provide example information suggesting reducing the number of gasoline-powered vehicles and changing to hybrid vehicles or EV vehicles. In addition, when providing solution information as example information, the example described in the solution matching function can be applied.

<Operation>
FIG. 41 is a diagram for explaining the process of displaying the results from the trend of data. The management server 200 stores information indicating the first business entity and information indicating the second business entity in the base information storage unit (S4101). Next, the management server 200 stores the greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity and the greenhouse gas emissions of the second business entity in the emission amount storage unit (S4102). Next, the management server 200 analyzes the trend of the greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity in a predetermined period (S4103). Next, the management server 200 analyzes the trend of the greenhouse gas emissions of the second business entity in a predetermined period (S4104). Next, the management server 200 identifies items related to the amount of activity, and estimates activity specification information by machine learning based on the items (S4105). Next, if the result of the analysis is in the first trend, the management server 200 outputs information on the first trend as the results to the first business entity and the second business entity (S4106). Next, the management server 200 outputs second analysis information (example information) obtained by applying the first analysis information of the first business entity showing the first tendency to the second business entity (S4107). Next, the management server 200 outputs activity specification information (S4108).

The analysis unit 280, calculation unit 210, estimation unit 270, output unit 240, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 27th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AA1 (P076)]
An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores information indicating a first business entity and information indicating a second business entity among business entities corresponding to at least one of the upstream and downstream of a supply chain, an emission amount storage unit that stores greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity and greenhouse gas emissions of the second business entity, an analysis unit that analyzes greenhouse gas emissions of the first business entity in a predetermined period, and an output unit that outputs information on the first trend to the second business entity when the analysis result shows a first trend. Item AA1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that emits greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AA2]
An information processing system according to item AA1, characterized in that the analysis unit analyzes greenhouse gas emissions of a second business entity over a specified period, and the output unit outputs information relating to the first trend to the second business entity when a result of the analysis relating to the first business entity is the first trend and a result of the analysis relating to the second business entity is not the first trend.
[Item AA3]
An information processing system as described in item AA1, characterized in that it outputs example information when analysis information based on the results of an analysis of a first business entity showing a first trend is applied to a second business entity.

This function can be combined with the first function, and this function can be combined with functions 2 to 26. When combined with the first function, the following configurations are also included.
[Item AA4 (Improvement of P025)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission storage unit that stores greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, an input unit that accepts input of a reduction target rate of emissions by the business entity, a base point in time, and a target point in time, a unit reduction amount calculation unit that obtains an emission amount corresponding to the base point in time from the emission storage unit, calculates a reduction amount by multiplying the obtained emission amount by the reduction target rate, and calculates a unit reduction amount by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the base point in time to the target point in time, a target emission calculation unit that calculates a target emission amount for each unit time by subtracting a cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to the base point in time, an output unit that outputs the target emission amount for each unit time, and an analysis unit that analyzes the emission amount of the business entity for a predetermined period. The information processing system may further comprise an output unit that outputs information on the first trend when a result of the analysis indicates a first trend.
[Item AA5]
An information processing system according to item AA1, comprising: an input unit that accepts input of a reduction target ratio of emissions by a second business entity; and a reduction amount calculation unit that calculates a reduction amount based on the emissions and the reduction target ratio.
[Item AA6]
An information processing system according to item AA5, wherein the input unit is capable of accepting input of a reference point and a target point, and the reduction amount calculation unit is capable of acquiring an amount of emissions at the reference point from the emission amount memory unit, and calculating an amount of reduction at the target point based on the acquired amount of emissions and the reduction target ratio.
[Item AA7 (P076)]
When X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours) is the subject, it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a storage unit that stores information indicating a first business entity and information indicating a second business entity among business entities corresponding to at least one of the upstream and downstream of a supply chain, an emission amount storage unit that stores the X information of the first business entity and the X information of the second business entity, an analysis unit that analyzes the X information of the first business entity for a predetermined period, and an output unit that outputs information on the first trend to the second business entity when the analysis result shows a first trend.

<<Primary data ratio calculation function (28th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to twenty-seventh functions is an embodiment of the twenty-eighth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. There is a challenge in that it is required to grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases throughout the entire supply chain. The twenty-eighth function aims to provide a technology that can grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment is a system for managing greenhouse gas emission intensity, and calculates the primary data ratio. The primary data ratio is the proportion of primary data in the data used to calculate the emission intensity. Primary data is data collected by the emitter (business entity) itself, obtained from direct measurement, or obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source. Note that data other than primary data is secondary data. For example, secondary data is data that has been standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that offer the same type of product.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 28th function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (secondary emission coefficient memory unit, other company emission coefficient memory unit, acquisition status memory unit, company's own emission amount memory unit, other company activity amount memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission coefficient acquisition unit, activity amount acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (other company emission amount calculation unit, emission amount calculation unit, primary data ratio calculation unit), and an output unit 240.

The secondary emission coefficient storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores the emission coefficients of the secondary data. The emission coefficients of the secondary data may be those provided by the Ministry of the Environment, for example. The secondary emission coefficient storage unit can store the emission coefficients in association with the information that identifies the activity (activity content).

The other company emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients related to other business entities (other companies) that are upstream and/or downstream in the supply chain. The other company emission coefficient memory unit can store emission coefficients in association with a business entity ID indicating the business entity and with activity details. The other company emission coefficient memory unit can also store primary data ratios related to the emission coefficients of other companies in association.

The acquisition status memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores, for each business entity, whether or not an emission coefficient has been acquired from that business entity. In this embodiment, the acquisition status memory unit stores, for a business entity that has acquired an emission coefficient for a certain activity, a business entity ID indicating that business entity, activity content identifying that activity, and the acquisition date, in association with each other. In other words, if a corresponding record is not registered in the acquisition status memory unit for a business entity and activity, this indicates that an emission coefficient has not been acquired.

The company's own emissions memory unit, which constitutes the memory unit 230, stores the greenhouse gas emissions (company's emissions) made by the company. The company's emissions memory unit stores the business entity ID indicating the company, information indicating the time of emissions (time information), the scope related to the GHG Protocol (scope 1 relating to direct emissions or scope 2 relating to indirect emissions), and the emissions corresponding to the scope. The time information may be, for example, a specific year, a specific month, a specific week of a specific year, or a specific date.

The other company activity amount storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores the amount of activity by other companies. The other company activity amount storage unit stores the business entity ID indicating the other company, time information indicating the time of the activity (e.g., year and month), activity content identifying the activity, and the amount of activity in association with each other.

The emission coefficient acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires an emission coefficient for calculating the greenhouse gas emissions related to the activities of other companies that are upstream or downstream in the supply chain. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can transmit a request for an emission coefficient to the computer (user terminal 100) of the other company and receive an emission coefficient transmitted in response to the request from the user terminal 100. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can also acquire the primary data ratio of the other company related to the emission coefficient together with the emission coefficient. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can register the acquired emission coefficient and primary data ratio in the other company emission coefficient storage unit in association with the business entity ID indicating the other company and the activity content indicating the activity. The emission coefficient acquisition unit may refer to the acquisition status storage unit and transmit a request for an emission coefficient to other companies (user terminals 100) that have not acquired an emission coefficient.

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires activity amounts related to the activities of other companies. The activity amount acquisition unit can acquire one or more pairs of information indicating the activity (activity content) and activity amount from the user terminal 100 of the other company. In addition, the activity amount is accompanied by information indicating the time when the activity was performed (time information). The time information is, for example, the year, month, and date. The activity amount acquisition unit can register the acquired time information, activity content, and activity amount in the other company activity amount storage unit in association with the business entity ID indicating the other company.

The other company emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount of another company. The other company emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the emission coefficient of the other company by the amount of activity. If an emission coefficient corresponding to the other company and activity is not registered in the other company emission coefficient storage unit, the other company emission calculation unit can read out the emission coefficient registered in the secondary emission coefficient storage unit in association with the activity and multiply it by the amount of activity.

The emissions calculation unit that constitutes the calculation unit 210 calculates the emissions reported by the company (the total of the emissions related to scopes 1 to 3, hereafter referred to as the reported emissions). The emissions calculation unit can calculate the reported emissions by adding up the emissions stored in the company's emissions memory unit (the total of scopes 1 and 2) and the emissions of other companies corresponding to the time information (calculated by the other company's emissions calculation unit).

The primary data ratio calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the primary data ratio relating to the company's emissions. The primary data ratio calculation unit can calculate, as the primary data ratio, the proportion of the emissions determined using primary data obtained from other companies among the reported emissions. The primary data ratio calculation unit can calculate, for example, the proportion of the total of the first emissions calculated using the emission coefficients registered in the other company emission coefficient storage unit and the company's emissions to the reported emissions as the primary data ratio.

The primary data ratio relating to the emission coefficients of other companies may also be taken into consideration. In this case, the primary data ratio calculation unit calculates the third emission by multiplying the first emission calculated using the emission coefficients registered in the other company emission coefficient storage unit by the primary data ratio corresponding to the other company and the activity content, and can calculate the ratio of the total of the company's own emission and the third emission to the reported emission as the primary data ratio.

The output unit 240 can output at least one of the emissions amount, the emissions coefficient, the primary data ratio, etc.

<Operation>
FIG. 42 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 28th function. The management server 200 acquires an emission coefficient (primary emission coefficient) from the user terminal 100 of the other company and registers it in the other company emission coefficient storage unit (S4201), and also acquires the amount of activity and registers it in the other company activity amount storage unit (S4202). The management server 200 judges whether or not there is a primary emission coefficient (S4203). If the corresponding primary emission coefficient is stored in the other company emission coefficient storage unit for each other company and activity (S4203: YES), the management server 200 multiplies the amount of activity by the primary emission coefficient to calculate the first emission amount related to the other company and the activity (S4204), and if it is not stored (S4203: NO), the management server 200 multiplies the amount of activity by the emission coefficient (secondary emission coefficient) stored in the secondary emission coefficient storage unit corresponding to the activity to calculate the second emission amount related to the other company and the activity (S4205). The management server 200 adds the first or second emission amount to the reported emission amount (S4206).

The management server 200 can calculate the ratio of the sum of the company's own emissions (both scopes 1 and 2) registered in the company's emissions storage unit and the first emissions to the reported emissions as the primary data ratio (S4207). Here, the management server 200 may calculate the ratio of the value obtained by multiplying the first emissions by the primary data ratio corresponding to the primary emission coefficient used to calculate the first emissions and adding the company's own emissions registered in the company's emissions storage unit to the reported emissions as the primary data ratio. The management server 200 outputs the primary data ratio (S4208). The management server 200 may be configured to output the emissions in addition to the primary data ratio.

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 28th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AB1 (P014)]
an information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient acquisition unit that acquires, from an information processing device of a business entity that is upstream or downstream in a supply chain, a primary emission coefficient for calculating greenhouse gas emissions related to the activities of the business entity; a secondary emission coefficient storage unit that stores a standard secondary emission coefficient of the business entity; an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires an activity amount related to the activities of the business entity; a company emission amount storage unit that stores a company emission amount, which is the greenhouse gas emissions by the company; a other company emission calculation unit that calculates a first emission amount by the business entity by multiplying the primary emission coefficient by the activity amount, and, if the primary emission coefficient is not registered, calculates a second emission amount by the business entity by multiplying the secondary emission coefficient by the activity amount; and a primary data ratio calculation unit that calculates a primary data ratio based on the first and second emissions and the company emission amount. Item AB1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter referred to as a base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AB2]
The information processing system according to item AB1, wherein the primary data ratio calculation unit calculates a ratio of the sum of the company's emissions and the first emissions to the sum of the first and second emissions and the company's emissions.
[Item AB3]
Item AB1. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the emission coefficient acquisition unit acquires the primary emission coefficient from a computer of the business operator.
[Item AB4]
The information processing system according to item AB1, further comprising an acquisition status memory unit that stores, for each business entity, whether or not the primary emission factor has been acquired from the business entity, and the emission factor acquisition unit refers to the acquisition status memory unit and transmits a request requesting the primary emission factor to the business entity that has not acquired the primary emission factor.

<<Input enhancement function (29th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 28 is described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 29. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is an issue that it is time-consuming to register data required for calculating emissions in the system. Function 29 aims to make it possible to easily input data required for calculating greenhouse gas emissions.

<System Overview>
The emissions management system of this embodiment is intended to manage greenhouse gas emissions from emitters such as companies. The emissions management system of this embodiment accepts input of activity amounts of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the emitter's supply chain, and calculates emissions by multiplying this by an emission coefficient. The emissions management system of this embodiment manages which emission coefficient should be used for which activity amount, making it possible to calculate emissions simply by inputting the activity amount.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 29th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, classification memory unit, conversion coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit, emission coefficient input unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission coefficient acquisition unit), and a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit, aggregation unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission coefficient information). The emission coefficients may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or data obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product).

The classification memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 can store emissions in association with the type of activity. The classification memory unit can store the type of activity, the scope of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other. The classification memory unit can store the type of activity, the scope of the activity, the category of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other. Note that the scope and category of the activity are assumed to be the scope and category of the GHG Protocol. Also, the category may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the emission coefficient storage unit and classification storage unit store the type of activity, scope, category, and emission amount in association with each other. The emission coefficient information stored in the emission coefficient storage unit includes a scope (and category, if any) to which the type of activity indicated by the type identification information of the emission entity indicated by the company ID corresponds, in association with the company ID and type identification information. In addition, the classification storage unit stores information (hereinafter referred to as classification information) related to the classification (scope and category) of the activity, and the classification information includes a scope and category in association with the company ID and type identification information.

The type-specific information can take any form as long as it is information for identifying the type of activity. For example, if an ID (type ID) that uniquely identifies the type of activity is set in the data input to the management server 200 (hereinafter referred to as import data), the type ID can be used as the type-specific information. Also, information including the type of import data and conditions for the values of items included in the import data can be used as the type-specific information. For example, if the import data is financial accounting data, the type-specific information can include information specifying "financial accounting data" and the condition that the "account item" is "travel expenses" and the summary includes "taxi." Also, a function that inputs import data and outputs the type can be set as the type-specific information.

The conversion coefficient storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as conversion coefficient information) including coefficients (conversion coefficients) for unit conversion. When the unit (first unit) expressing the amount of activity set in the import data is different from the unit (second unit) assumed by the emission coefficient, the conversion coefficient can be used to convert the unit of the amount of activity. For example, when the amount of activity related to fuel is expressed in liters (l) and the emission coefficient is expressed in the amount of CO2 per kilogram (tCO2/kg), the conversion coefficient of weight per liter (kg/l) is used to convert the amount of activity into a value expressed in kilograms (kg), and then the amount of greenhouse gas (CO2 in this example) emission (tCO2) can be calculated by multiplying it by the emission coefficient. The conversion coefficient information can include a conversion coefficient in association with the company ID and type-specific information. The conversion coefficient information may also include information indicating the unit after conversion.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store the company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), the scope, the category, and the emission amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range. The scope and category can be the scope and category registered in the classification memory unit described above.

The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of the activity amount. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance transported by logistics (ton-kilometers), the amount of fuel consumed (liters), and the amount of money (yen). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the activity amount input unit receives import data from the user terminal 100. The import data can be, for example, data exported from an ERP system (export data) or data converted from the export data. The import data can be, for example, CSV data, JSON data, or XML data. For example, in CSV data, it is known which item is which type of data, and the type of activity can be identified by what value is entered in which item of the CSV data in the type identification information. In addition, in JSON data, XML data, and the like, the type of item of the set data may be tagged or set as an attribute.

The emission coefficient acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires an emission coefficient related to the type of activity. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can read out an emission coefficient corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit. When the emission coefficient is managed by an external system, the emission coefficient acquisition unit may access the external system to acquire the emission coefficient.

The emission coefficient input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of an emission coefficient. The emission coefficient input unit identifies the company ID indicating the emission entity to which the user belongs (for example, it can accept the input of a company ID. In addition, the management server 200 has a user information storage unit that stores user information related to the user, and the company ID can be set in the user information and acquired from the user information storage unit), accepts input of type-specific information and an emission coefficient from the user, and registers the company ID, type-specific information, and emission coefficient in the emission coefficient storage unit. If an emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity amount related to the import data is not stored in the emission coefficient storage unit, the emission coefficient input unit can, for example, notify the user terminal 100 of that fact and accept the emission coefficient from the user terminal 100.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient and the amount of activity. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission coefficient for each record (or group of records) included in the import data. The emission calculation unit can, for example, search the emission coefficient storage unit for emission coefficient information in which the value of an item included in the record corresponds to the type-specific information (for example, the value of the type-specific information is set as the value of the item, or the value of one or more items of the record meets the condition specified in the type-specific information), and calculate the emission amount based on the searched emission coefficient and amount of activity.

If the units in which the activity amount is expressed match the units assumed by the emission factor (tCO2/unit), the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission factor.

If the units do not match, the emission calculation unit can read out a conversion factor corresponding to the received type of activity (and emission subject) from the conversion factor storage unit based on the conversion factor, convert the first activity amount expressed in the first unit to a second activity amount expressed in the second unit based on the read conversion factor, and calculate the emission amount based on the emission factor and the second activity amount. For example, the emission calculation unit can search the conversion factor storage unit for conversion factor information including type-specific information corresponding to the company ID and the record of the imported data, and if the searched conversion factor information is registered in the conversion factor storage unit, determine that the units do not match, and multiply the value obtained by multiplying the activity amount included in the imported data by the conversion factor by the emission factor. Note that if multiple conversion factors corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information are registered, all of the corresponding multiple conversion factors may be multiplied.

The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission amount storage unit. The emission calculation unit can register the company ID, time information such as the current date and time, the scope and category of the calculated emission amount (the scope and category corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information used when calculating the emission amount can be obtained from the classification storage unit), and the calculated emission amount in association with each other in the emission amount storage unit.

The counting unit constituting the calculation unit 210 counts the emissions. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by scope. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by category. The scope and category can be read out from the distribution memory corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information.

<Operation>
FIG. 43 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 29th function. The management server 200 receives import data from the outside (S4301). For example, it can accept upload of CSV data from the user terminal 100, receive JSON data, and receive data such as CSV, JSON, and XML from other systems. For each record included in the import data, the management server 200 reads emission coefficient information corresponding to the given company ID and whose item value included in the record corresponds to the type-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit (S4302), and searches for conversion coefficient information corresponding to the given company ID and whose item value included in the record corresponds to the type-specific information from the conversion coefficient storage unit (S4303). Next, the management server 200 determines whether or not a conversion coefficient has been acquired (S4304). If the management server 200 has acquired the conversion factor information and is able to search (S4304: YES), it multiplies the activity amount included in the record by the conversion factor and the emission factor to calculate the emission amount (S4305); if the management server 200 has not acquired the conversion factor information and is unable to search (S4304: NO), it multiplies the activity amount included in the record by the emission factor to calculate the emission amount (S4306) and registers the calculated emission amount in the emission memory unit (S4307).

The management server 200 aggregates and outputs the emissions registered in the emission amount storage unit (S307). The management server 200 can search the emission amount storage unit for emissions calculated within a specified period, such as a year, quarter, month, week, or day, and aggregate the emissions. The management server 200 can also obtain a scope and category that matches the company ID and type-specific information related to the calculated emissions from the classification storage unit, and aggregate and output the emissions for each obtained scope and/or category.

In this way, emissions can be calculated by inputting activity data from outside all at once.

The input unit 220, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 29th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AC1 (P017)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating a greenhouse gas emission amount related to a type of activity in association with the type of activity, an activity amount input unit that accepts an input of an activity amount related to the activity, an emission coefficient acquisition unit that reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity related to the activity amount from the emission coefficient storage unit, and an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount based on the read emission coefficient and the activity amount. Item AC1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information for identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gas, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts an input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AC2]
The information processing system according to item AC1, wherein the emission coefficient storage unit stores the type, the scope of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other, and includes an aggregation unit that aggregates the emissions calculated by the emission calculation unit for each scope.
[Item AC3]
The information processing system according to item AC1, wherein the emission coefficient storage unit stores the type, the scope of the activity, and the category of the activity and the emission coefficient in association with each other, and includes an aggregation unit that aggregates the emissions calculated by the emission calculation unit for each category.
[Item AC4]
In the information processing system described in item AC1, the activity amount received by the activity amount input unit is expressed in a first unit, and a conversion coefficient storage unit is provided that stores a conversion coefficient for converting a value of the first unit into a value of a second unit in association with the type, and the emission amount calculation unit reads out the conversion coefficient corresponding to the type related to the received activity from the conversion coefficient storage unit based on the conversion coefficient, converts the first activity amount expressed in the first unit into a second activity amount expressed in the second unit based on the read conversion coefficient, and calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient and the second activity amount.
An information processing system comprising:
[Item AC5]
The information processing system according to item AC1, further comprising an emission coefficient input unit that, when the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity related to the amount of activity is not registered in the emission coefficient storage unit, accepts an input of the emission coefficient and registers it in the emission coefficient storage unit.

<<Pricing function (function 30)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 29 is described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 30. As background technology, a system that determines appropriate prices for products, etc. according to the number of people, etc. is disclosed. When determining the usage fee for a system that calculates greenhouse gas emissions, there is an issue that the conventional price setting seems too expensive for use in calculating emissions related to small-scale facilities. Function 30 aims to provide an information processing system (emissions calculation system) that can determine an appropriate price.

<System Overview>
An information processing system according to this embodiment will be described. The information processing system is intended to calculate greenhouse gas emissions. In the information processing system of this embodiment, the usage fee is determined according to the amount of emissions.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 30th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (basic fee memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), an output unit 240 (emission amount output unit), and an analysis unit 280 (usage fee determination unit).

The basic fee storage unit stores the basic fee for the system usage fee. The basic fee storage unit may store a flat basic fee, or may store a different basic fee for each user. The basic fee storage unit may also store a basic fee for each type of contract between the user and the system operator.

The emission coefficient storage unit stores emission coefficients for calculating emissions. The emission coefficient storage unit can store emission coefficients in association with, for example, direct or indirect emission activities by businesses (such as a user or the company to which the user belongs) or emission activities by businesses upstream or downstream in the supply chain, for each of scopes 1 to 3 of the GHG Protocol. The emission coefficient storage unit can store, for example, emission coefficients provided by the Ministry of the Environment. The emission coefficient storage unit can also store emission coefficients calculated by businesses themselves in addition to or instead of emission activities, in association with the businesses.

The emission amount memory unit stores the emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store the emission amount for each activity. The activity can be pre-associated with the scope (scope 1 to 3) and/or category (category 1 to 15) of the GHG Protocol.

The emission amount memory unit can also store the aggregated emission amounts. For example, the emission amount memory unit can store the emission amounts for each scope (scope 1 to 3) and/or category (category 1 to 15) of the GHG Protocol. The emission amount memory unit can store the emission amounts in association with information indicating a user (user ID). The emission amount memory unit can store the emission amounts in association with the user ID and information indicating the type of greenhouse gas. The emission amount memory unit can store the emission amounts in association with the user ID, the scope and/or category, and the type of greenhouse gas.

The emission calculation unit calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The emission calculation unit acquires the amount of activity related to the activities of Scopes 1 to 3, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiplies the acquired amount of activity by the read-out emission coefficient to calculate the amount of emissions. The amount of activity can be, for example, the amount or amount of fuel used, the amount or amount of electricity purchased, the number of parts purchased, etc.

The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit. For each activity for which the activity amount has been acquired, the emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit in association with information indicating the activity. Furthermore, in addition to or instead of the emission amount for each activity, the emission calculation unit can register the emission amount aggregated for each scope and/or category and user. The emission calculation unit can register the emission amount aggregated for each combination of scope and/or category, type of greenhouse gas, and user.

The emission output unit outputs the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The emission output unit can aggregate (e.g., sum) the emissions for each user and activity stored in the emission memory unit for each scope category and output the aggregation result. For emissions related to Scope 3, the emission output unit can output the aggregation result of the emissions for each Scope 3 category in addition to or instead of the Scope 3 emissions.

The fee determination unit constituting the analysis unit 280 determines various fees. The usage fee determination unit constituting the fee determination unit can determine the usage fee for the system according to the amount of emissions. The usage fee determination unit can determine the usage fee according to, for example, the amount of emissions calculated by the user using this system (the amount of emissions of the business entity to which the user belongs). The usage fee determination unit can set a fee coefficient corresponding to the amount of emissions or the rank of the amount of emissions, for example, uniformly or for each user, and determine the usage fee by multiplying the total amount of emissions for the user in a specified period (for example, one month or one year) by the fee coefficient corresponding to the user. The usage fee determination unit can also determine the usage fee by adding an amount according to the amount of emissions to the basic fee corresponding to the user stored in the basic fee storage unit.

<Operation>
44 is a diagram for explaining the operation of Function 30. The management server 200 acquires the amount of activity related to scopes 1 to 3 of the user, calculates the amount of emissions by multiplying the acquired amount of activity by an emission coefficient (S4401), and can, for example, tally and output the calculated amount of emissions (S4402).

The management server 200 can determine the system usage fee according to the total amount of emissions by the user (or the business to which the user belongs) during a specified period (S4403). The management server 200 can perform billing processes related to the determined usage fee (e.g., issuing an invoice, making a payment by credit card or bank transfer, outputting a message instructing the operator to make a bill, etc.).

The management server 200 can determine expenses and fees other than the system usage fee according to the total amount of emissions by the user (or the business to which the user belongs) during a specified period (S4404). The management server 200 can perform charging processing (e.g., issuing invoices, settlement processing such as credit cards and bank transfers, outputting messages instructing the operator to make a bill, etc.) based on the tax rate related to the system usage fee according to the amount of emissions. In this example, the tax rate related to the system usage fee is 8% up to a specified amount of emissions and 10% above the specified amount of emissions. Other tax rates may be used, or the tax rate may be 0% (non-taxable) up to a specified amount of emissions and 10% (taxable) above the specified amount of emissions.

As described above, the information processing system of this embodiment allows the system usage fee to be set according to the business operator's emissions.

In the above-described embodiment, the usage fee is determined according to the emission amount of the user or the business entity to which the user belongs, calculated by the user using the system, but the usage fee may be determined according to the number of bases related to the user or business entity. The user can aggregate (e.g., sum) the emission amount for each base, and the usage fee determination unit can determine the usage fee, for example, according to the number of bases, which is the unit for tallying up the emission amount (e.g., the higher the number, the higher the usage fee).

In the above-described embodiment, the system usage fee is determined according to the emission amount of the user or the business entity to which the user belongs, calculated by the user using the system. However, fees or costs different from the system usage fee may be determined according to the emission amount of the user or the business entity to which the user belongs. Costs or fees other than the system usage fee (e.g., a tax on the system usage fee or a tax levied according to greenhouse gas emissions) can be determined according to the emission amount (e.g., the higher the emission amount, the higher the fee). In this case, the system usage fee is determined according to the emission amount, but may be a fixed fee. As a result, the system usage fee, which is the overall usage fee, includes expenses such as taxes, and the usage fee may be determined according to the emission amount.

The usage fee determination unit may also determine a usage fee for each location based on the emissions tabulated (e.g., totaled) for each location, and may add up the usage fees determined for each location to determine the usage fee to be charged to the user or the business entity to which the user belongs.

The usage fee determination unit may determine the usage fee according to, for example, the scale of the business. The scale of the business can be expressed, for example, by the business's sales, consolidated sales, number of employees, amount of capital, amount of procurement, etc.

The calculation unit 210, output unit 240, and analysis unit 280 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 30th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AD1 (P018)]
An information processing system for calculating greenhouse gas emissions related to at least one of the direct or indirect activities of a business operator and the activities of other business operators upstream or downstream of the business operator's supply chain, comprising: an emission calculation unit for calculating the emission amount; an emission storage unit for storing the emission amount; and a usage fee determination unit for determining a usage fee for the information processing system to be charged to the business operator such that the amount increases as the stored emission amount increases. In this case, the usage fee for the information processing system is a fixed fee for the system, and includes a fee in which an amount according to the emission amount is added to the fixed fee. Item AD1 comprises a base information storage unit for storing information specifying the location of the base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that emits greenhouse gases; an activity amount storage unit for storing the activity amount of the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit for receiving input of the location information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from the user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit for referring to the base information storage unit and identifying the base based on the location information; and a registration unit for registering the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AD2]
An information processing system according to item AD1, comprising a basic fee memory unit that stores a basic fee for the usage fee, and the usage fee determination unit determines the usage fee by adding a fee determined so that the amount increases as the amount of emissions increases to the basic fee.
[Item AD3]
An information processing system according to item AD1, characterized in that the emission memory unit stores the emission amount in correspondence with a user, and the usage fee determination unit reads out the emission amount corresponding to the user from the emission memory unit, and determines the usage fee for the information processing system related to the user so that the amount becomes higher as the aggregate value of the read emission amount becomes larger.
[Item AD4]
An information processing system according to item AD1, comprising: an emission calculation unit that calculates greenhouse gas emissions; and a usage fee determination unit that determines a usage fee for the system based on the emissions.
[Item AD5]
An information processing system according to item AD4, comprising a basic fee memory unit that stores a basic fee for the usage fee, and the usage fee determination unit determines the usage fee by adding an amount corresponding to the emission amount to the basic fee.
[Item AD6]
An information processing system according to item AD4, comprising an emission amount memory unit that stores the emission amount in correspondence with a user, and the usage fee determination unit reads out the emission amount corresponding to the user from the emission amount memory unit, and determines the usage fee for the user in accordance with an aggregate value of the emission amount read out.
[Item AD7]
An information processing system that calculates greenhouse gas emissions relating to at least one of the direct or indirect activities of a business operator and the activities of other business operators upstream or downstream in the business operator's supply chain, comprising: an emission calculation unit that calculates the emissions; an emission memory unit that stores the emissions; and a fee determination unit that determines a usage fee for the information processing system to be charged to the business operator so that the amount increases as the amount of emissions stored increases, and that determines costs or fees other than the usage fee so that the amount increases as the amount of emissions stored increases.
[Item AD8]
An information processing system that calculates greenhouse gas emissions relating to at least one of the direct or indirect activities of a business operator and the activities of other business operators upstream or downstream in the business operator's supply chain, comprising: an emission calculation unit that calculates the emissions; an emission memory unit that stores the emissions; and a fee determination unit that determines a usage fee for the information processing system to be charged to the business operator so that the amount does not change even if the stored emission amount increases, while determining costs or fees other than the usage fee so that the amount increases as the stored emission amount increases.
[Item AD9 (P018)]
When targeting X-information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), it is as follows. The same can be said for items subordinate to this item. An information processing system that calculates X-information related to at least one of the direct or indirect activities of a business operator and the activities of other business operators upstream or downstream of the business operator's supply chain, the information processing system is characterized by comprising: a calculation unit that calculates the X-information, a storage unit that stores the X-information, and a usage fee determination unit that determines a usage fee for the information processing system to be charged to the business operator such that the amount increases as the stored X-information increases.

<<Offset function (31st function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 30 will be described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 31. As background technology, there is a method in which a customer inquires whether or not to make a carbon offset donation when paying the cost of a transaction. This method has the problem that the content of the transaction is not taken into consideration, and it is not possible to determine the amount of emissions of environmentally hazardous substances at the time of the transaction. Function 31 has an object to provide a technology that can determine the amount of emissions of environmentally hazardous substances at the time of the transaction.

First Embodiment
FIG. 45(a) is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration including a sales system according to this embodiment. The sales system according to this embodiment is a system for selling products or services. In this embodiment, the sales system can sell products or services in the form of, for example, online shopping. The sales system is communicatively connected to an external server via a communication network 300. The communication network 300 is, for example, the Internet, and can be constructed using a public telephone line network, a mobile phone line network, a wireless communication path, Ethernet (registered trademark), or the like. The external server is a computer that trades environmental values. The external server can sell, for example, offset rights (hereinafter referred to as environmental values) for environmental load substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2), such as J-credits.

The sales system of this embodiment can sell an environmental value to offset the emissions of environmentally harmful substances (e.g., greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide) related to the sale of a product or service at the same time.

<Sales System>
The sales system may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The sales system may also be logically realized by cloud computing. An example of the hardware configuration of the computer that realizes the sales system is the same as that shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

The sales system includes a payment amount acquisition unit, an emission amount acquisition unit, an offset price acquisition unit, an offset acceptance unit, a payment processing unit, an offset processing unit, and an emission amount information storage unit.

The payment amount acquisition unit acquires the payment amount for the product or service. When the product or service is sold in a sales system, the payment amount acquisition unit can acquire the sales price. Furthermore, when a payment device related to the sale of the product or service exists separately from the sales system, the payment amount acquisition unit can acquire the payment amount from the payment device.

The emission amount acquisition unit acquires the amount of emission of environmentally hazardous substances related to the product or service. For example, the emission amount acquisition unit may acquire the amount of emission of environmentally hazardous substances emitted during the manufacture of the product, may acquire the amount of emission of environmentally hazardous substances related to the delivery of the product, may acquire the amount of emission of environmentally hazardous substances related to the manufacture or delivery of items necessary for the provision of the service, may acquire the amount of environmentally hazardous substances emitted during the provision of the service, or may acquire and add up all or a part of the amount of emission. The emission amount acquisition unit may also acquire all emissions of Scopes 1 to 3 defined in the GHG Protocol.

The emission information storage unit stores information (hereinafter referred to as emission information) necessary to obtain the emission amount of environmentally hazardous substances related to the product or service. The emission information can be, for example, the carbon dioxide emission amount (standard value) per unit of automobile (for example, a unit of measurement of distance traveled, such as 1 km or 1 m), or the carbon dioxide emission amount (standard value) emitted by the production of one unit of substance (for example, a lightweight unit of substance, such as 1 kg or 1 m3). The emission amount acquisition unit can acquire information related to the production or provision of the product or service (referred to as product provision information; for example, the amount of substance sold, the distance traveled by a delivery vehicle related to the delivery of the product, the distance traveled by a delivery vehicle related to the transportation service, etc.), and calculate the emission amount of environmentally hazardous substances related to the product or service based on the acquired product provision information and emission information. The emission information can also be, for example, an emission coefficient indicating the emission amount in monetary units (for example, Japanese yen) for each product or service.

The emission information storage unit may store an emission coefficient for calculating the emission amount for each activity performed by the entity that provides the goods or services, and the emission acquisition unit may acquire the amount of activity related to the goods or services (e.g., the amount related to the activities defined in Scopes 1 to 3 of the GHG Protocol, such as fuel use, the number of materials purchased, the number of goods sold, etc.), read out the corresponding emission coefficient from the emission information storage unit, and calculate the emission amount by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission coefficient.

The offset price acquisition unit acquires the price of the environmental value according to the amount of emissions. The offset price acquisition unit can acquire the asking price of the environmental value from, for example, an external server (environmental value trading server). The offset price acquisition unit can acquire the asking price by, for example, calling an API provided by the external server. Furthermore, when a seller of a product or service owns an environmental value, the offset price acquisition unit can also acquire the price of the environmental value owned by the seller. In this case, the sales system is provided with an inventory environmental value storage unit that stores the amount and price of the environmental value owned by the seller for each seller, and the offset price acquisition unit can acquire the price of the environmental value corresponding to the seller from the inventory environmental value storage unit.

The offset receiving unit receives input as to whether or not to purchase an environmental value (offset transaction). At the time of payment for the purchase of a product or service, the offset receiving unit can inquire of the purchaser of the product or service as to whether or not to purchase an environmental value together with the product or service.

The payment processing unit performs payment processing related to the sale of goods or services. Payment processing by the payment processing unit can be performed by a common method, for example, payment by credit card. The payment processing unit can perform payment by increasing the payment amount according to the price of the environmental value. When a purchaser of a product or service purchases an environmental value, the payment processing unit can perform payment processing by increasing the price of the environmental value to the payment amount (sales amount) of the product or service, pay the sales amount (which may be the sales amount minus a commission fee) to the provider of the product or service, and perform processing to pay the price of the environmental value to the seller of the environmental value.

The offset processing unit performs the purchase process of the environmental value. The offset processing unit can purchase the environmental value, for example, by issuing a purchase order to an external server. The offset processing unit may issue a purchase order with the purchaser of the product or service as the main body, or may issue a purchase order with the operator of the sales system as the main body. Furthermore, if the seller owns the environmental value, the offset processing unit may perform the offset process (proxy invalidation) by transferring the environmental value owned by the seller to the buyer. In this case, the offset processing unit can reduce the amount of environmental value corresponding to the seller from the inventory environmental value storage unit in accordance with the amount of emissions to be offset, and charge the purchaser of the product or service the price of the environmental value multiplied by the amount.

Figure 46 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 31st function. When a product or service is sold in the sales system of the first embodiment (S4601), the emission acquisition unit acquires the emission amount of the environmental load substance related to the sold product or service (S4602). The emission acquisition unit may acquire the emission amount calculated by another information processing device, or may acquire information for calculating the emission amount related to the sold product or service and calculate the emission amount. The offset price acquisition unit acquires the asking price of the environmental value for offsetting the acquired emission amount from an external server (S4603), the offset acceptance unit inquires of the purchaser of the product or service whether or not to perform the offset (S4604), and if the purchaser wishes to perform the offset (S4605: YES), the settlement processing unit adds the asking price to the selling price (settlement amount) of the product or service to perform settlement (S4606), and the offset processing unit purchases the environmental value and performs the offset processing (S4607). On the other hand, if the purchaser does not want offsetting (S4605: NO), the payment processing unit will make the payment according to the payment amount (S4608). Note that it is also possible to skip steps S4604, S4605, and S4608 without inquiring about whether offsetting is required, and to always perform offsetting by executing steps S4606 and S4607.

As described above, the sales system of this embodiment makes it possible to calculate the amount of emissions of environmentally hazardous substances related to the production and provision of a product or service at the time of sale of the product or service. Furthermore, the sales system of this embodiment makes it possible to offset the amount of emissions related to the product or service at the time of sale of the product or service.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the offset process is performed, but this is not limited to the above. It is also possible to calculate the emissions related to the product or service, output the emissions, and present them to at least one of the seller and purchaser of the product or service.

Conventionally, when trying to offset the emissions of environmentally hazardous substances such as carbon dioxide that are emitted as a result of the services a company provides, it was normal to offset them all at once over a certain period or unit. However, with the sales system of this embodiment, the environmentally hazardous substances are calculated each time a product or service is sold, and the environmental value for offsetting can be traded, making it possible to provide customers with the opportunity to participate in offsetting.

Second Embodiment
As a second embodiment of the sales system, an electronic commerce (EC) site that sells products will be described in particular. In the second embodiment, it is assumed that carbon dioxide emitted during delivery of products sold on the EC site is offset.

The emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the amount of environmental load substances, particularly carbon dioxide, emitted during the delivery of goods. The emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions during the delivery of goods by identifying the transportation route for the delivery of goods and adding up the product of the carbon dioxide emissions per unit distance for each delivery means used for the transportation route and the respective delivery distances. The emission amount acquisition unit can also calculate the amount of emissions by acquiring the price of fuel used during the delivery of goods, or the weight and travel distance (ton-kilometers) of the cargo during the delivery of goods, and multiplying this by an emission coefficient (which can be set in advance) related to the transportation corresponding to the delivery company. The cost related to carbon offsetting can also be calculated from the product of the asking price of environmental value (credits) for carbon offsetting obtained from an external server and the total amount of emissions.

In this case, the emission information storage unit can store, for example, the location on a map of the warehouse where the product is stored for each product. The emission information storage unit can also store, for example, information for determining a delivery route from a warehouse to a delivery destination of the product (for example, the purchaser's home, etc.) (for example, it may be information used in a navigation system, or it may be a URL or authentication information for accessing a map server that performs routing). The emission information storage unit can also store the carbon dioxide emission per unit distance for each delivery means (truck, etc.) used for transportation. The payment amount acquisition unit can acquire the product sold, the delivery destination of the product, the number of packages to be delivered, etc., along with the payment amount, and the emission acquisition unit can use this information to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the transportation of the product. The offset acceptance unit can then present the actual amount (asking price) of the cost required for carbon offsetting at the time of the purchaser's payment, and allow the purchaser to select whether or not to implement carbon offsetting. When carbon offsetting is implemented, a purchase order can be sent to an external server to automatically purchase environmental value (credits) for offsetting.

In the above explanation, the cost of carbon offsetting (the price of environmental value) is fully borne by the purchaser, but the operator of the EC site and the purchaser of the product can arbitrarily set the ratio at which the carbon offsetting costs will be borne by each party.

Also, in the second embodiment, the amount and price of the environmental value owned by the seller may be stored, the price of the environmental value owned by the seller may be presented, and offsetting may be performed by transferring the environmental value owned by the seller to the purchaser. Also, in the second embodiment, offsetting may not be performed in practice, and only the calculation and presentation of the amount of emissions may be performed.

Third Embodiment
As a third embodiment of the sales system, a payment device for passenger transportation services such as taxis will be described in particular. In the third embodiment, the sales system offsets carbon dioxide emissions emitted by passenger transportation means such as taxis when making payment for the use of passenger transportation services by taxis or the like. The sales system can be implemented as a terminal placed in a taxi.

<When inquiring about carbon offset participation at the time of payment>
47 is a diagram for explaining a third embodiment relating to a case where carbon offset is performed when the taxi fare is paid. The sales system calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated during the taxi's travel based on information from the taxi's distance meter, etc., and presents the passenger with the option of whether or not to participate in offsetting the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (carbon offset) when paying the fare or in advance, providing the passenger with the opportunity to freely choose to offset the carbon dioxide emissions.

==Offset cost calculation phase==
The payment amount acquisition unit of the sales system can acquire the mileage from the taxi's odometer and accept the number of passengers from the taxi driver. The payment amount acquisition unit can determine the taxi fare based on the mileage and travel time by a general method.

The emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the amount of emissions of environmentally hazardous substances emitted by the taxi's travel based on at least one of the taxi's travel distance and travel time. If the taxi is a gasoline-powered vehicle, the emission amount acquisition unit can acquire the number of passengers and travel distance of the taxi, and calculate the emission amount according to the number of passengers and travel distance. If the taxi is a gasoline-powered vehicle, the emission amount acquisition unit can acquire the number of passengers and travel distance of the taxi, and calculate the emission amount according to the number of passengers and travel distance.

The emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emission amount, for example, as follows:

==For gasoline vehicles==
In the case where the taxi is a gasoline-powered vehicle, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit distance (kg/km) can be registered in advance in the emission information storage unit. The emission acquisition unit can acquire the mileage from, for example, a taxi meter or a taxi fare payment system, and may also acquire the number of passengers. In the case where the number of passengers can be acquired, correction information (for example, a correction factor) of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions depending on the number of passengers can be registered in the emission information storage unit. The correction factor can be, for example, 0.95 when there is one passenger, 1.0 when there is one passenger, 1.05 when there are three passengers, and 1.1 when there are four passengers. The emission acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions related to a gasoline-powered taxi by "distance traveled (km) x amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit distance (kg/km) x correction factor according to the number of passengers".

==In the case of EV==
In the case where the taxi is an electric vehicle, the amount of power consumption per unit distance (kwh/km) can be registered in advance in the emission information storage unit. The amount of power consumption per unit distance can be registered, for example, for each individual taxi or for each vehicle type. In addition, the amount of carbon dioxide emission per unit power (kg/kwh) can also be registered in advance in the emission information storage unit. The amount of carbon dioxide emission per unit power may be registered for each charging location, or the overall average value may be registered. In addition, as with gasoline vehicles, the emission information storage unit can also register a correction factor for each number of passengers. The emission acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission (kg) related to the electric vehicle taxi by "travel distance (km) x power consumption per unit distance (kwh/km) x carbon dioxide emission per unit power (kg/kwh) x correction factor according to the number of passengers".

In addition, if the emission amount acquisition unit can acquire power consumption data (kWh) for the taxi's operation from the electric vehicle's control device, the taxi's meter, the taxi's payment device, etc., the emission amount information storage unit can register the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity (kg/kWh) and a correction factor for each number of passengers, and the emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (kg) by "power consumption (kWh) x carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity (kg/kWh) x correction factor according to the number of passengers".

The offset price acquisition unit can acquire the asking price (yen/kg) of environmental value such as J Credit from an external server. The offset price acquisition unit can acquire the asking price, for example, by using an API provided by the external server. The offset price acquisition unit may provide the calculated emission amount to the API to acquire the asking price (yen) of the environmental value related to the calculated emission amount.

==Payment Phase==
The offset reception unit can display a screen on the touch panel monitor of the sales system. The screen displays the taxi fare and the offset price (the asking price of the environmental value), and allows the customer to select whether or not to perform carbon offset by pressing a button.

== Contract Phase ==
When the offset button is pressed, the payment processing unit requests payment of the total amount of the fare and the offset price, and the offset processing unit sends an order to an external server to purchase environmental value such as J-Credits to cover the emissions, thereby performing carbon offsetting.

<If you wish to inquire about participating in carbon offsetting in advance>
FIG. 48 is a diagram for explaining a third embodiment relating to a case where participation in carbon offset is inquired in advance.

If it has been decided in advance that carbon offsetting will be carried out, the taxi fare plus the cost required for carbon offsetting can be charged at the time of payment. In this case, the burden ratio between the taxi company and the passenger for the carbon offsetting costs can be set at will. This burden ratio may be set at will by the taxi company, or the customer may decide and register their burden ratio in advance. When carbon offsetting is carried out, a purchase order for the environmental value (credits) for offsetting will be automatically sent to an external server.

== Selection Phase ==
The offset acceptance unit displays a screen on the passenger's touch panel monitor before the fare is presented to the passenger, for example, when the passenger boards or during the ride, and allows the passenger to select whether or not to perform carbon offset. If the "no offset" button is pressed on the screen, carbon offset will not be performed and the normal fare will be charged. On the other hand, if the "offset" button is pressed, carbon offset will be performed.

==Offset cost calculation phase==
When carbon offsetting is performed, the payment amount acquisition unit can acquire the mileage from the taxi's odometer and accept the input of the number of passengers from the taxi driver, similar to the case of inquiring about participation in carbon offsetting at the time of payment of the fare shown in FIG. 47. The payment amount acquisition unit can determine the taxi fare based on the mileage and the travel time by a general method. In addition, the emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emission amount as described above. Here, the offset price acquisition unit acquires the asking price of the environmental value such as J-Credit from the external server, and the payment amount acquisition unit can add the asking price to the ride fare to determine the payment amount. In addition, the offset price acquisition unit can calculate the cost required for offsetting by multiplying the asking price (yen/kg) received from the external server by the carbon dioxide emission amount (kg) calculated as described above. The offset processing unit can automatically transmit a purchase order for the environmental value such as J-Credit for the amount of emission to the external server and perform carbon offsetting.

==Settlement Phase==
The payment processing unit can request payment of the total amount of the fare and the offset price. The payment processing unit can display the fare, the offset price, and the total amount on a screen, for example.

In the third embodiment, the amount and price of the environmental value owned by the seller may also be stored, the price of the environmental value owned by the seller may be presented, and offsetting may be performed by transferring the environmental value owned by the seller to the purchaser. Also, in the third embodiment, offsetting may not be performed in practice, and only the calculation and presentation of the amount of emissions may be performed.

Fourth Embodiment
In the second embodiment, the offset of carbon dioxide emissions related to product delivery in EC was described, and in the third embodiment, the offset of carbon dioxide emissions related to passenger transportation by taxi was described, but it is possible to present offset credits to customers for carbon dioxide emissions related to other product sales or service provision. The following is a list of substances that can be offset. Note that in the following description, carbon dioxide can be replaced with other substances of environmental load that can be offset.

==Video Production/Distribution==
It is also possible to offset carbon dioxide emissions related to video production or video distribution. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the power consumption (kWh/h) per unit time required for video production or distribution and the carbon dioxide emissions per unit power (kg/kWh), and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the emission amount by "video time x power consumption x carbon dioxide emissions per unit power." The offset acceptance unit can allow the video creator or distributor to select an offset option when uploading a video.

==Travel Packages==
It is also possible to offset the carbon dioxide emitted by the means of transportation used in the trip. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the carbon dioxide emission (kg/km) per unit distance traveled by each means of transportation, the emission acquisition unit acquires the travel distance for each means of transportation included in the travel package, and calculates the carbon dioxide emission for the travel package by adding up "travel distance x emission for each means of transportation used," and the offset acceptance unit allows the traveler to select an offset option when applying for the trip.

==Courier==
It is also possible to offset the carbon dioxide emitted during delivery by home delivery. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission (kg/km) per unit distance related to home delivery, and the emission acquisition unit acquires the delivery route of the home delivery service, calculates the distance of the delivery route, and calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission related to home delivery by "travel distance x carbon dioxide emission per unit distance." The offset acceptance unit can allow the requester to select an offset option when applying for home delivery.

== Flea Market App ==
It is also possible to offset the carbon dioxide emissions related to the delivery of goods traded between end users, such as at flea markets and auctions. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the carbon dioxide emissions (kg/km) per unit distance traveled for delivery, and the emission acquisition unit acquires the delivery distance between end users (for example, the address of the delivery source and the address of the delivery destination may be acquired to determine the straight-line distance between the two addresses or the distance of the delivery route along a road), and can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions related to the delivery of the goods by "delivery distance (km) x carbon dioxide emissions per unit distance (kg/km)". Note that the carbon dioxide emissions per unit distance traveled for delivery may be stored for each delivery means, and the carbon dioxide emissions per unit distance traveled corresponding to the delivery means selected at the time of the transaction may be used to calculate the emissions. The offset acceptance unit may allow the user to select whether or not to perform offsetting as a delivery option at the time of the transaction.

==Delivery of goods from the store to your home==
When an end user requests delivery of a product purchased at a store such as a supermarket or liquor store to his/her home, the carbon dioxide emission amount related to the delivery can be offset. For example, the emission amount information storage unit stores the carbon dioxide emission amount (kg/km) per unit distance traveled for delivery, and the emission amount acquisition unit calculates the straight-line distance from the store to the delivery destination (such as the end user's home) or the distance of the delivery route along a road, and calculates the carbon dioxide emission amount related to the product delivery by "delivery distance (km) x carbon dioxide emission amount per unit distance (kg/km)". When the purchaser requests delivery of the product, the offset acceptance unit allows the purchaser to select whether or not to perform offset as a delivery option. Note that, when there are multiple delivery means, the carbon dioxide emission amount per unit distance traveled for delivery can be stored for each delivery means, and the carbon dioxide emission amount per unit distance traveled for the delivery means selected at the time of delivery application can be used to calculate the emission amount.

==Commuting==
A company can also perform carbon offsetting for employees' commuting. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (kg/km) per unit travel distance related to the employee's commuting, and the emission acquisition unit acquires the straight-line distance from the employee's home to the company or the distance of the commuting route (for example, the address of the employee can be acquired from a personnel database or the like, and the distance can be calculated based on map data, or the distance can be acquired from a map server). The emission acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions related to the employee's commuting by "commuting distance (km) x carbon dioxide emissions per unit travel distance (kg/km)". The emission acquisition unit may acquire the number of work days per month and multiply the carbon dioxide emissions by the number of work days to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions related to commuting per month. In this case, if the company bears the offset cost, the offset acceptance unit does not need to inquire of the employee whether or not to perform the offset. If the company does not bear the cost, the offset acceptance unit can inquire of the employee whether or not to perform the carbon offset related to commuting, for example, before the payment of the monthly salary. The emission information storage unit may store the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (kg/km) per unit travel distance for each commuting means (e.g., car, bus, train, etc.), and the emission acquisition unit may acquire the commuting means used on the commuting route for each employee, and calculate the emissions using the carbon dioxide emissions per unit travel distance corresponding to the acquired commuting means.

==Drone Flight==
When flying a drone, carbon offsetting can be performed for the flight of the drone. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the carbon dioxide emission (kg/km) per unit flight distance for the flight of the drone, and the emission acquisition unit acquires, for example, the flight distance along the flight route acquired by the flight controller of the drone body or the flight control device of the drone, and can calculate the carbon dioxide emission due to the flight of the drone by "flight distance (km) x carbon dioxide emission per unit flight distance (kg/km)". Alternatively, for example, the emission information storage unit stores the power consumption (kwh/km) per unit flight distance and the carbon dioxide emission per unit power consumption (kg/kwh) for the flight of the drone, and the emission acquisition unit acquires, for example, the flight distance along the flight route acquired by the flight controller of the drone body or the flight control device of the drone, and can calculate the carbon dioxide emission due to the flight of the drone by "flight distance (km) x power consumption (kwh/km) per unit flight distance x carbon dioxide emission per unit power consumption (kg/kwh)". The offset reception unit can, for example, allow a user to select whether or not carbon offset is required as an option menu when arranging a drone pilot.

== Ship Transportation ==
Carbon offsetting can be performed not only for land transportation but also for the transportation of goods by ship. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (kg/km) per unit sailing distance for the ship's navigation, and the emission acquisition unit can acquire the length of the ship's route (sailing distance) and calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for the transportation of goods by ship by "sailing distance (km) x carbon dioxide emissions per unit sailing distance (kg/km)". The offset acceptance unit can accept the need for carbon offsetting as an option when arranging transportation.

==Airplane travel==
Carbon offsetting can be performed not only for taxis, but also for passenger transportation services by airplane. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (kg/km) per unit flight distance of the airplane, and the emission acquisition unit can acquire, for example, the length of the airplane's route (flight distance) and calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions due to the airplane flight by "flight distance (km) x carbon dioxide emissions per unit flight distance (kg/km)". The offset acceptance unit can, for example, allow the traveler to select whether or not to apply carbon offset as an option to be added to the price at the time of purchasing the airline ticket.

==Computer Use==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the use of a computer used to provide services such as financial services and information services. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission per unit of power consumption (kg/kwh), and the emission acquisition unit acquires the amount of power consumption (kwh) of a computer used to provide a service such as a financial service or information service, and can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission related to the use of the computer used to provide the service by "power consumption (kwh) x carbon dioxide emission per unit of power consumption (kg/kwh)". As in the above-mentioned embodiment, the offset acceptance unit can accept the necessity of carbon offsetting as an option menu when providing a service (at the time of payment).

==Using the Cloud==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the use of clouds (storage, computing, etc.). For example, the emission information storage unit stores the power consumption per unit usage time of resources related to cloud computing (not only the power consumption by computers, but also the power consumption by air conditioning, etc. may be added. kWh/h) and the carbon dioxide emission per unit power consumption (kg/kWh), and the emission acquisition unit acquires the usage time (h) of cloud computing and can calculate the carbon dioxide emission related to the use of cloud computing by "usage time (h) x power consumption per unit usage time (kWh/h) x carbon dioxide emission per unit power consumption (kg/kWh)". As in the above-mentioned embodiment, the offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to perform carbon offsetting as an option menu when providing the service (at the time of payment).

==Using amusement parks and other facilities==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for facility operation such as attractions at an amusement park. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the power consumption (kWh) for a given period (e.g., one day or one month) or one use of the facility for each piece of equipment, and the carbon dioxide emission per unit of power consumption (kg/kWh), and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emission related to the use of the facility by, for example, "power consumption (kWh) x carbon dioxide emission per unit of power consumption (kg/kWh)." The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to apply for carbon offsetting at the time of payment for the use of the facility, such as when purchasing tickets to an amusement park.

==Use of the sports gym==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the use of equipment at a sports gym. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the power consumption per unit of use time and the power consumption by air conditioning (kWh/h) for each device, and the carbon dioxide emission per unit of power consumption (kg/kWh), and the emission acquisition unit acquires the time of use of the sports gym (h) and can calculate the carbon dioxide emission from use of the sports gym by "usage time (h) x power consumption per unit of use time (kWh/h) x carbon dioxide emission per unit of power consumption (kg/kWh)". The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to apply for carbon offsetting as an option when joining the sports gym.

==Attending concerts and watching sports==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for participation in a concert or watching a sporting event. For example, the emission amount information storage unit stores the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted by holding a concert or a sporting event, and the emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per participant by dividing the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions by the number of participants in the concert or watching a sporting event. The offset acceptance unit can, for example, allow the user to select whether or not to apply for carbon offsetting as an option when purchasing a ticket.

==Esports==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the implementation of e-sports. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the total carbon dioxide emissions required for the operation of e-sports (air conditioning, lighting, operation of equipment, etc.), and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions per participant, for example, by dividing the total carbon dioxide emissions by the number of participants (participants and/or spectators) in the e-sports. The offset acceptance unit can allow participants to select whether or not they require carbon offsetting as an option when applying to participate, and allow spectators to select whether or not they require carbon offsetting as an option when selling tickets.

==School Classes==
Carbon offsetting for school classes can also be performed. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the total carbon dioxide emission required for implementing school classes (electricity use for air conditioning, lighting, equipment, etc.), and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emission per student, for example, by dividing the total carbon dioxide emission by the number of students participating in the school classes. In this case, if the school bears the offsetting costs, the offset acceptance unit does not need to inquire of the student whether or not to offset. If the school does not bear the costs, the offset acceptance unit can allow the student to select whether or not to offset as an option when the student enrolls or applies for a class.

==Hotel Accommodation==
Carbon offsetting for hotel stays can also be performed. For example, the emission acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions associated with a hotel stay by multiplying the carbon dioxide emissions emitted from the room per unit time (the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by air conditioning and electricity use) by the length of stay (number of days). The offset acceptance unit can, for example, allow the guest to select whether or not they require carbon offsetting as an option when applying for a stay.

＝＝Rental warehouse＝＝
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the use of a rental warehouse. For example, the emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions for the use of the rental warehouse by multiplying the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit time and area (carbon dioxide emissions emitted due to the use of air conditioning and electricity) by the area and usage time (storage time) of the rental warehouse used. The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to apply for carbon offsetting as an option when applying to use a rental warehouse.

==Camp==
Carbon offsetting for camping can also be performed. For example, the emission information storage unit can store standard carbon dioxide emissions emitted during camping (for example, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a bonfire or charcoal fire), and the emission acquisition unit can read out this carbon dioxide emission amount. The offset acceptance unit can allow the camper to select whether or not carbon offsetting is required as an option when applying for camping.

==Movie==
Carbon offsetting for movie viewing can also be performed. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the total carbon dioxide emissions (carbon dioxide emissions due to electricity use for air conditioning, lighting, projection equipment, etc.) associated with movie screenings (movie theater operations), and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions per viewer by dividing the total carbon dioxide emissions by the number of people viewing the movie. The offset acceptance unit can allow the viewer to select whether or not to apply for carbon offsetting as an option when applying to view a movie (when selling tickets).

==Gas Use==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for gas used at home. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the carbon dioxide emission (kg/t) for producing gas per unit amount or the carbon dioxide emission (kg/t) emitted by using gas per unit amount, and the emission acquisition unit acquires the gas usage (t) at home and calculates the carbon dioxide emission for gas used at home by "usage (t) x carbon dioxide emission for gas production (kg/t)" or "usage (t) x carbon dioxide emission emitted by using gas (kg/t)". The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to use carbon offsetting as an option when applying for a gas supply contract.

==Water Supply and Sewage Use==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for water and sewerage used at home. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (kg/t) required to purify a unit amount of water (t), and the emission acquisition unit acquires the amount of water used at home (t) and can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions required for water and sewerage use by multiplying the amount of water used (t) by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions required for purification (kg/t). The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to apply for carbon offsetting as an option when applying for a water and sewerage supply contract.

==Communication Usage==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for communications (telephone, internet lines, etc.) used at home. For example, the emission amount information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission per unit communication amount (kg/byte), and the emission amount acquisition unit acquires the communication amount (byte) and can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission related to communication by "communication amount (byte) x carbon dioxide emission amount per unit communication amount (kg/byte)". The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not carbon offsetting is required as an option when applying for a communication line.

==Game==
Carbon offsetting related to game play can also be performed. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission (kg/h) per unit time generated by game play, and the emission acquisition unit acquires the game play time and can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission related to game play by "play time (h) x amount of carbon dioxide emission per unit time (kg/h)". Note that the emission acquisition unit may calculate the amount of emission by, for example, dividing a given amount of carbon dioxide emission required for game production by the number of players of the game. The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to perform carbon offsetting when purchasing a game, when participating in an online game, when starting to play, when finishing playing, etc.

==Printing with a printer==
Carbon offsetting related to printing with the printer can also be performed. For example, the emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emission related to printing by multiplying the amount of carbon dioxide emission required for printing per sheet (the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the manufacture of paper and ink) by the number of sheets printed. The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not carbon offsetting is required when using the printer.

==Throwing out trash==
Carbon offsetting related to trash disposal can also be performed. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission for each type of object, and the emission acquisition unit identifies the type and number of objects discarded as trash, and calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission related to trash disposal by multiplying the amount of carbon dioxide emission corresponding to the identified type by the number of objects. The price of the environmental value for offsetting the amount of carbon dioxide emission can be added to the management fee for the residence or the sales price of the designated trash bag.

==Product manufacturing==
Carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacture of products, rather than the delivery of the products, may be offset. In this case, whether it is an EC site, a convenience store, a supermarket, a department store, a clothing store, or other store, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions required for the manufacture of each product is stored in the emission information storage unit, and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by multiplying the amount of carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to the sold products by the number of products sold.

==Books and Magazines==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the manufacture of books and magazines. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the manufacture of each book or magazine, and the emission acquisition unit can read out the carbon dioxide emission amount corresponding to the book or magazine sold. As in the first to third embodiments described above, the offset acceptance unit allows the user to select whether or not to apply carbon offsetting when purchasing a book or magazine (at the time of payment).

==Glasses, custom-made suits, etc.==
Similarly, carbon offsetting can be performed for the manufacture of products such as glasses and custom-made suits. In this case, for example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission required for the manufacture of the glasses or suits, and the emission acquisition unit can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emission by multiplying the number of glasses or suits sold by the amount of carbon dioxide emission required for their manufacture. As in the first to third embodiments described above, the offset acceptance unit allows the user to select whether or not to apply carbon offsetting when purchasing glasses or suits (at the time of payment).

==Food and drink==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for food and drink at coffee shops, restaurants, and other eateries. For example, the emission information storage unit stores the amount of carbon dioxide emission emitted when preparing each product, such as coffee or food, and the emission acquisition unit can acquire and add up the carbon dioxide emission amounts corresponding to the provided coffee, meal, etc. The offset acceptance unit can allow the user to select whether or not to apply carbon offsetting when paying for food and drink, as in the first to third embodiments described above.

==Rental Car==
Carbon offsetting can also be performed for the use of rental cars. As in the second embodiment for taxis, the emission amount acquisition unit can calculate the carbon dioxide emissions related to the use of rental cars by multiplying the travel distance (km) by the carbon dioxide emissions per unit travel distance. The offset acceptance unit allows the user to select whether or not carbon offsetting is required as an option when renting a car.

Fifth embodiment
(b) of Fig. 45 is a diagram showing an overview of a system according to a fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment includes an emissions management system that manages emissions related to products or services sold by a second sales system. In the fifth embodiment, the second sales system, an external server, and the emissions management system are connected via a communication network 300.

The hardware configuration of the emissions management system can be the same as the configuration of the sales system. The emissions management system is connected to a second sales system.

The second sales system omits the emission amount acquisition unit, offset price acquisition unit, offset acceptance unit, offset processing unit, and emission information storage unit from the above-mentioned sales system, and instead includes an activity amount transmission unit. In other words, it includes a payment amount acquisition unit, a payment processing unit, and an activity amount transmission unit.

The activity amount transmission unit transmits the activity amount related to the product or service sold by the seller to the emissions management system. The activity amount transmission unit can transmit, for example, information indicating the product or service and the activity amount to the emissions management system. The activity amount can be, for example, the number or number of products or services sold, the transport distance or transport weight in a transport service, transport distance x weight (ton-kilometers), etc. The activity amount can also be, for example, the payment amount.

The emission management system includes an emission coefficient memory unit, a conversion coefficient memory unit, an emission amount memory unit, an activity amount acquisition unit, an emission amount calculation unit, and an emission amount output unit.

The emission coefficient storage unit stores emission coefficients for calculating the amount of emissions of environmental load substances related to a product or service in association with information indicating the product or service. The emission coefficients can be, for example, the amount of emissions per product or per ton-kilometer. The emission coefficients can be, for example, those provided by the Ministry of the Environment (secondary data) or those calculated by the provider of the product or service (primary data).

The conversion coefficient storage unit stores a conversion coefficient that converts a first unit related to the amount of activity into a second unit used in calculations using the emission coefficient. For example, when the emission coefficient (t/kl) indicates the amount of emissions per amount of fuel used (kl), and the amount of activity is the sales price of the fuel (yen), the reciprocal (kl/yen) of the unit price per kl (yen/kl) can be stored in the conversion coefficient storage unit as a conversion coefficient. The conversion coefficient storage unit can store the conversion coefficient in association with information identifying the seller (second sales system) and information identifying the product or service. The conversion coefficient storage unit may also store the conversion coefficient in association with information identifying the seller (second sales system), information identifying the product or service, and a unit of the amount of activity.

The emission amount storage unit stores the calculated emission amount. The emission amount storage unit can store the calculated emission amount in association with information indicating the product or service, information indicating the purchaser of the product or service, and the purchase date.

The activity amount acquisition unit acquires the amount of activity related to the product or service. The activity amount acquisition unit acquires the amount of activity when purchasing the product or service. The activity amount acquisition unit can acquire the amount of activity from the second sales system that sold the product or service. The activity amount acquisition unit can acquire the payment amount for the product or service as the amount of activity, and can receive the payment amount transmitted by the payment system that makes the payment for the product or service when the payment is completed. If the unit of the activity amount acquired from the second sales system (e.g., "yen") is not set in advance, the activity amount acquisition unit may acquire the unit along with the amount of activity.

The emission calculation unit calculates the emission amount based on the activity amount and the emission coefficient. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the corresponding emission coefficient. When the unit of the acquired first activity amount (e.g., "yen" in the case of the payment amount) differs from the unit of the denominator of the emission coefficient, the emission calculation unit can read out the conversion coefficient corresponding to the second sales system and product or service related to the activity amount stored in the conversion coefficient storage unit, and multiply the first activity amount by the read conversion coefficient to calculate the second activity amount expressed in the unit of the denominator of the emission coefficient. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the acquired first activity amount (or the converted second activity amount) by the emission coefficient.

The emission amount output unit outputs the emission amount stored in the emission amount storage unit. The emission amount output unit can aggregate and output the emission amount. For example, the emission amount output unit can aggregate and output the emission amount for each scope 1 to 3 of the GHG Protocol, and for each category of scope 3. A category information storage unit that stores which product or service corresponds to which scope and/or category is provided, and the emission amount output unit can refer to the category information storage unit to obtain the scope and/or category corresponding to the product or service, and output an aggregated (e.g., total) value of the emission amount for each obtained scope and/or category.

Sixth Embodiment
(c) of Fig. 45 is a diagram showing an overview of a system according to the sixth embodiment. The sixth embodiment is mainly intended for commercial transactions between companies, and includes a purchasing system related to a purchaser in addition to a selling system related to a seller. In the sixth embodiment, calculation of emissions is performed in the purchasing system, and it is not necessary for the selling system to calculate the emissions. It is also possible to calculate the emissions in the selling system. In the sixth embodiment, the selling system, an external server, and the purchasing system are connected via a communication network 300.

The hardware configuration of the purchasing system can be the same as that of the sales system. Like the emission management system of the fifth embodiment, the purchasing system includes an emission coefficient memory unit, a conversion coefficient memory unit, an emission amount memory unit, an activity amount acquisition unit, an emission amount calculation unit, and an emission amount output unit, and further includes a purchase processing unit, an offset amount determination unit, and an offset request transmission unit.

The purchase processing unit performs processing related to the purchase of goods or services. The purchase processing of goods or services can be the same as the purchase processing related to general commercial transactions, and although details will be omitted here, for example, it can send order information to the sales system, manage delivered data, send inspection data to the sales system, and perform settlement processing related to payment.

The offset amount determination unit determines the amount of emissions (hereinafter referred to as the offset amount) to be offset according to the calculated amount of emissions for the product or service purchased by the purchaser. For example, the offset amount determination unit may set the total amount of calculated emissions as the offset amount, or may determine an offset amount less than the amount of emissions according to the calculated amount of emissions. For example, the purchasing system may include an offset coefficient storage unit that stores an offset coefficient (e.g., 0.1, etc.) for determining the offset amount for each provider of the product or service, and the offset amount determination unit may calculate the offset amount by multiplying the emission amount by the offset coefficient corresponding to the provider of the product or service. In addition, for example, the purchasing system may include a target value storage unit that stores a target value for the reduction amount of environmental load substances for the purchaser, and calculate the offset amount until the cumulative value of the offset amount in a specified period reaches the target value, and if the cumulative value exceeds the target value, the offset amount may be calculated as 0.

The offset request sending unit sends a request (hereinafter referred to as an offset request) instructing the offset process to be performed to the provider of the product or service. In this embodiment, the offset request sending unit sends the offset request to the sales system. The offset request sending unit can specify the offset amount determined by the offset amount determination unit in the offset request and send it.

The offset receiving unit of the sales system can cause the offset processing unit to perform offset processing in response to the offset request. The payment processing unit of the sales system can perform payment by adding the offset price of the offset amount to the sales price. Note that in the sixth embodiment, the payment processing unit can perform payment processing such as adding accounts receivable to the accounting system and issuing invoices.

The offset amount determination unit may determine the amount to be offset as the offset amount (hereinafter referred to as the offset amount). In this case, the sales system can perform the offset process by purchasing environmental value for the offset amount specified in the offset request.

In this way, in the sixth embodiment, the purchaser of a product or service can calculate emissions based on the amount of activity related to the purchased product or service, and can have the seller offset an amount according to the emissions. This allows adjustments to be made to reduce Scope 3 emissions in the purchaser's supply chain.

Seventh embodiment
The system according to the seventh embodiment includes a purchasing system, similar to the sixth embodiment. In the seventh embodiment, the offset processing is performed in the purchasing system. Note that both the offset processing in the selling system and the offset processing in the purchasing system may be performed. In the seventh embodiment, the purchasing system may include an offset processing unit. The purchasing system may include an offset price acquisition unit.

In the seventh embodiment, the emission calculation unit of the purchasing system calculates a first emission amount related to scope 3 and a second emission amount related to scope 1 (or scope 2) for a product or service purchased from the selling system, and the offset amount determination unit can determine the first and second offset amounts. The offset request sending unit sends the second offset amount related to scope 3 to the selling system, and the offset processing unit of the selling system performs offset processing related to the second offset amount. Meanwhile, the offset processing unit provided in the purchasing system can perform offset processing related to the first offset amount.

In this way, in the seventh embodiment, the purchaser of a product or service can offset the amount of emissions related to Scope 1, and can have the provider of the product or service offset the amount of emissions related to Scope 3.

In this embodiment, the purchaser may be thought of as a general consumer, but it is not limited to being a general consumer and may be a corporation such as a company. Conversely, the seller may be thought of as a corporation such as a company, but it is not limited to being a corporation such as a company and may be sold by an individual.

<Disclosures>
The thirty-first function also includes the following configuration.
[Item AE1 (P019)]
An emission management system comprising: an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating an emission amount of an environmental load substance related to a product or service in association with the product or service, an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires an activity amount related to the product or service when the product or service is purchased, an emission calculation unit that refers to the emission coefficient storage unit and calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient corresponding to the purchased product or service and the acquired activity amount, and an emission amount storage unit that stores the emission amount. Item AE1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information for identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies the base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AE2]
2. The emission management system according to claim 1, wherein the activity amount acquisition unit acquires a payment amount for the product or service as the activity amount.
[Item AE3]
An emissions management system according to item AE2, characterized in that the activity amount acquisition unit receives the payment amount transmitted by a payment system that makes the payment for the product or service upon completion of the payment.
[Item AE4]
Item AE1. An emissions management system comprising: a conversion coefficient storage unit that stores a conversion coefficient for converting a first unit related to the amount of activity into a second unit used in calculations using the emission coefficient; and the emissions calculation unit calculates a second amount of activity expressed in the second unit based on the acquired first amount of activity and the conversion coefficient, and calculates the emissions based on the second amount of activity and the emission coefficient.
[Item AE5]
An emissions management system according to item AE1, characterized in that it includes an offset request sending unit that sends a request to an information processing device of a provider of the product or service, instructing the provider to perform offset processing according to the emissions.
[Item AE6]
An emission management system according to item AE5, further comprising an offset amount determination unit that determines an offset amount, which is an emission amount to be offset according to the calculated emission amount, and the offset request transmission unit specifies the offset amount and transmits it to the information processing device.
[Item AE7]
The emissions management system according to Item AE6, wherein the emissions calculation unit calculates, for the product or service, a first amount of emissions related to Scope 1 of the GHG Protocol and a second amount of emissions related to Scope 3; the offset amount determination unit determines a first offset amount according to the first amount of emissions and determines a second offset amount according to the second amount of emissions; and the offset request transmission unit specifies the second offset amount and transmits it to the information processing device, and comprises an offset processing unit that performs offset processing related to the first offset amount.
[Item AE8]
Item AE1. The emission management system according to item AE1, further comprising an offset processing unit that performs offset processing according to the emission amount.

<<Offset function related to commercials (function no. 32)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 31 is set as an embodiment of Function 32, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, the amount of emissions of environmental load factors such as carbon dioxide related to power generation is calculated. There is a problem in that it is difficult to calculate the amount of emissions by end users who are the recipients of goods or services. Function 32 aims to provide technology that can estimate the amount of emissions by end users.

<System Overview>
An information processing system according to this embodiment will be described. The information processing system according to this embodiment is intended to calculate greenhouse gas emissions by viewers of content (which may include programs or advertisements) broadcast to the public. In addition, the information processing system according to this embodiment also allows broadcasters (broadcasting stations, etc.) to offset the emissions of viewers.

The information processing system of this embodiment is configured to include an external server in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1. The management server 200 is communicatively connected to the user terminal 100 and the external server via a communication network 300.

The external server is a computer that performs the offset process. The external server can perform the offset process by selling greenhouse gas offset rights (environmental value), such as J-credits.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 32nd function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (settings memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (viewing information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an execution unit 290 (offset processing unit).

The setting storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores setting information. In this embodiment, the setting information may include an estimate of the total number of viewers for broadcasts such as television and radio. The setting information may include the total number of viewers in association with a media ID indicating the type of broadcast. That is, for example, the total number of television viewers and the total number of radio viewers may be managed separately.

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. In this embodiment, the emission coefficient is assumed to be the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit time emitted by viewing content. This can be calculated, for example, from the power consumption of a television set and the emission coefficient related to power consumption.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by viewers of the content. The emission amount memory unit can store the amount of emissions in association with a content ID indicating the content and a date.

The viewing information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires information (viewing information) for estimating the number of viewers of content broadcast on television, radio, etc. The viewing information acquisition unit can acquire the viewing rate of the content as viewing information. The viewing information acquisition unit can also acquire the length of the broadcasted content and the number of broadcasts together with the viewing information. The viewing information acquisition unit can receive this information, for example, from the user terminal 100.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from viewing of content. The emission calculation unit reads out an emission coefficient corresponding to a media ID indicating the type of content broadcast from the emission coefficient storage unit, and can calculate the amount of emissions relating to viewers viewing the content by multiplying the length of the content, the number of times the content is broadcast, the number of viewers estimated from the viewing information, and the read emission coefficient. The emission calculation unit can, for example, read out the total number of viewers corresponding to the media ID indicating the type of content broadcast from the setting storage unit, and estimate the number of viewers by multiplying the read total number of viewers by the viewing rate.

The offset processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 performs processing related to the offset of emissions. Emissions can be offset, for example, by purchasing environmental value such as J-Credits on behalf of a user (a consumer of a product or service, or a business providing a product or service). The offset processing unit can, for example, access an external server that trades environmental value and purchase environmental value using an API provided by the external server. The offset processing unit may purchase an amount of environmental value corresponding to the amount of emissions each time, or the management server 200 (or the entity that performs the proxy invalidation, such as the operator of the management server 200 or the system operator) may purchase environmental value in advance and perform the proxy invalidation.

<Operation>
49 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 32nd function. The management server 200 acquires viewing information together with the length of the content and the number of broadcasts (S4901), calculates the number of viewers by multiplying the total number of viewers corresponding to the type of broadcast by the viewing rate (S4902), and calculates the amount of emissions by viewers by multiplying the length of the content, the number of broadcasts of the content, the number of viewers, and the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of broadcast (S4903). The management server 200 can perform an offset process (such as purchasing J-credits) to offset the amount of emissions (S4904).

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with viewing content such as broadcast programs and advertisements, and offset those emissions.

The memory unit 230, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 32nd function also includes the following configuration.
[Item AF1 (P021)]
An information processing system comprising: a viewing information acquisition unit that acquires viewing information for estimating the length of a broadcast content, the number of times it is broadcast, and the number of viewers of the content; a memory unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit time emitted by viewing of the content; and an emission calculation unit that calculates the amount of emissions associated with viewers viewing the content by multiplying the length, the number of times it is broadcast, the number of viewers estimated from the viewing information, and the emission coefficient.
[Item AF2]
Item AF1: The information processing system according to the information processing system, further comprising an offset processing unit that performs processing related to offsetting the calculated emission amount.
[Item AF3]
An information processing system according to item AF1, comprising a setting memory unit that stores an estimated value of a total number of viewers of the television or radio, the viewing information acquisition unit acquires a viewing rate of the content as the viewing information, and the emission calculation unit estimates the number of viewers by multiplying the total number of viewers by the viewing rate.

<< Viewer Emissions Offset Function (33rd Function) >>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 32 is set as an embodiment of Function 33, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, the amount of emissions of environmental load factors such as carbon dioxide related to power generation is calculated. There is a problem in that it is difficult to calculate the amount of emissions by end users who are the recipients of goods or services. Function 33 aims to provide technology that can estimate the amount of emissions by end users.

<System Overview>
The information processing system according to this embodiment is described below. The information processing system according to this embodiment is intended to calculate greenhouse gas emissions by viewers of content (including advertisements) distributed to the public mainly via the Internet. The information processing system according to this embodiment also performs offset processing on the viewers' emissions.

The information processing system of this embodiment is configured to include an external server in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1. The management server 200 is communicatively connected to the user terminal 100 and the external server via a communication network.

The external server is a computer that performs the offset process. The external server can perform the offset process by selling greenhouse gas offset rights (environmental value), such as J-credits.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 33rd function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit, viewing time information memory unit, viewing number information memory unit, content information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (viewing information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an execution unit 290 (offset processing unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. In this embodiment, the emission coefficient is assumed to be the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit time emitted by viewing content. This can be calculated, for example, from the power consumption of a personal computer, smartphone, etc., and the emission coefficient related to power consumption. The emission coefficient memory unit may store emission coefficients in association with the type of viewing client (personal computer, smartphone, television set, etc.).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by viewers of the content. The emission amount memory unit can store the amount of emissions in association with a content ID indicating the content and a date. Note that, in cases where the same content is distributed on multiple sites, multiple combinations of the same date, content ID, and emission amount may be registered. Note that the emission amount memory unit may store the content ID and the amount of emissions in association with the site ID and date.

The viewing time information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information for determining the viewing time of content (hereinafter referred to as viewing time information). In this embodiment, the viewing time information includes viewing time associated with information identifying the content (content ID), information identifying the site to which the content is distributed (site ID), and a counting period (year and month).

The view count information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information for determining the number of viewers of the content (hereinafter referred to as view count information). In this embodiment, the view count information includes the number of views associated with information identifying the content (content ID), information identifying the site to which the content is distributed (site ID), and the counting period (year and month).

The content information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information related to content (hereinafter referred to as content information). The content information includes a content ID that identifies the content, the type of content, and the distributor that provides the content to the viewer. The distributor can be, for example, an advertiser, a person who broadcasts live coverage, a manufacturer, etc. The distributor may be any person who is calculating, reporting, and/or attempting to offset greenhouse gas emissions related to the viewing of content.

The viewing information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires information about the viewer (viewing information). In this embodiment, the viewing information includes viewing time information and viewing count information. The viewing information acquisition unit can acquire, for example, from a video distribution service provider, the viewing time and number of viewers for each content on a video distribution site. The viewing information acquisition unit can acquire, for example, from an advertising distribution service provider, the viewing time and number of viewers for a specific content for each site where an advertisement is provided. With regard to the viewing time of an advertisement, for example, a standard viewing time can be set in advance for each type of advertisement, such as video (video advertisement) or still image (banner advertisement). The viewing information acquisition unit can register the acquired viewing time information in the viewing time information storage unit, and register the acquired viewing count information in the viewing count information storage unit.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from viewing of content. The emission calculation unit reads the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of content from the emission coefficient storage unit, reads the viewing time and number of views corresponding to the content to be tallied (and the tabulation period) from the viewing time storage unit and the viewing information storage unit, and multiplies the emission coefficient by the viewing time and number of views to calculate the amount of emissions related to the viewer's viewing of content.

The emission calculation unit may, for example, calculate the emission amount for a distributor such as a specific advertiser. In this case, the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount for each distributor by reading the content ID and type of content corresponding to the distributor to be counted from the content information storage unit, and reading the emission coefficient, viewing information, and number of viewers corresponding to the read content ID and type of content from each storage unit and multiplying them. The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit.

The offset processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 performs processing related to the offset of emissions. Emissions can be offset, for example, by purchasing environmental value such as J-Credits on behalf of a user (a consumer of a product or service, or a business providing a product or service). The offset processing unit can, for example, access an external server that trades environmental value and purchase environmental value using an API provided by the external server. The offset processing unit may purchase an amount of environmental value corresponding to the amount of emissions each time, or the management server device 2 (or the entity that performs the proxy invalidation, such as the operator of the management server device 2 or the operator of the system) may purchase environmental value in advance and perform the proxy invalidation.

<Operation>
Fig. 50 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 33rd function. The management server 200 acquires and registers viewing information (viewing time information and viewer number information) (S5001). The management server 200 acquires the content ID and type of content corresponding to the target person from the content information storage unit (S5002), acquires the emission coefficient corresponding to the acquired type from the emission coefficient storage unit, acquires the viewing time and the number of viewers corresponding to the acquired content ID from the viewing time information storage unit and the viewer number information storage unit (S5003), and calculates the emission amount by the viewer of the content by multiplying the emission coefficient, the number of viewers, and the viewing time (S5004). In addition, the management server 200 can perform an offset process (e.g., purchasing J-credits) to offset the emission amount (S5005).

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with viewing various types of content (including advertisements) provided via Internet distribution, and can also offset those emissions.

In this embodiment, the viewing time for each piece of content is stored in the viewing time information storage unit, but a standard viewing time for one viewing may be stored in association with the type of content. In this case, the emission amount calculation unit can obtain the viewing time corresponding to the type of content from the viewing time information storage unit.

In addition, in this embodiment, the number of viewers for each piece of content is stored in the viewer count information storage unit, but a standard number of viewers may be stored in association with the type of content and the site (or type of site). In this case, the emission calculation unit can obtain the number of viewers for each site corresponding to the type of content from the viewer count information storage unit, and can calculate emissions for the viewing time for each site by multiplying the number of viewers corresponding to the site (or type of site) related to the viewing time by the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of content.

The memory unit 230, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 33rd function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AG1 (P022)]
an emission coefficient storage unit that stores, for each type of content, an emission coefficient used to calculate the amount of emissions per unit time when viewing the content of the said type; a content designation unit that accepts designation of the content; a viewing information acquisition unit that acquires the viewing time and number of viewers of the accepted content; and an emission calculation unit that reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of the accepted content from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiplies the read-out emission coefficient by the acquired viewing time and number of viewers to calculate the amount of emissions associated with viewing of the content.
[Item AG2]
Item AG1: The information processing system according to the information processing system, characterized in that the information processing system includes an offset processing unit that performs processing related to offsetting the calculated emission amount.
[Item AG3]
An information processing system according to item AG1, characterized in that the viewing information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the viewing time and the number of viewers from a distribution server that distributes the content.

<<Evidence function (34th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to the thirty-third functions is an embodiment of the thirty-fourth function, which will be described in detail below. The thirty-fourth function is a modified example of the sixth function. In the background art, the amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions is calculated. There is a problem in that it is required to manage evidence for verifying the data that is the basis for calculating the amount of emissions. The thirty-fourth function aims to provide a technology that can manage evidence related to environmental indicators.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment is intended to manage evidence data that certifies data used in the calculation of environmental indices.

The environmental indicators may include, for example, information indicating the burden related to environmental issues such as (1) to (15) below.
(1) Environmental issues: 1. Climate change impact: Greenhouse gas emission indicators (CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, CFC emissions, etc.)
(2) Environmental Issues: 2. Ozone Depletion Load: Ozone Depleting Substance (ODP) Consumption Index (CFC and Halon Consumption, etc.)
(3) Environmental issues: 3. Eutrophication load: Nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to the hydrosphere and soil, nutrient balance (fertilizer consumption and nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock, etc.)
(4) Environmental issues: 4. Acidification load: Acidification substance emission indicators (NOX, SOX emissions, etc.)
(5) Environmental issues: 5. Hazardous substance load: heavy metal emissions, organic compound emissions (pesticides consumption, etc.)
(6) Environmental issues: 6. Urban environmental quality load: SOx, NOx, and VOC emissions in urban areas (urban traffic density, urban vehicle ownership, urbanization rate (urban population growth rate, urban land use), etc.)
(7) Environmental Issues: 7. Biodiversity Impacts: Alteration of natural habitats and land conversion (road network density, changes in soil cover, etc.)
(8) Environmental issues: 8. Landscape load: Presence of man-made elements, areas protected for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons, etc. (9) Environmental issues: 9. Waste load: Waste generation (general waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste, nuclear waste) (transportation of hazardous waste, etc.)
(10) Environmental issues: 10. Water resource load: Water resource use intensity (collection fee/available resource amount)
(11) Environmental issues: 11. Forest resource burden: forest resource utilization intensity (actual felling volume/production capacity)
(12) Environmental issues: 12. Fisheries resource burden: Fish catch (13) Environmental issues: 13. Soil degradation (erosion and desertification)
Loads: Erosion risk: Potential and actual land use for agriculture (e.g. land use change)
(14) Environmental issues: 14. Specific material resource load: Intensity of material resource use, etc. (15) Environmental issues: 15. Socio-economic sectoral and general indicators (not limited to specific environmental issues)
Load: population growth rate/density, GDP growth rate and composition, private and government final consumption expenditure, industrial production, composition of energy supply, road traffic volume, automobile ownership, agricultural production, etc. In this embodiment, greenhouse gas emissions are assumed as the environmental indicator, but this is not limited to this.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 34th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a storage unit 230 (evidence data storage unit, corresponding database, basic data storage unit), an acquisition unit 250 (evidence acquisition unit, basic data acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (evidence output unit, basic data output unit).

The document acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires document data that displays basic data for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The basic data can be, for example, at least one of the amount of activity and the emission coefficient.

Evidence data related to activity amounts is data that represents evidence such as invoices, receipts, contracts, and notices of utility usage (meter reading slips). Evidence related to scope 1 (direct emissions) of the GHG Protocol could be, for example, a receipt for filling up at a gas station, or an invoice for gas or coal. Evidence related to scope 2 (indirect emissions) could be, for example, electricity receipts, contracts, and notices of usage (meter reading slips). Evidence related to scope 3 (emissions by related companies) for category 1 (purchased goods and services) could be, for example, purchase orders, invoices, contracts, and receipts related to the procurement of raw materials and parts, or procurement system data and parts lists.

Furthermore, examples of supporting data on emissions include primary data on the emission intensity of raw materials obtained from suppliers (which may be calculated independently by the supplier or verified by a third party).

The evidence data may be, for example, image data. The image data may be, for example, data captured by a camera (not shown) provided on the user terminal 100. The evidence data may be, for example, a document such as a PDF file, or a structured file such as an XML file.

The evidence acquisition unit may, for example, accept upload of evidence data from the user terminal 100, or may acquire evidence data attached to a message such as an email or a chat message sent from the user terminal 100. In addition, if the user can directly operate the management server 200, the management server 200 may be equipped with a camera and a scanner, and the evidence may be photographed using the camera and scanner of the management server 200. The evidence acquisition unit may register the acquired evidence data in the evidence data storage unit.

The evidence data storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores evidence data. The evidence data storage unit can store evidence data, for example, in association with an evidence ID that identifies the evidence and a user ID that indicates the user who registered the evidence. The evidence data storage unit can be implemented as a relational database or an object database, or can be implemented as a file system (in this case, the evidence ID can be a path and file name).

The basic data acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 reads basic data from the supporting document data. The basic data acquisition unit can read basic data from image data, for example, by OCR processing. The basic data acquisition unit can also extract basic data from text included in a document, for example. The basic data acquisition unit can register the acquired basic data in the basic data storage unit.

The basic data storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores basic data. The basic data storage unit can store the basic data and a user ID indicating the user who registered the basic data in association with a basic data ID that identifies the basic data.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the basic data. For example, if the basic data is information indicating the activity amount of a company, the management server 200 is provided with an emission coefficient storage unit that stores the emission coefficient related to the activity of the company, and the emission amount can be calculated by multiplying the read activity amount by the emission coefficient. Also, if the basic data is an emission coefficient of a company, the activity amount of the company (for example, in the case of emissions related to Scope 1, it can be the amount of fuel burned by the user, in the case of emissions related to Scope 2, it can be the amount of electricity used by the user, and in the case of emissions related to Scope 3, it can be the amount of products purchased by the user from the company, the amount of products sold by the user, or the delivery ton-kilometers of the products sold by the user) can be obtained by, for example, accessing an accounting system or accepting input from the user, and the obtained activity amount can be multiplied by the read emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount. Also, if the basic data includes both an emission coefficient and an activity amount, the emission amount can be calculated by multiplying the read emission coefficient and activity amount. Also, if the basic data is an emission amount, the emission amount read from the supporting data can be used as is.

The correspondence database constituting the storage unit 230 stores information identifying emissions (emissions amount identification information, environmental indicator identification information) and information identifying supporting data in association with each other. The correspondence database can also store information identifying basic data in association with each other. In this embodiment, the correspondence database stores emission amount identification information, a basic data ID identifying the basic data, and a supporting document ID indicating the supporting document in association with each other. The emission amount identification information can include time information such as the year, month, and day. The emission amount identification information can also include information (such as a user ID) that identifies the greenhouse gas output entity (such as a company) related to the emissions. The emission amount identification information can also include the products and services that are the subject of the calculation.

The evidence output unit constituting the output unit 240 outputs evidence data. The evidence output unit can accept the designation of emission amount identification information. For example, the evidence output unit can accept the designation of time information such as the year, month, or day. The evidence output unit can also accept the designation of the subject of emissions in addition to or instead of the time information. The evidence output unit can also accept information identifying the product or service to be calculated in addition to or instead of the time information and/or the subject of emissions. The evidence output unit can identify the evidence ID corresponding to the accepted emission amount identification information from the corresponding database, and read and output the evidence data corresponding to the identified evidence ID from the evidence data storage unit.

The evidence output unit can output evidence data in response to a request from a third-party certification body (auditing body), for example. In addition, in response to a request from a user who calculates emissions related to the GHG Protocol, it can also identify evidence data related to the basic data that is the basis for calculating the emissions from a corresponding database, and transmit the identified evidence data together with the emissions to the third-party certification body (information processing device).

The evidence output unit can also accept the designation of basic data in addition to the emission amount identification information. In this case, the evidence output unit can identify a evidence ID corresponding to the emission amount identification information and the basic data ID indicating the designated basic data from the corresponding database, and read out the evidence data corresponding to the identified evidence ID from the evidence data storage unit and output it (e.g., send it to the user terminal 100).

The evidence output unit can output a list of evidence data stored in the evidence data storage unit. The evidence output unit can output a list of evidence data in response to a request from the user terminal 100. The evidence output unit can read evidence data corresponding to the user ID of the user terminal 100 from the evidence data storage unit and display the data in a list.

A user who can access the evidence data may be specified. For example, the management server 200 may be provided with an access information storage unit that stores a user ID (multiple IDs are possible) that identifies a user who can access the evidence data in association with the evidence ID that identifies the evidence data. The evidence output unit can determine whether to output the evidence data (for example, transmit it to the user terminal 100) depending on whether the user ID indicating the user who is going to output the evidence data is registered in the access information storage unit in association with the evidence ID indicating the evidence data. In addition, the access information storage unit can register whether the evidence data can be viewed, updated, and deleted in association with the user ID and the evidence ID, and the evidence output unit can determine whether to read and output the evidence data in association with the user ID indicating the user who is going to output the evidence data depending on whether the evidence data is set to be viewable, determine whether to update (including overwriting) the evidence data in accordance with an instruction from the user depending on whether the evidence data is set to be updatable in association with the user ID, and determine whether to delete the evidence data in accordance with an instruction from the user depending on whether the evidence data is set to be deletable in association with the user ID.

The basic data output unit constituting the output unit 240 can output basic data (which may be information indicating basic data; the same applies below). The basic data output unit can, for example, output a list of basic data registered in the basic data storage unit. The basic data output unit can, for example, output a list of basic data in response to a request from the user terminal 100. The basic data output unit can read basic data corresponding to the user ID of the user terminal 100 from the basic data storage unit and display the list. The basic data output unit can accept the designation of a basic data ID from the user terminal 100, and read the basic data corresponding to the designated basic data ID from the basic data storage unit and output (for example, transmit to the user terminal 100).

When outputting a list of basic data, the basic data output unit can determine whether or not a voucher ID corresponding to a basic data ID indicating each piece of basic data is registered in a corresponding database, and output a list of basic data together with the determination result.

The basic data output unit may receive a designation from the user terminal 100 as to whether the supporting evidence data is linked (or not linked), and extract and output basic data for which the corresponding supporting evidence ID is registered (or not registered) in the corresponding database.

The basic data output unit can, for example, accept the specification of emission amount identification information, read out the basic data ID corresponding to the accepted emission amount identification information from the corresponding database, and read out the basic data corresponding to the read out basic data ID from the basic data storage unit and output it (for example, send it to the user terminal 100).

<Operation>
51 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the emission amount calculation process of the 34th function. The management server 200 accepts the evidence data from the user terminal 100 (S5101), reads the basic data from the evidence data by OCR processing or the like (S5102), and calculates the greenhouse gas emission amount using the basic data (S5103). The management server 200 stores the evidence data in the evidence data storage unit (S5104), and registers the emission amount identification information that identifies the emission amount, the basic data ID that indicates the basic data, and the evidence ID that indicates the evidence data in the correspondence database (S5105). Note that when receiving multiple types of basic data for calculating the emission amount, there may be cases where the basic data is received without receiving the evidence data.

Figure 52 is a diagram explaining the flow of the evidence data output process of the 34th function. The management server 200 accepts the emission amount specification information and basic data ID from the user terminal 100 (S5201). Note that the basic data ID may be omitted. The management server 200 identifies the evidence ID corresponding to the accepted emission amount specification information and basic data ID from the corresponding database, reads the evidence data corresponding to the identified evidence ID from the evidence data storage unit (S5202), and outputs (sends to the user terminal 100) the read evidence data (S5203).

As described above, the information processing system of this embodiment can manage supporting data related to the basic data used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in association with the emissions and the basic data. Therefore, in the case of audits, third-party certification, etc., supporting data corresponding to the emissions and the basic data used to calculate the emissions can be easily presented.

In this embodiment, the system is a client-server configuration, but for example, the user terminal 100 can also have the functions of the management server 200.

In addition, in this embodiment, the basic data is read from the evidence data by processing such as OCR, but for example, when the basic data is modified by the user terminal 100, the input of the basic data may be accepted from the user terminal 100 and this may be learned. For example, the range of the basic data described in the evidence data and the contents of the basic data may be received from the user terminal 100, and the learning model for performing OCR may be updated by machine learning using the evidence data, the range, and the contents as training data. This can improve the reading accuracy by so-called AIOCR.

In addition, in this embodiment, the basic data is read from the supporting data, but for example, the basic data may be received from the user terminal 100, the emission amount may be calculated using the basic data received from the user terminal 100, the supporting data related to this basic data may be received from the user terminal 100, and the management server 200 may associate the basic data with the supporting data. In this case, the management server 200 may be provided with a learning model storage unit that stores a learning model that has been subjected to machine learning using the basic data and the supporting data as training data, and the type of basic data (basic data ID) may be inferred from the supporting data received from the user terminal 100 using the learning model, and the supporting data may be associated with the basic data. The management server 200 may link the basic data ID indicating the inferred basic data with the supporting data ID indicating the supporting data in a correspondence database.

In addition, in this embodiment, the correspondence database associates emission amounts, basic data, and vouchers, but it may also be possible to associate emission amounts (emission amount specific information) with vouchers (voucher ID), or to associate basic data (basic data ID) with vouchers (voucher ID).

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 34th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AH1 (P024)]
an information processing system comprising: a supporting document acquisition unit that acquires supporting document data in which basic data for calculating an environmental index is displayed; a basic data acquisition unit that acquires the basic data; a supporting document data storage unit that stores the supporting document data; an environmental index calculation unit that calculates the environmental index based on the basic data; a correspondence database that links and stores information identifying the environmental index and information identifying the supporting document data; and a supporting document output unit that accepts designation of information identifying the environmental index, identifies the supporting document data corresponding to the specified environmental index from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified supporting document data from the supporting document data storage unit.
[Item AH2]
The information processing system according to item AH1, wherein the evidence data is image data;
The basic data acquisition unit reads the basic data from the image data by OCR processing.
[Item AH3]
An information processing system as described in item AH1, characterized in that the correspondence database links and stores information identifying the environmental indicator, information identifying the supporting data, and information identifying the basic data, and the supporting data output unit accepts designation of the environmental indicator and the basic data, identifies the supporting data corresponding to the environmental indicator and the basic data from the correspondence database, and reads out and outputs the identified supporting data from the supporting data storage unit.
[Item AH4]
An information processing system as described in item AH1, characterized in that the correspondence database stores information identifying the environmental indicators, information identifying the supporting data, and information identifying the basic data in association with each other, and the information processing system is provided with a basic data storage unit that stores the basic data, and a basic data output unit that outputs the basic data together with information indicating whether information identifying the supporting data corresponding to the basic data stored in the basic data storage unit is registered in the correspondence database.
[Item AH5]
The system includes image data which is supporting data, an activity amount acquisition unit which reads an activity amount from the image data by OCR processing, a base information storage unit which stores information which identifies the location of the base for each business entity (hereinafter referred to as a base) which is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit which stores the activity amount of the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit which accepts input of terminal location information and activity amount (activity amount acquired by the activity amount acquisition unit) from a terminal of the activity amount acquisition unit (user's mobile terminal), a base identification unit which refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit which registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.

<<Primary data disclosure destination setting function (35th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 34 is an embodiment of Function 35, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. There is a challenge in that it is required to grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases throughout the entire supply chain. Function 35 aims to provide technology that can grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to each of a supplier device and a buyer device via a communication network 300. The connection image is supplier device=management server 200=buyer device.

The buyer device is a computer of a user of a business entity (hereinafter referred to as a buyer) that wishes to report its own greenhouse gas emissions. The buyer device can be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a personal computer. The buyer device can function as either a client device or a server device.

The supplier device is a computer of a user of a business entity (hereinafter, downstream business entities are also referred to as suppliers) that constitutes the upstream and/or downstream of the buyer's supply chain. The supplier device may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, etc. The supplier device may function as a client device or as a server device.

Note that a supplier may also be a buyer if it wishes to report its own emissions, and a supplier device may also be a buyer device. Similarly, a buyer may also be a supplier if it constitutes the upstream and/or downstream of another company's supply chain, and a buyer device may also be a supplier device.

The management server 200 is a computer that calculates and manages emissions. The management server 200 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 35th function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emissions intensity unit memory unit, destination memory unit, (granularity memory unit), activity amount memory unit, apportionment information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emissions intensity unit acquisition unit, activity amount acquisition unit), and an output unit 240 (provision unit).

The emission intensity unit memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the emission intensity unit in association with the business entity (supplier). The emission intensity unit memory unit can store the emission intensity unit in association with the business entity ID indicating the business entity and information identifying the activity (activity content).

The destination memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 manages other business entities to which information about the business entity (in this embodiment, the emission intensity and/or the amount of activity) is provided, in association with the business entity. The destination memory unit stores a destination ID indicating a business entity to which information about the business entity can be provided, in association with the business entity ID indicating the business entity.

The destination storage unit stores the granularity of the information to be provided in association with the business entity providing the information and the business entity receiving the information. The granularity may be stored in a separate storage unit as a granularity storage unit. For example, in the case of the amount of activity, the granularity may be a time granularity such as the amount of activity in a day, a week, a month, or a year, or the precision of the number indicating how many decimal places the numerical value is to be provided, or the unit of aggregation such as whether to provide overall information, information by scope, or information by category.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the activity amount of the business entity. The activity amount memory unit stores the activity amount in association with a business entity ID indicating the business entity, information for identifying the activity (activity content), and time information. The time information can be, for example, days, months, years, etc.

The allocation information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores allocation information for identifying the amount of activity of the source business entity that relates to the destination business entity. The allocation information can include a ratio in association with a business entity ID indicating the source business entity of the information, a destination ID indicating the business entity to which the information is to be provided, and activity content for identifying the activity. The ratio indicates what proportion of the amount of activity provided by the source business entity relates to the destination.

The emission intensity unit acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the emission intensity unit of the business entity. The emission intensity unit acquisition unit can send a request to the information processing device (supplier device) of the business entity, and receive the emission intensity unit related to the activities of the business entity sent from the supplier device in response to the request. The emission intensity unit acquisition unit can register the acquired emission intensity unit in the emission intensity unit storage unit.

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the activity amount of the business entity. The emission intensity acquisition unit can send a request to the information processing device (supplier device) of the business entity and receive the activity amount of the business entity sent from the supplier device in response to the request. The emission intensity acquisition unit can register the acquired activity amount in the activity amount storage unit.

The providing unit constituting the output unit 240 provides supplier information to the buyer device. In response to a request from the buyer device, the providing unit can identify a business entity ID that identifies a supplier corresponding to the buyer from the destination storage unit, read an emission intensity unit corresponding to the identified supplier from the emission intensity unit storage unit, and transmit the read emission intensity unit to the buyer device. The providing unit can read an activity amount corresponding to the supplier from the activity amount storage unit instead of or in addition to the emission intensity unit, and transmit the read activity amount to the buyer device. The providing unit can read the granularity corresponding to the supplier and the buyer from the destination storage unit, correct the activity amount according to the granularity (for example, can be aggregated or rounded), and transmit it to the buyer device. In addition, the providing unit can read the allocation information corresponding to the supplier, the buyer, and the activity from the allocation information storage unit, and allocate the activity amount according to the allocation information before transmitting it to the buyer device. The providing unit can, for example, multiply the activity amount by a ratio.

<Operation>
53 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system. The management server 200 receives a request specifying a supplier and an activity from a buyer device (S5301), and if a pair of the supplier and the buyer is registered in the submission destination storage unit (S5302: YES), it reads the emission intensity and the activity amount corresponding to the supplier and the activity from the emission intensity storage unit and the activity amount storage unit (S5303), reads the granularity corresponding to the supplier and the buyer from the submission destination storage unit, corrects the activity amount according to the granularity (aggregation, rounding, etc.) (S5304), reads the allocation information corresponding to the supplier, the buyer, and the activity from the allocation information storage unit, multiplies the activity amount by the ratio of the read allocation information to allocate it (S5305), and transmits the emission intensity and the allocated activity amount to the buyer device (S5306).

As described above, according to the information processing system of this embodiment, the buyer can obtain the emission intensity and activity volume of the business entities that make up the upstream and/or downstream of the supply chain by making a request to the management server 200, and can determine the buyer's emissions. On the other hand, the supplier can control the information provided to the buyer.

The acquisition unit 250 of the management server 200 and the output unit 240 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 35th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AI1 (P026)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission intensity acquisition unit that receives an emission intensity related to the activities of a first business entity from an information processing device of the first business entity; an emission intensity memory unit that stores the emission intensity in association with the first business entity; a destination memory unit that manages a second business entity that provides the emission intensity in association with the first business entity; and a providing unit that, in response to a request from the information processing device of the second business entity, identifies the first business entity corresponding to the second business entity from the destination memory unit, reads out the emission intensity corresponding to the identified first business entity from the emission intensity memory unit, and transmits the read emission intensity to the information processing device of the second business entity. Item AI1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity that emits greenhouse gases (hereinafter referred to as a base); an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AI2]
An information processing system according to item AI1, comprising an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount of the first business entity in association with the first business entity, and the providing unit transmits the activity amount corresponding to the first business entity together with the emission intensity to an information processing device of the second business entity.
[Item AI3]
The information processing system according to item AI2 includes an allocation information storage unit that stores, for each of the first business entities, allocation information for identifying an amount of activity of the first business entity that relates to the second business entity, and the providing unit calculates an allocated activity amount, which is the amount of activity corresponding to the second business entity, based on the allocation information corresponding to the first and second business entities and the amount of activity corresponding to the first business entity, and transmits the allocated activity amount to an information processing device of the second business entity.
[Item AI4]
An information processing system according to item AI2, comprising: a granularity storage unit that stores, for each of the first business entities, a granularity of the amount of activity to be provided to the second business entity in correspondence with the second business entity; and the providing unit aggregates the amount of activity corresponding to the first business entity in accordance with the granularity corresponding to the first and second business entities, and transmits the aggregated value to an information processing device of the second business entity.
[Item AI5 (P026)]
In the case of targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the following applies. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: an acquisition unit that receives X information related to the activities of a first business entity from an information processing device of the first business entity; a storage unit that stores the X information in association with the first business entity; a destination storage unit that manages a second business entity that provides the X information in association with the first business entity; and a provision unit that, in response to a request from the information processing device of the second business entity, identifies a first business entity corresponding to the second business entity from the destination storage unit, reads out the X information corresponding to the identified first business entity from the storage unit, and transmits the read out X information to the information processing device of the second business entity.

<<Multi-store expansion function (36th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 35 is set as an embodiment of Function 36, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. There is a challenge in that it is required to grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases throughout the entire supply chain. Function 36 aims to provide technology that can grasp the emission status of greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
An example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. The information processing system according to this embodiment is configured to include a management server 200. The management server 200 is connected to a user terminal 100 via a communication network 300 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 36th function will be described using FIG. 3. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (model memory unit, attribute memory unit, emission amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit), an estimation unit 270, an analysis unit 280, and an output unit 240.

The model storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores an estimation model for estimating emissions by a business entity from the attributes of the business entity. The estimation model is created by analyzing the relationship between the attributes of the business entity and the greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity. The estimation model is, for example, a statistical model that analyzes the correlation between attributes and emissions. The estimation model may be created by machine learning using attributes as input data and emissions as training data. The model storage unit can store an estimation model for each business entity. Note that the business entity ID may be omitted.

The model storage unit can store the estimation model in association with at least one of the scope and the category. In this embodiment, the estimation model is stored in association with the scope for scopes 1 and 2, and in association with the scope and the category for scope 3.

The attribute storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores attributes of the business entity. The attribute storage unit can store one or more attributes, for example, in association with a business entity ID indicating the business entity. The attributes can include, for example, an attribute name and an attribute value. The attributes can include, for example, but are not limited to, the type of business, sales volume, asset size, number of locations, etc.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity. The emission amount memory unit can store the scope, category, and emission amount in association with the business entity ID indicating the business entity and time information. For scopes 1 and 2, the category does not need to be registered.

The emission coefficient storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores the emission coefficients of the business entities. In this embodiment, the emission coefficient storage unit stores the emission coefficients in association with a business entity ID indicating the business entity and information for identifying the activity (activity content).

The estimation unit 270 estimates the emissions by a business entity. The estimation unit 270 can estimate the emissions by the business entity by providing the attributes of the business entity to be estimated to an estimation model. The estimation unit can receive attributes of a business entity whose emissions are unknown, and estimate the emissions by providing the received attributes to an estimation model. The estimation unit 270 can estimate the emissions using an estimation model corresponding to at least one of the scope and the category. When an estimation model corresponding to a business entity is not registered, the estimation unit 270 may estimate the emissions related to the business entity using an estimation model corresponding to another business entity in the same industry as the business entity.

The analysis unit 280 can analyze the relationship between the attributes of the business entity and the emissions by the business entity. The analysis unit 280 can analyze the relationship between the attributes stored in the attribute storage unit and the emissions stored in the emissions storage unit to create an estimation model. The analysis unit 280 can perform the analysis using a statistical method such as multiple regression analysis. The analysis unit 280 may create an estimation model by performing machine learning using the attributes as input data and the emissions as training data.

The business entity may be a company base, and the analysis unit 280 may analyze the relationship between the attributes and emissions related to bases corresponding to the same company.

The output unit 240 outputs the estimated emission amount.

<Operation>
Fig. 54 is a diagram explaining the operation of the 36th function. The management server 200 accepts input of attributes of a business entity whose emission amount is unknown (S5401), and estimates the emission amount by providing the accepted attributes to an estimation model (S5402). Here, the management server 200 can use an estimation model corresponding to the scope (and category) to be estimated. The management server 200 outputs the estimated emission amount (S5403).

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can estimate the emissions of business entities whose emissions are unknown based on their attributes.

In the above-described embodiment, the amount of emissions is estimated, but the amount of activity may be estimated. In this case, the model storage unit stores an estimation model that estimates the amount of activity from the attributes of the business entity, which is created by analyzing the relationship between the attributes of the business entity and the amount of activity by the business entity, instead of or in addition to the estimation model that estimates the amount of emissions.

The management server 200 also includes an activity amount storage unit (not shown) that stores the amount of activity. The activity amount storage unit can store the amount of activity in association with a business entity ID indicating the business entity, time information, and a scope and category.

The estimation unit 270 can receive attributes of a business entity whose activity amount is unknown, and estimate the activity amount by providing the received attributes to an estimation model for estimating the activity amount. The estimation unit 270 can obtain an emission coefficient corresponding to the business entity and activity from the emission coefficient storage unit, and estimate the emission amount by the business entity by multiplying the estimated activity amount by the obtained emission coefficient.

The estimation unit 270, analysis unit 280, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 36th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AJ1 (P027)]
An information processing system comprising: a model storage unit that stores an estimation model that is created by analyzing a relationship between attributes of a business entity and greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity and that estimates the emission amount from the attributes, an estimation unit that receives the attributes of a business entity whose emission amount is unknown and estimates the emission amount by providing the received attributes to the estimation model, and an output unit that outputs the estimated emission amount. Item AJ1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base position for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that receives input of position information and activity amount of a mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AJ2]
The information processing system according to item AJ1, wherein the estimation model is a statistical model that analyzes a correlation between the attribute and the emission amount.
[Item AJ3]
The information processing system according to item AJ1, wherein the estimation model is created by machine learning using the attributes as input data and the emissions as training data.
[Item AJ4]
The information processing system according to Item AJ1, wherein the estimation model is stored in association with at least one of a scope and a category, and the estimation unit estimates the emission amount using the corresponding estimation model for at least one of the scope and the category.
[Item AJ5]
The information processing system according to item AJ1, comprising: an attribute storage unit that stores the attributes; an emission amount storage unit that stores the emission amounts; and an analysis unit that analyzes the relationship between the attributes stored in the attribute storage unit and the emission amounts stored in the emission amount storage unit to create the estimation model.
[Item AJ6]
The information processing system according to item AJ5, wherein the business entity is a base of a company, and the analysis unit analyzes the relationship between the attributes and the emissions related to the base corresponding to the same company.
[Item AJ7]
The information processing system according to item AJ6, wherein the model storage unit stores the estimation model for each of the business entities, and when the estimation model corresponding to the business entity is not registered, the estimation unit estimates the emissions related to the business entity using the estimation model corresponding to another business entity in the same industry as the business entity.
[Item AJ8]
an estimation unit that receives attributes of a business entity whose activity amount is unknown, estimates the activity amount by providing the received attributes to the estimation model, and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the estimated activity amount by the emission coefficient corresponding to the business entity; and an output unit that outputs the calculated emission amount.
[Item AJ9 (P027)]
When targeting X information other than greenhouse gas emissions (for example, E2 hazardous substance emissions or human rights DD working hours), the method is as follows. The same can be applied to items subordinate to this item. An information processing system comprising: a model storage unit that stores an estimation model that estimates a value of a business entity's X information from the attributes, the estimation unit receiving attributes of a business entity whose X information is unknown and providing the received attributes to the estimation model to estimate a value of the X information; and an output unit that outputs the estimated value of the X information.

<<Function to allocate activity amount according to a preset allocation rate when importing data (Function 37)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 36 is set as an embodiment of Function 37, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is an issue that it is time-consuming to register data required for calculating emissions in the system. Function 37 aims to make it possible to easily input data required for calculating greenhouse gas emissions.

<System Overview>
An emission management system according to this embodiment will be described. The emission management system according to this embodiment is intended to manage greenhouse gas emissions from emitters such as companies. The emission management system according to this embodiment accepts input of the activity amount of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the emitter's supply chain, and multiplies this by an emission coefficient to calculate emissions. The emission management system according to this embodiment manages which emission coefficient should be used for which activity amount, making it possible to calculate emissions simply by inputting the activity amount.

An example of the overall configuration of the emission management system of this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. The emission management system of this embodiment is configured to include a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network 3.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 37th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, classification memory unit, conversion coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit, apportionment information memory unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit, emission coefficient input unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission coefficient acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit, aggregation unit), an output unit 240, and an execution unit 290 (apportionment processing unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission coefficient information). The emission coefficients may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or data obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product).

The classification memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 can store emissions in association with the type of activity. The classification memory unit can store the type of activity, the scope of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other. The classification memory unit can store the type of activity, the scope of the activity, the category of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other. Note that the scope and category of the activity are assumed to be the scope and category of the GHG Protocol. Also, the category may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the emission coefficient storage unit and classification storage unit store the type of activity, scope, category, and emission amount in association with each other. The emission coefficient information stored in the emission coefficient storage unit includes a scope (and category, if any) to which the type of activity indicated by the type identification information of the emission entity indicated by the company ID corresponds, in association with the company ID and type identification information. In addition, the classification storage unit stores information (hereinafter referred to as classification information) related to the classification (scope and category) of the activity, and the classification information includes a scope and category in association with the company ID and type identification information.

The type-specific information can take any form as long as it is information for identifying the type of activity. For example, if an ID (type ID) that uniquely identifies the type of activity is set in the data input to the management server 200 (hereinafter referred to as import data), the type ID can be used as the type-specific information. Also, information including the type of import data and conditions for the values of items included in the import data can be used as the type-specific information. For example, if the import data is financial accounting data, the type-specific information can include information specifying "financial accounting data" and the condition that the "account item" is "travel expenses" and the summary includes "taxi." Also, a function that inputs import data and outputs the type can be set as the type-specific information.

The conversion coefficient storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as conversion coefficient information) including coefficients (conversion coefficients) for unit conversion. When the unit (first unit) expressing the amount of activity set in the import data is different from the unit (second unit) assumed by the emission coefficient, the conversion coefficient can be used to convert the unit of the amount of activity. For example, when the amount of activity related to fuel is expressed in liters (l) and the emission coefficient is expressed in the amount of CO2 per kilogram (tCO2/kg), the conversion coefficient of weight per liter (kg/l) is used to convert the amount of activity into a value expressed in kilograms (kg), and then the amount of greenhouse gas (CO2 in this example) emission (tCO2) can be calculated by multiplying it by the emission coefficient. The conversion coefficient information can include a conversion coefficient in association with the company ID and type-specific information. The conversion coefficient information may also include information indicating the unit after conversion.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store the company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), the scope, the category, and the emission amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range. The scope and category can be the scope and category registered in the classification memory unit described above.

The allocation information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (allocation information) necessary for apportioning the input activity amount. The allocation information includes a company ID, type-specific information, and information (allocation rate information) necessary for apportioning the activity amount matching the type-specific information to multiple types of activity amounts. The allocation rate information may include multiple pairs of the type of activity and the allocation rate of the type. The activity amount related to the corresponding type can be calculated by multiplying the input activity amount by the allocation rate. In addition, when multiple types correspond to one import data, pairs of the type and the allocation rate are registered in multiple allocation information. For example, when an invoice in which the fee for the package and the delivery fee are added together is provided from a logistics company as the import data of the activity amount, the types of category 1 and category 4 of scope 3 and, for example, 85% for category 1 (purchased products) and 15% for category 4 (transportation, delivery (upstream)) can be set in the allocation information. In addition, when storage in a warehouse is performed during delivery, and billing data including storage fees at the warehouse is provided as import data, the type of delivery and warehouse use in category 4, the distribution ratio (e.g., 70%), and the warehouse distribution ratio (e.g., 30%) can be included in the distribution information. In addition, for example, when the import data is financial accounting data, the type specification information can include information specifying "financial accounting data" and the condition that the "account item" is "travel expenses" and the summary is blank. In such a case, by setting the ratio of taxi use, train use, and airplane use within the scope of travel expenses as the distribution ratio, the travel expenses value for which no summary is set can be obtained as the activity amount related to multiple transportation means. In addition, a function that inputs import data and outputs the type can be set as the type specification information. Note that these examples are merely examples, and any pattern can be set.

The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of the activity amount. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance transported by logistics (ton-kilometers), the amount of fuel consumed (liters), and the amount of money (yen). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the activity amount input unit receives import data from the user terminal 100. The import data can be, for example, data exported from an ERP system (export data) or data converted from the export data. The import data can be, for example, CSV data, JSON data, or XML data. For example, in CSV data, it is known which item is which type of data, and the type of activity can be identified by what value is entered in which item of the CSV data in the type identification information. In addition, in JSON data, XML data, and the like, the type of item of the set data may be tagged or set as an attribute.

The emission coefficient acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires an emission coefficient related to the type of activity. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can read out an emission coefficient corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit. When the emission coefficient is managed by an external system, the emission coefficient acquisition unit may access the external system to acquire the emission coefficient.

The emission coefficient input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of an emission coefficient. The emission coefficient input unit identifies the company ID indicating the emission entity to which the user belongs (for example, it can accept the input of a company ID. In addition, the management server 200 has a user information storage unit that stores user information related to the user, and the company ID can be set in the user information and acquired from the user information storage unit), accepts input of type-specific information and an emission coefficient from the user, and registers the company ID, type-specific information, and emission coefficient in the emission coefficient storage unit. If an emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity amount related to the import data is not stored in the emission coefficient storage unit, the emission coefficient input unit can, for example, notify the user terminal 100 of that fact and accept the emission coefficient from the user terminal 100.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient and the amount of activity. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount for each record (or group of records) included in the import data. The emission calculation unit can, for example, search the emission coefficient storage unit for emission coefficient information in which the value of an item included in the record corresponds to the type-specific information (for example, the value of the type-specific information is set as the value of the item, or the value of one or more items of the record meets the condition specified in the type-specific information), and calculate the emission amount based on the searched emission coefficient and amount of activity.

The allocation processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 can allocate the activity amount as necessary. When the record of the import data matches type-specific information included in the allocation information, the allocation processing unit can calculate the emission amount (estimated value) for each type by multiplying each type included in the allocation rate information of the allocation information by the corresponding allocation rate. The emission amount calculation unit can search for an emission coefficient for each type allocated by the allocation processing unit from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiply the allocated activity amount by the searched emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount for that type.

If the units in which the activity amount is expressed match the units assumed by the emission factor (tCO2/unit), the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission factor.

If the units do not match, the emission calculation unit can read out a conversion factor corresponding to the received type of activity (and emission subject) from the conversion factor storage unit based on the conversion factor, convert the first activity amount expressed in the first unit to a second activity amount expressed in the second unit based on the read conversion factor, and calculate the emission amount based on the emission factor and the second activity amount. For example, the emission calculation unit can search the conversion factor storage unit for conversion factor information including type-specific information corresponding to the company ID and the record of the imported data, and if the searched conversion factor information is registered in the conversion factor storage unit, determine that the units do not match, and multiply the value obtained by multiplying the activity amount included in the imported data by the conversion factor by the emission factor. Note that if multiple conversion factors corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information are registered, all of the corresponding multiple conversion factors may be multiplied.

The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission amount storage unit. The emission calculation unit can register the company ID, time information such as the current date and time, the scope and category of the calculated emission amount (the scope and category corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information used when calculating the emission amount can be obtained from the classification storage unit), and the calculated emission amount in association with each other in the emission amount storage unit.

The counting unit constituting the calculation unit 210 counts the emissions. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by scope. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by category. The scope and category can be read out from the distribution memory corresponding to the company ID and type-specific information.

<Operation>
FIG. 55 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 37th function. The management server 200 receives import data from the outside (S5501). For example, it can accept upload of CSV data from the user terminal 100, receive JSON data, and receive data such as CSV, JSON, and XML from other systems. For each record included in the import data, when the management server 200 matches the allocation information stored in the allocation information storage unit (S5502: YES), it allocates the activity amount included in the record by the allocation ratio of the allocation rate information (S5503), obtains the emission coefficient corresponding to the company ID and the type of allocation rate information from the emission coefficient storage unit (S5504), and searches the conversion coefficient information corresponding to the company ID and the type of allocation rate information from the conversion coefficient storage unit (S5505).

On the other hand, if the record does not match the apportionment information (S5502: NO), the management server 200 reads emission coefficient information that corresponds to the company ID and whose item values included in the record correspond to the type-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit (S5506), and searches for conversion coefficient information that corresponds to the company ID and whose item values included in the record correspond to the type-specific information from the conversion coefficient storage unit (S5507).

If the management server 200 is able to search for conversion factor information (S5508: YES), it multiplies the amount of activity included in the record by the conversion factor and the emission factor to calculate the amount of emissions (S5509), and registers the calculated amount of emissions in the emission memory (S5511). On the other hand, if the management server 200 is unable to search for conversion factor information (S5508: NO), it multiplies the amount of activity included in the record by the emission factor to calculate the amount of emissions (S5510), and registers the calculated amount of emissions in the emission memory (S5511).

If the management server 200 is able to find the conversion coefficients (S5508: YES), it multiplies the activity amount of the record by all the conversion coefficients it found and the emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount (S5509). If the management server 200 is unable to find the conversion coefficients (S5508: NO), it multiplies the activity amount of the record by the emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount (S5510).

The management server 200 registers the emission amount in the emission amount memory unit (S5511) and repeats the above loop.

After processing the above loop, the management server 200 tallies and outputs the emissions registered in the emission amount storage unit (S5512). The management server 200 can search the emission amount storage unit for emissions calculated within a specified period, such as a year, quarter, month, week, or day, and tallies the emissions. The management server 200 can also obtain a scope and category that matches the company ID and type-specific information related to the calculated emissions from the classification storage unit, and tallies and outputs the emissions for each obtained scope and/or category.

In this way, emissions can be calculated by inputting activity data from outside all at once.

The input unit 220, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, output unit 240, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 37th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AK1 (P029)]
an activity amount input unit that accepts input of input data including an activity amount related to the activity; an allocation information storage unit that stores a plurality of the types and an allocation ratio corresponding to each of the types in association with a condition for the input data; an allocation processing unit that, when the input data satisfies the condition, allocates the activity amount according to the allocation ratio corresponding to the condition to calculate the activity amount related to each of the plurality of types corresponding to the condition; an emission coefficient acquisition unit that reads out from the emission coefficient storage unit the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity related to the activity amount; and an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount based on the read emission coefficient and the activity amount. Item AK1 includes a base information memory unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each business entity (hereinafter referred to as a base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount memory unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device, a base identification unit that refers to the base information memory unit and identifies a base based on the location information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount memory unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AK2]
The information processing system according to item AK1, wherein the emission coefficient storage unit stores the type, the scope of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other, and includes an aggregation unit that aggregates the emissions calculated by the emission calculation unit for each scope.
[Item AK3]
An information processing system according to item AK1, characterized in that the emission coefficient memory unit stores the type, the scope of the activity, and the category of the activity and the emission coefficient in association with each other, and includes an aggregation unit that aggregates the emissions calculated by the emission calculation unit for each category.
[Item AK4]
The information processing system according to item AK1, wherein the activity amount received by the activity amount input unit is expressed in a first unit, and further comprises a conversion coefficient storage unit that stores a conversion coefficient for converting a value of the first unit into a value of a second unit in association with the type, and the emission amount calculation unit reads out from the conversion coefficient storage unit the conversion coefficient corresponding to the type related to the received activity based on the conversion coefficient, converts the first activity amount expressed in the first unit into a second activity amount expressed in the second unit based on the read conversion coefficient, and calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient and the second activity amount.
[Item AK5]
The information processing system according to item AK1, further comprising an emission coefficient input unit that, when the emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity related to the amount of activity is not registered in the emission coefficient storage unit, accepts an input of the emission coefficient and registers it in the emission coefficient storage unit.

<<Coefficient switching function (function 38)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 37 is an embodiment of Function 38, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is a problem that multiple emission coefficients exist for the same activity. Function 38 aims to provide a technology that can calculate emissions when multiple emission coefficients exist.

First Embodiment
An example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. The information processing system according to this embodiment is configured to include a management server 200. The management server 200 is connected to a user terminal 100 via a communication network 300 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 38th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, emission amount memory unit, activity memory unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (emission amount output unit).

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the activity amount in association with the activity that emits greenhouse gases. The activity amount memory unit stores time information (assumed to be the year and month in this embodiment) in association with a company ID that identifies the subject of the activity amount (assumed to be a company in this embodiment), information for identifying the activity performed by the company during the period indicated by the time information, and the activity amount. The activity amount memory unit can store, for example, the activity amount transmitted from the user terminal 100.

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The emission coefficient memory unit stores emission coefficients in association with activities. The emission coefficient memory unit stores multiple emission coefficients for one activity. The emission coefficient memory unit stores an emission coefficient for each company ID.

The emission coefficient storage unit can also store activities and emission coefficients for multiple activities in association with set identification information that identifies a set of emission coefficients for each activity (emission coefficient set). The set identification information can be, for example, a label or a tag. The set identification information can be set by the user. For example, by storing emission sets including the latest emission coefficient for each activity and emission coefficients for each activity from 10 years ago, it is possible to calculate emissions calculated using the emission coefficient from 10 years ago for the same amount of activity and emissions calculated using the latest emission coefficient, and compare these.

In this embodiment, the emission coefficient storage unit stores information identifying an activity and an emission coefficient in association with a company ID and set identification information (set name).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store the company ID indicating the company, time information (year and month) indicating the collection period, the set name indicating the set of emission coefficients, and the emission amount for each scope and category (only if there is a category). The scope and category can be, for example, those defined by the GHG protocol.

The activity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information related to activities. The activity memory unit stores the scope and category to which the activity belongs, in association with the company ID and information indicating the activity.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount. The emission calculation unit calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity of the activity amount. The emission calculation unit can accept input of information specifying the emission coefficient, refer to the emission coefficient storage unit and the activity amount storage unit, and calculate the emission amount by multiplying the emission coefficient corresponding to the received information by the corresponding activity amount. The emission calculation unit can accept input of set specification information. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying each of the emission coefficients corresponding to the received set specification information by the corresponding activity amount. The emission calculation unit registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit. The emission calculation unit can tally up the emission amount by company ID indicating the company, year and month of the activity, scope, and category, and register it in the emission storage unit.

The emission amount output section constituting the output unit 240 outputs the emission amount calculated by the emission amount calculation section. The emission amount output section can aggregate and output the emission amount by company ID indicating the company, year and month of the activity, scope, and category. The emission amount output section can output the aggregated emission amount as a number or a graph. The emission amount output section can create screen information for displaying the emission amount and send it to the user terminal 100.

<Operation>
FIG. 56 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 38th function. The company ID to be output is assumed to be specified by, for example, user authentication. The management server 200 accepts the designation of a set of emission coefficients (input of a set name) (S5601), and acquires an emission coefficient corresponding to the accepted set name and company ID from the emission coefficient storage unit (S5602). The management server 200 acquires an activity amount corresponding to the company ID (S5603). The management server 200 can acquire the activity amount from, for example, the activity amount storage unit, but may also receive the activity amount from the user terminal 100. Next, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount using the acquired set of emission coefficients and the acquired activity amount (S5604). The management server 200 can specify an emission coefficient in the set corresponding to the activity for each of the acquired activity amounts, and calculate the emission amount by multiplying the specified emission coefficient by the activity amount. Next, the management server 200 tallies and outputs the calculated emission amount (S5605).

As described above, according to the information processing system of this embodiment, when multiple emission factors exist for the same activity, emissions can be calculated using a specified emission factor.

Second Embodiment
The second embodiment deals with a case where a single activity may have a plurality of patterns of activity amounts. In the second embodiment, the management server 200 further includes an update unit, a set storage unit, and a setting information storage unit, in comparison with the first embodiment.

The set storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores pairs of activity amounts and emission coefficients. In this embodiment, it is assumed that there are multiple activity amounts for one activity. The set storage unit stores the activity amounts and activity coefficients in association with set identification information (set name) that identifies a set of activity amounts for each activity and the activity. In this embodiment, the set storage unit stores records (set information) including a company ID indicating a company, time information (year and month), set name, information that identifies the activity, activity amounts, and emission coefficients. Multiple set information is registered in the set storage unit for one activity. In the second embodiment, it is assumed that there are multiple activity amounts for one activity, but there may be one activity amount and multiple emission coefficients for one activity (similar to the first embodiment). In addition, there may be multiple activity amounts and multiple emission coefficients for one activity, in which case set information can be registered for each pair of activity amounts and emission coefficients. The set identification information may be, for example, a label or a tag. The set identification information can be set by the user.

The setting information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores setting information related to sets of activity amounts (and emission coefficient pairs). The setting information includes a company ID that identifies the company, a set name, an activity amount synchronization flag, and an emission coefficient synchronization flag. The activity amount synchronization flag is a flag value that indicates whether activity amounts are synchronized between different set information for the same activity. The emission coefficient synchronization flag is a flag value that indicates whether emission coefficients are synchronized between different set information for the same activity.

The emission calculation unit can accept input of information specifying an activity and information specifying an amount of activity (set name). The emission calculation unit can read set information corresponding to the received activity and set name from the set storage unit, and calculate the emission amount for each activity by multiplying the activity amount and emission coefficient included in the read set information.

The update unit constituting the execution unit 290 synchronizes the set information when the set information is updated. When the set information is updated, the update unit updates other set information of the same activity as the activity of the updated set information. When a certain set information is updated, the update unit reads out the setting information corresponding to the company ID of the updated set information from the setting information storage unit. When the activity amount synchronization flag of the read setting information is true, when the activity amount of the set information is updated, the update unit searches the set storage unit for other set information corresponding to the same activity and set name as the activity and set name included in the updated set information, and updates the activity amount of the searched other set information to the activity amount of the updated set information. When the emission coefficient synchronization flag of the read setting information is true, when the emission coefficient of the set information is updated, the update unit searches the set storage unit for other set information corresponding to the same activity and set name as the activity and set name included in the updated set information, and updates the emission coefficient of the searched other set information to the emission coefficient of the updated set information.

The emission calculation unit accepts the specification of set-specific information (set name), reads out the set information corresponding to the accepted set name (and company ID) from the set storage unit, and multiplies the activity amount and emission coefficient stored in the read-out set information to calculate the emission amount for each activity.

Third Embodiment
In the third embodiment, it is assumed that multiple activity amounts are registered in the activity amount storage unit for one activity. The activity amount storage unit of the third embodiment stores the activity amount in association with a company ID, a set name, a year and month, and an activity. Therefore, multiple activity amounts with different set names can be registered for one activity. Here, the set name can be information for identifying the activity amount. In the third embodiment, the emission coefficient storage unit manages the emission coefficient in association with the set name as in the first embodiment, but the set name may be omitted and one emission coefficient may be managed for one activity.

The emission amount calculation unit receives the designation of a set name, reads out the year and month, activity, and activity amount corresponding to the received set name and company ID from the activity amount storage unit, reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the read out activity (and set name) from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiplies the read out activity amount by the read out emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount for each activity.

The execution unit 290, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 38th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AL1 (P034)]
An information processing system comprising: an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity associated with an activity that emits greenhouse gases, an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the activity, the emission coefficient storage unit storing a plurality of emission coefficients for one of the activities, and an emission calculation unit that receives an input of information specifying the emission coefficient, and calculates the amount of emissions by multiplying the emission coefficient corresponding to the received information by the corresponding activity amount with reference to the emission coefficient storage unit and the activity amount storage unit. Item AL1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a position of a base for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that receives input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AL2]
The information processing system according to item AL1, wherein the emission coefficient storage unit stores the activities and the emission coefficients in association with set identification information that identifies an emission set including one emission coefficient corresponding to each of a plurality of the activities, and the emission calculation unit accepts input of the set identification information and calculates the emissions by multiplying each of the emission coefficients corresponding to the accepted set identification information by a corresponding activity amount.
[Item AL3]
an emission calculation unit that receives input of the activity specification information and the activity amount specification information, reads out the record corresponding to the received activity specification information and the activity amount specification information from the set storage unit, and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity specification information and the activity amount specification information by the activity amount and the emission coefficient included in the read record, the emission calculation unit storing records that associate activity specification information that specifies an activity that emits greenhouse gases, an activity amount related to the activity, an emission coefficient for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions due to the activity, and activity amount specification information that specifies the activity amount, the set storage unit storing a plurality of records for one of the activities; and
[Item AL4]
The information processing system according to item AL3, further comprising an update unit that, when the first emission coefficient of a first record stored in the set storage unit is updated to a second emission coefficient, identifies a second record from the set storage unit that includes the same activity specification information as the activity specification information included in the first record, and updates the emission coefficient of the identified second record to the second emission coefficient.
[Item AL5]
The information processing system according to item AL3, wherein the activity amount identification information is information that identifies a set including one of the activity amounts corresponding to each of the plurality of activities.
[Item AL6]
an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount associated with an activity that emits greenhouse gas; and an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the activity, the emission coefficient storage unit storing the activity and the emission coefficient in association with set identification information that identifies an emission coefficient set including a plurality of emission coefficients corresponding to each of the plurality of activities; and an emission calculation unit that accepts input of the set identification information and calculates the emission amount by multiplying each of the emission coefficients corresponding to the received set identification information by the corresponding activity amount.

<<Multiple gas emission calculation function (function 39)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to thirty-eighth functions is an embodiment of the thirty-ninth function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, emissions of carbon dioxide and the like are calculated. There is a need to calculate emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide as well. The thirty-ninth function aims to provide technology that can calculate emissions of various greenhouse gases.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 39th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, activity information memory unit, emission amount memory unit, environmental value memory unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit, aggregation unit), an output unit 240, and an execution unit 290 (offset processing unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The emission coefficient memory unit can store emission coefficients for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions of a given type due to an activity in association with the type of greenhouse gas and information identifying the activity.

The activity information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as activity information) for classifying activities into scopes (and categories). The activity information storage unit can store, for example, information indicating a scope (and category) in association with information identifying an activity.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The emission amount memory unit can store the amount of emissions in association with information indicating the type of greenhouse gas and a date (or information specifying a period such as a year and month).

The environmental value storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information on environmental values corresponding to greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as environmental value information). The environmental value information can include, in association with information identifying a type of greenhouse gas, information identifying an environmental value for offsetting that type of greenhouse gas, and the price of that environmental value.

The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts input of the activity amount related to the activity. The activity amount input unit may, for example, accept input of the activity amount from an input device or from the user terminal 100, or may receive a file (e.g., a CSV file) that records the activity amount transmitted from the user terminal 100. The activity amount input unit may also acquire the activity amount from, for example, an accounting system, a purchasing management system, a logistics management system, an inventory management system, or the like.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions related to the inputted activity. Since multiple greenhouse gases may be generated from the same activity, in this embodiment, it is possible to calculate the amount of emissions of different greenhouse gases from the amount of activity of the same activity. The emission calculation unit can calculate the amount of emissions for each type of greenhouse gas by reading all emission coefficients corresponding to the information identifying the inputted activity from the emission coefficient storage unit and multiplying each of the read emission coefficients by the inputted amount of activity. The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emissions in the emission storage unit.

The activity amount input unit may accept input of the activity amount associated with time information indicating the period of the activity. In this case, the emission amount calculation unit can extract the activity amount included in the aggregation period (e.g., a specific month or year) and multiply the extracted activity amount by the emission amount of each type of greenhouse gas to calculate the emission amount of each type of greenhouse gas in the aggregation period. The emission amount calculation unit can register the emission amount of each type of greenhouse gas in the emission amount storage unit in association with information specifying the aggregation period (e.g., if the length of the period is fixed, the information may indicate only the start date, or the start and end points of the aggregation period, or information such as the year or month).

The output unit 240 outputs the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. In this embodiment, the output unit 240 can output the emission amount calculated for each greenhouse gas type. The output unit 240 can be configured to output the emission amount stored in the emission amount storage unit.

The counting unit constituting the calculation unit 210 can count the emissions of each type calculated by the emission amount calculation unit for each scope. For Scope 3, the counting unit can further count the emissions of each type of greenhouse gas for each category. The output unit 240 can output the counted values (e.g., totals, averages, medians, etc.) of the emissions of each greenhouse gas for each scope (and further for Scope 3, for each category) counted by the counting unit. The counting unit can be configured to count the emissions stored in the emission amount storage unit.

The offset processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 can perform offset processing on the emissions for each greenhouse gas calculated by the emission amount calculation unit. The offset processing unit can, for example, refer to the environmental value storage unit to determine whether or not the environmental value related to the greenhouse gas is for sale, and if it is for sale, perform processing to purchase the corresponding environmental value.

<Operation>
57 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 39th function. The management server 200 receives input of data on the amount of activity (S301), and reads out all the emission coefficients for each greenhouse gas that correspond to the received amount of activity (S302). The management server 200 performs the following process for each greenhouse gas.

That is, the management server 200 multiplies the received activity amount by the emission coefficient corresponding to the greenhouse gas in question to calculate the emission amount of the greenhouse gas in question (S303), and registers the calculated emission amount in the emission memory unit in association with the type of greenhouse gas (S304).

After repeating the above process for each type of greenhouse gas, the management server 200 can tally up the emissions (S305) and output the tally up emissions (S306). Note that the management server 200 may also be configured to output emissions that are not tally up.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can calculate the emissions of multiple greenhouse gases from the same input activity amount.

The execution unit 290, input unit 220, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 39th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AM1 (P035)]
An information processing system comprising: activity identification information identifying an activity that emits greenhouse gases; an emission coefficient storage unit that stores emission coefficients for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in association with a plurality of types of the greenhouse gases; an activity amount input unit that accepts an input of an activity amount related to the activity; an emission calculation unit that reads out the emission coefficients corresponding to the activities from the emission coefficient storage unit and multiplies the activity amount by each of the read emission coefficients to calculate the amount of emissions for each type; and an output unit that outputs the amount of emissions for each type. Item AM1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base location for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases; an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit that accepts an input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AM2]
The information processing system according to item AM1, wherein the emission coefficient storage unit stores the emission coefficient in association with the activity, the scope of the activity, and the type, and includes an aggregation unit that aggregates the emissions for each type calculated by the emission calculation unit for each scope.

<< Input error detection function (40th function) >>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 39 is an embodiment of Function 40, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is a problem that input data related to the calculation of emissions may be incorrect. Function 40 aims to make it possible to accurately input data required for calculating greenhouse gas emissions.

<System Overview>
An example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. The information processing system according to this embodiment is configured to include a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to a user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 40th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, setting information memory unit, activity amount memory unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit, aggregation unit), and an output unit 240 (error output unit).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. Emission coefficients are also called emission units. The emission coefficient can determine the amount of greenhouse gas emitted when, for example, one liter of fuel is burned by an internal combustion engine. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions can be calculated by multiplying the emission coefficient by the amount of activity.

The setting information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores various setting information. The setting information can include range specification information for specifying a normal range of the amount of activity. The range specification information can include information for calculating a standard value to be compared, such as a comparison with the previous month, the same month of the previous year, or the same week of the previous year (for example, values for the previous month, the same month, or the same week of the previous year, or an average for the past five years), and a range (for example, lower and upper limits) of values (for example, ratios or differences) obtained by comparing the standard value with the current amount of activity. In this embodiment, the range specification information is represented by lower and upper limits of the comparison with the previous month or the same month of the previous year. For example, a comparison with the previous month or the same month of the previous year of -100% or less and +100% or more can be set as the range specification information.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of activity related to activities that emit greenhouse gases. The activity amount memory unit can store the amount of activity in association with time information. The time information can be, for example, the year and month or the year, month, and day. The amount of activity can be expressed, for example, by monetary value or by physical amount. The activity amount memory unit can store the amount of activity in association with the time information and information that identifies the activity. The activity amount memory unit can also store the unit of the amount of activity.

<Functional department>
The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts an input of an activity amount. The activity amount input unit can accept, for example, input of time information related to the activity and the activity amount from the user terminal 100. The activity amount input unit may acquire the activity amount from an external system such as an accounting system, a sales system, or an inventory management system. The activity amount input unit can accept the activity amount together with information specifying the activity (for example, a product name or a service name).

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the amount of activity and the emission coefficient. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission coefficient. The emission calculation unit can read out the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity related to the amount of activity from the emission coefficient storage unit, and multiply the amount of activity by the read out emission coefficient.

The error output unit constituting the output unit 240 outputs a notice indicating an input error in the amount of activity. When the amount of activity accepted by the activity amount input unit is not within a normal range, the error output unit can output a notice indicating an input error. The error output unit reads out the amount of activity (past activity amount) for the previous month or the same month of the previous year that corresponds to the accepted amount of activity from the activity amount storage unit, and based on range specification information corresponding to the accepted amount of activity that is stored in the setting information storage unit, compares the read out past activity amount (if there are multiple past activity amounts, it may be an aggregate value such as the average or median) with the accepted amount of activity to determine whether it is within the normal range.

The counting unit constituting the calculation unit 210 can count the amount of activity for each activity related to the amount of activity. The emission calculation unit can calculate the amount of emission based on the counted value of the amount of activity and the emission coefficient. The error output unit can output a message indicating an input error if the counted value of the amount of activity is not within the normal range.

<Operation>
58 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 40th function. The management server 200 receives an activity amount (S5801), reads out a past activity amount based on the setting information corresponding to the activity related to the activity amount (S5802), compares the past activity amount with the received activity amount based on the setting information, and determines whether the received activity amount is within a normal range (S5803). If it is not within the normal range (S5804: NO), an error is output (S5805). On the other hand, if it is within the normal range (S5804: YES), this process ends without outputting an error.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can obtain accurate activity levels.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, the unit of the activity amount is confirmed to be correct. In the second embodiment, the emission coefficient storage unit stores information indicating the unit in association with the emission coefficient. The emission coefficient storage unit can also store the emission coefficient and the unit in association with the information specifying the activity. In the second embodiment, the activity amount input unit accepts input of the unit of the activity amount together with the information specifying the activity and the activity amount. The error output unit can output an error indicating an input error when the denominator of the unit of the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity of the accepted activity amount stored in the emission coefficient storage unit does not match the unit of the accepted activity amount. Note that when the denominator of the unit of the emission coefficient does not match the unit of the activity amount, the activity amount may be converted into a unit.

Third Embodiment
In the third embodiment, it is determined whether the emission amount is within a normal range, rather than the amount of activity. In the third embodiment, the range specifying information included in the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit is information for specifying the normal range of the emission amount. Furthermore, the setting information can include the type of emission amount (e.g., scope and/or category) instead of or in addition to the information specifying the activity. The error output unit can output an error indicating an input error when the calculated emission amount is not within the normal range of the setting information corresponding to the emission amount.

Fourth Embodiment
In the fourth embodiment, it is determined whether the estimated scope and/or category is correct. In the fourth embodiment, the activity amount input unit accepts designation of the scope and/or category of the activity along with the activity amount. The emission calculation unit calculates the emission amount for each of the accepted scope and/or category. The error output unit can estimate the scope based on the activity related to the activity amount. The error output unit can output an error indicating an input error when the estimated scope does not match the accepted scope.

Fifth Embodiment
In the fifth embodiment, it is determined whether a supplier of purchased goods, electricity, etc. is within the supply area. In the fifth embodiment, the setting information storage unit can store an area where a greenhouse gas emitter exists. The setting information storage unit can also store, for each supplier that provides goods or services, the supply area of the supplier. In the fifth embodiment, the activity amount input unit can accept form data including the activity amount of electricity, goods, etc. The form data can be acquired, for example, from an accounting system. In the fifth embodiment, the error output unit can analyze the form data to extract the supplier and the activity amount. For example, when the form data is image data, a so-called OCR function can be used to extract the activity amount represented in the form data and the provider related to the activity amount (for example, the power company and the power consumption amount can be extracted from the form data of the electricity bill. The error output unit refers to the setting information storage unit to identify the supply area and the emission entity area corresponding to the extracted supplier, and determines whether the specified supplier's supply area includes the emission entity area, and if not, can output an error indicating an input error.

The input unit 220, the calculation unit 210, and the output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 40th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AN1 (P056)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating a greenhouse gas emission amount, an activity amount input unit that accepts an input of an activity amount, an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount based on the activity amount and the emission coefficient, a setting information storage unit that stores range specification information for specifying a normal range of the activity amount, and an error output unit that outputs a notice indicating an input error when the accepted activity amount is not within the normal range. Item AN1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information specifying a base position for each business entity (hereinafter, base) that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an activity amount by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that accepts an input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base specification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and specifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the specified base.
[Item AN2]
The information processing system according to item AN1, further comprising an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount in association with time information, wherein the range specification information is expressed by a comparison with the previous month or the same month of the previous year,
The information processing system is characterized in that the error output unit reads out a first activity amount corresponding to the previous month or the same month of the previous year from the activity amount storage unit, and compares the accepted second activity amount with the first activity amount.
[Item AN3]
The information processing system according to item AN1, further comprising: an activity amount storage unit that stores the activity amount; and an aggregation unit that aggregates the activity amount for each activity related to the activity amount, wherein the emission amount calculation unit calculates the emission amount based on the aggregated value of the activity amount and the emission coefficient, and the error output unit outputs a message indicating the input error when the aggregated value of the activity amount is not within the normal range.

<< Attribute-based allocation function (41st function) >>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 40 will be described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 41. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is an issue that it is time-consuming to register data required for calculating emissions in the system. Function 41 aims to make it possible to easily input data required for calculating greenhouse gas emissions.

<System Overview>
An emission management system according to this embodiment will be described. The emission management system according to this embodiment is intended to manage greenhouse gas emissions from emitters such as companies. The emission management system according to this embodiment accepts input of the activity amount of the emitter or other emitters located upstream or downstream in the emitter's supply chain, and calculates emissions by multiplying this by an emission coefficient. In the emission management system according to this embodiment, multiple tags are set for the activity amount, and the activity amount is apportioned for each tag. The tag can be, for example, information indicating a department of an organization related to the greenhouse gas emitter (e.g., a company) or an activity base.

An example of the overall configuration of the emission management system of this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. The emission management system of this embodiment is configured to include a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 41st function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission coefficient memory unit, apportionment information memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission amount memory unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount receiving unit), an execution unit 290 (tag setting unit, apportionment processing unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an output unit 240.

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The emission coefficient memory unit can store emission coefficients in association with information that identifies an activity (for example, the type of activity, such as electricity, gas, or product A).

The information identifying an activity can take any form as long as it is information for identifying the type of activity. For example, if an ID (type ID) that uniquely identifies the type of activity is set in the data input to the management server 200 (hereinafter referred to as import data), the type ID can be used as type identification information. Also, information including the type of import data and conditions for the values of items included in the import data can be used as type identification information. For example, if the import data is financial accounting data, information specifying "financial accounting data" and the condition that the "account item" is "travel expenses" and the summary includes "taxi" can be used as type identification information. Also, a function that inputs import data and outputs the type can be set as type identification information.

Emission factors may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurements, or data calculated based on direct measurements at the first source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from emissions from multiple companies offering the same type of product).

The emission coefficient storage unit can store emissions in association with the type of activity. The emission coefficient storage unit can store the type of activity, the scope of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other. The emission coefficient storage unit can store the type of activity, the scope of the activity, the category of the activity, and the emission coefficient in association with each other. Note that the scope and category of the activity are assumed to be the scope and category of the GHG Protocol. Also, the category may be omitted.

The allocation information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information for apportioning the amount of activity (hereinafter referred to as apportionment information). The allocation information can include information identifying the activity, a tag, and an allocation ratio for apportioning the amount of activity related to the activity for the tag.

The activity amount storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information relating to the amount of activity (hereinafter referred to as activity amount information). The activity amount information includes information identifying the activity, information identifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), and the amount of activity. The activity amount information can also include tags for classifying the activity. Multiple tags can be set in the activity amount information.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store a corporate ID that identifies the emitter, information that identifies the time when the activity was performed (time information), a scope, a category, and an emission amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period, such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range.

The activity amount reception unit constituting the input unit 220 receives the activity amount of the activity that emits greenhouse gases. The activity amount reception unit can receive the activity amount from, for example, the user terminal 100. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance transported by logistics (ton-kilometers), the amount of fuel consumed (liters) and the amount of money (yen). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the activity amount reception unit receives import data from the user terminal 100. The import data can be, for example, data exported from an ERP system or the like (export data) or data obtained by converting the export data. The import data can be, for example, CSV data, JSON data, or XML data. For example, in CSV data, it is known which item is which type of data, and the type of activity can be identified by what value is entered in which item of the CSV data in the type identification information. In addition, in JSON data, XML data, etc., the type of item of the set data may be tagged or set as an attribute. The activity amount receiving unit can create activity amount information including the received activity amount and register it in the activity amount storage unit.

The tag setting unit that constitutes the execution unit 290 sets tags for the amount of activity. The tags can indicate the department of an organization related to the greenhouse gas emitter. The tags can also indicate the base of operations related to the greenhouse gas emitter.

The tag setting unit can receive tags from the user terminal 100. The tag setting unit can receive, for example, one or more tags along with information identifying an activity. The tag setting unit can receive, for example, information identifying an activity, time information, and one or more tags. Note that the activity amount receiving unit may receive tags along with the activity amount. For example, tags can be included in the import data.

The tag setting unit can set the received tag to the corresponding activity amount information. A tag storage unit may be provided that stores information specifying an activity in association with the tag.

The allocation processing unit constituting the execution unit 290 allocates the activity amount for each set tag to calculate the activity amount for each tag (hereinafter, referred to as tag activity amount). For example, when multiple tags are set for one activity (for example, when one activity amount information includes multiple tags), the allocation processing unit can calculate the tag activity amount by dividing the activity amount by the number of tags. In this embodiment, an allocation ratio is set for each tag, and the allocation processing unit can calculate the tag activity amount by apportioning the activity amount according to the allocation ratio. For example, the allocation processing unit can read the allocation ratio for each tag corresponding to the received activity from the allocation information storage unit, and calculate the tag activity amount by apportioning the activity amount according to the read allocation ratio.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the greenhouse gas emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission factor. The emission calculation unit can also calculate the emission amount for each tag (hereinafter referred to as tag emission amount) by multiplying the apportioned activity amount (tag activity amount) by the emission factor.

The output unit 240 outputs the emission amount. The output unit 240 may be configured to output the tag emission amount together with the tag. The output unit 240 may also output the activity amount. The output unit 240 may be configured to output the tag activity amount together with the tag.

<Operation>
FIG. 59 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the first embodiment of the 41st function.

The management server 200 accepts the input of the activity amount (S5901) and accepts the setting of one or more tags for the accepted activity amount (S5902). For activity amounts for which multiple tags are set, the management server 200 calculates the tag activity amount by apportioning the activity amount (S5903). As described above, the activity amount may be divided by the number of tags, or the apportionment ratio corresponding to the activity may be read from the apportionment information storage unit and the activity amount may be apportioned according to the read apportionment ratio. Note that if only one tag is set, the activity amount may be used as the tag activity amount. The management server 200 multiplies the apportioned activity amount by the corresponding emission coefficient to calculate the emission amount for each tag (S5904).

As described above, the information processing system of this embodiment can calculate the amount of activity for each department or location by apportioning the amount of activity for each department or location. Therefore, even activity amounts that span multiple departments or locations can be entered together with tags, making input easier.

Second Embodiment
In the above-described embodiment, the activity amount is apportioned for each tag, but in the second embodiment, the emission amount is apportioned for each tag. In the second embodiment, the information processing system can include an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating an emission amount of a greenhouse gas, an activity amount receiving unit that receives an activity amount of an activity that emits the greenhouse gas, an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient, an allocation processing unit that apportions the emission amount for each tag with respect to the emission amount, and an output unit that outputs the emission amount for each tag.

The emission calculation unit can calculate the amount of emissions by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission factor.

The tag setting unit can set tags for emissions rather than activity levels.

The allocation processing unit allocates the emissions amount for each tag.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the allocation processing unit can accept the setting of the allocation ratio for each tag and allocate the emission amount according to the allocation ratio.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the information processing system can be provided with an allocation information storage unit that stores an allocation ratio in association with information specifying the emission amount and a tag. In this case, the allocation processing unit can read out the allocation ratio for each tag corresponding to the calculated emission amount from the allocation information storage unit, and allocate the emission amount according to the read allocation ratio.

In the second embodiment, the allocation information stored in the allocation information storage unit includes information specifying the emission amount, a tag, and an allocation ratio, rather than information specifying the amount of activity.

The allocation processing unit reads out the allocation ratio corresponding to the emission amount and tag from the allocation information storage unit, and can allocate the emission amount according to the read draft ratio.

Figure 60 is a diagram explaining the operation of the second embodiment of the 41st function. The management server 200 accepts input of the amount of activity (S6001), and calculates the amount of emissions by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission coefficient corresponding to the amount of activity (S6002). The management server 200 accepts tags to be set for the emissions (S6003), and for emissions for which multiple tags are set, calculates the amount of emissions for each tag by apportioning the emissions (S6004). Note that if only one tag is set, the calculated amount of emissions can be used as the tag emission amount.

As described above, according to the information processing system of the second embodiment, emissions can be tagged and allocated proportionally for each tag, making it possible to calculate the amount of emissions for each department or location.

The input unit 220, execution unit 290, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 41st function also includes the following configuration.
[Item AO1 (P057)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emissions, an activity amount receiving unit that receives an amount of activity of an activity that emits the greenhouse gas, a tag setting unit that sets a tag for the amount of activity, an apportionment processing unit that allocates the amount of activity for each of the set tags, and an emission calculation unit that calculates the amount of emission for each of the tags by multiplying the allocated amount of activity by the emission coefficient. Item AO1 comprises a base information storage unit that stores information identifying a base position for each business entity that is an emitter of greenhouse gases, an activity amount storage unit that stores an amount of activity by the emitter for each base, an activity amount input unit that receives input of position information and activity amount of the mobile terminal from a user's mobile terminal, a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the position information, and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AO2]
The information processing system according to item AO1, wherein the allocation processing unit accepts a setting of an allocation ratio for each tag and allocates the activity amount according to the allocation ratio.
[Item AO3]
The information processing system described in item AO1 is characterized in that it includes an allocation information storage unit that stores an allocation ratio in correspondence with information identifying the activity and the tag, and the allocation processing unit reads out the allocation ratio for each tag corresponding to the received activity from the allocation information storage unit, and allocates the activity amount according to the read allocation ratio.
[Item AO4]
The information processing system according to any one of items AO1 to AO3, characterized in that the tag indicates a department of an organization related to the emitter of the greenhouse gas.
[Item AO5]
The information processing system according to any one of items AO1 to AO3, characterized in that the tag indicates a base related to an emitter of the greenhouse gas.

<<Consolidated calculation function for emissions (function no. 42)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to forty-first functions is an embodiment of the forty-second function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is a need to grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation throughout the entire supply chain. The forty-second function aims to provide a technology that can grasp the greenhouse gas emission situation.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes an information processing device A serving as a management server 200, and an information processing device B (not shown) serving as a management server 201. The information processing device A is connected to another information processing device B via a communication network 300 so that they can communicate with each other.

Information processing device A is a computer that manages greenhouse gas emissions (emissions coefficient (emissions unit), activity amount, emissions amount). The amount of greenhouse gas emissions by a company can be calculated by multiplying the activity amount of the company (for example, the number of products produced) by the emissions unit for that company. Information processing device A can also send its own emissions unit (which may include activity amount and emissions) to another information processing device B, and can obtain other people's emissions unit from the other information processing device B. This makes it possible to calculate emissions for the entire supply chain, including its own company.

In this embodiment, each company exchanges the emission unit values (primary data) calculated for its own company, allowing more realistic emissions to be calculated.

The information processing device A may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing. The hardware configuration of the information processing device A is the same as that shown in FIG. 2.

An example of the software configuration of information processing device A (management server 200) in function 42 will be described using FIG. 3. Information processing device A includes a memory unit 230 (emissions intensity unit memory unit, product information memory unit, product usage information memory unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emissions intensity unit acquisition unit, activity amount acquisition unit, company information acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emissions amount calculation unit, emissions intensity unit calculation unit, product-specific emissions calculation unit), and an output unit 240 (emissions amount output unit, emissions intensity unit transmission unit, data ratio output unit).

The emission intensity memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores coefficients (called emission intensity units) for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in association with companies. The emission intensity memory unit can store emission intensity units and primary data ratios in association with company IDs indicating companies and product IDs indicating products (including services; the same applies below) provided by the companies. Primary data is data collected by the companies themselves, obtained from direct measurements, or obtained from calculations based on direct measurements in the first source of information. Data other than primary data is secondary data. For example, secondary data is data that has been standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product. The primary data ratio is the proportion of emissions calculated using primary data to the total amount of calculated emissions.

The product information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information about products (product information). The product information can include various information about the product, such as the product name, associated with a product ID that indicates the product. The product information storage unit is assumed to register product information about all products that the company provides to other companies.

The product usage information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (product usage information) about other products (hereinafter referred to as product usage) used to provide the product. The product usage is, for example, raw materials used to produce the product. The product usage information can include a product ID indicating the product, a product usage ID indicating the product usage, a company ID indicating the company that provides the product usage, and the amount of product usage (amount used) used for one product.

The emission intensity acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires emission intensity calculated by a company (associated company) that corresponds to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The associated company is a company that provides products in a category defined in Scope 3 of the GHG Protocol. The emission intensity acquisition unit may accept the input of the emission intensity from a user, but in this embodiment, the emission intensity is acquired from another information processing device B. The information processing device A can provide the primary data ratio together with the emission intensity. The emission intensity acquisition unit can update the emission intensity storage unit with the acquired emission intensity and primary data ratio. The emission request unit acquisition unit can update the emission intensity and primary data ratio corresponding to the company ID indicating the associated company related to the other information processing device B from which the emission intensity was acquired and the product ID indicating the product purchased from the associated company to the acquired ones. When the emission intensity of the secondary data is registered in the emission intensity storage unit, the emission intensity acquisition unit can set the primary data ratio to "0".

The activity amount acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the activity amount related to the products used by the related company. The activity amount can be, for example, the amount of products provided by the related company, such as the number of products, the amount of energy, or the distance traveled by logistics. The activity amount acquisition unit can acquire the activity amount related to the related company from the information processing device B of the related company. The activity amount acquisition unit may be configured to accept input of the activity amount of the related company from the user. In addition, the activity amount acquisition unit may access, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, an inventory management system, etc., and acquire the number (amount) of products purchased from the related company as the activity amount.

The emission amount calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 reads out the emission unit values corresponding to the related company and product from the emission unit value storage unit, and multiplies the activity amount of the related company (e.g., the usage amount of the product) by the read emission unit value to calculate the emission amount related to the product used by the related company. The usage amount used to calculate the emission amount may be the activity amount of the related company (e.g., the number of products purchased) obtained by the activity amount acquisition unit by accessing, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, or an inventory management system, or may be received by the activity amount acquisition unit from information processing device B of the related company.

The emission output section constituting the output unit 240 can output the emission amount for each associated company. The emission output section can output the emission amount for each associated company and product used. The emission output section can also output the emission intensity for each associated company. The emission output section can output the emission intensity for a plurality of associated companies that provide the same product in a comparable manner. The emission output section can output the emission intensity for an associated company that provides a product and an associated company that provides a substitute for that product in a comparable manner. The emission output section may also output the emission intensity for associated companies with which there is no transaction. In other words, it can also output the emission intensity for associated companies that are other providers of the product used, associated companies that provide substitutes, etc. in a comparable manner.

The company information acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the company's emissions and/or activity amounts. The company information acquisition unit can, for example, accept input of the emissions and/or activity amounts. The company information acquisition unit may calculate the emissions using a known method. The company information acquisition unit may acquire activity amounts (such as the number of company products sold) from, for example, an accounting system, a sales management system, an inventory management system, etc. The company information acquisition unit can acquire the emissions and/or activity amounts for each product. In addition, the company information acquisition unit acquires the amount of the company's emissions calculated based on primary data (referred to as the company's primary data emissions). Of the company's direct or indirect emissions (scope 1 and scope 2), for example, when the scope 2 emissions are calculated based on secondary data related to electricity charges, the company information acquisition unit can calculate the company's primary data emissions by excluding the emissions related to the use of electricity in scope 2 from the total emissions of scope 1 and scope 2.

When a product is used in multiple products, the company information acquisition unit acquires the amount of the product used for each product (for example, this can be acquired from an accounting system, sales management system, inventory management system, etc.), the activity amount acquisition unit calculates the activity amount of the product used for each product by apportioning the activity amount of the product used according to the usage amount for each product, and the emissions calculation unit multiplies the apportioned activity amount of the product used for each product by the emissions unit of the product used to calculate the emissions related to the product used by the associated company.

In addition, when the activity amount acquisition unit acquires the activity amounts related to multiple products used by the related enterprise collectively, the company information acquisition unit acquires the usage amount used for the multiple products used procured from the related enterprise (for example, this can be acquired from an accounting system, sales management system, inventory management system, etc.), and calculates the activity amount of the product and the product used corresponding to the product by apportioning the activity amount according to the usage amount of each product used acquired, and the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount related to the product used by the related enterprise by multiplying the activity amount corresponding to the product and the product used by the emission unit of the product used.

The emission intensity calculation unit that constitutes the calculation unit 210 calculates the company's emission intensity, which is the company's emission intensity, based on the company's acquired emissions and activity volume.

The emission unit transmission unit constituting the output unit 240 can transmit the company's emission unit to another information processing device B (a system of an associated company). The emission unit transmission unit may transmit the company's emission unit in response to a request from the other information processing device B, or may transmit the company's emission unit periodically or each time the company's emission unit is calculated.

The data ratio output unit constituting the output unit 240 can output the primary data ratio related to the emission amount related to the company's product. The data ratio output unit can calculate the primary data ratio. For example, the data ratio output unit can calculate the emission amount related to the product used multiplied by the primary data ratio of the product used for each product used in a certain product (referred to as the primary data emission amount), add the emission amount (scopes 1 and 2) emitted by the company for the product and the total of the calculated primary data emission amount for all the products used to calculate the total emission amount based on the primary data, and divide the calculated total value by the emission amount related to the product (total of scopes 1 to 3) to calculate the primary data ratio related to the product. For example, the data ratio output unit can obtain the product ID, usage amount, and company ID corresponding to the product ID indicating the company's product from the product information storage unit, obtain the primary data ratio corresponding to the company ID and the product ID used from the emission intensity storage unit, and calculate the primary data emission amount by multiplying the emission amount of the product used (which may be the value obtained by multiplying the usage amount by the emission intensity, or may be configured to accept the input of the emission amount) by the primary data ratio. In addition, if the data ratio output unit calculates the emissions emitted by the company using secondary data, it can add only the company's primary data emissions to the total primary data emissions of the products used.

The emission unit acquisition section constituting the acquisition unit 250 can also acquire emissions emitted by an associated company that provides a product used in one or more products from the information processing device B of the associated company. In this case, the emission unit acquisition section can calculate the emission amount for each product by apportioning the emissions based on a predetermined standard. For multiple products that use the same product, the emission unit acquisition section can apportion the emissions of the product used based on the production volume of the product, etc. The emission unit acquisition section can calculate the emission unit for the product used by the associated company by dividing the emission amount for each product by the amount of the product used.

The product-specific emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount related to the product (called PCF (Product Carbon Footprint)). If the emission intensity acquisition unit is able to acquire the emission intensity, the product-specific emission calculation unit can calculate the first product-specific emission amount related to the product used by multiplying the emission intensity by the amount of the product used. If the emission intensity acquisition unit is unable to acquire the emission intensity and is able to acquire the emission amount related to all the products used provided to the company, the product-specific emission calculation unit can calculate the second product-specific emission amount by apportioning the emission amount according to a predetermined standard. The product-specific emission calculation unit can calculate the total value of the first product-specific emission amount (emission amount accumulated using the emission intensity), the second product-specific emission amount (emission amount calculated by apportioning the emission amount of the organization unit), and the company's direct or indirect emission amount (emission amount related to the product among the emission amount acquired by the company information acquisition unit), and divide the calculated total value by the activity amount (e.g., the production amount of the product) to calculate the PCF.

<Operation>
FIG. 61 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing for displaying the emission intensity for each associated company.

The information processing device A acquires the emission intensity from the information processing device B of the related company (S6101). When the information processing device A is unable to acquire the emission intensity (S6102: NO), it acquires the emission amount for all the products used provided to the company by the related company (S6103). When the information processing device A is able to acquire the emission amount (S6104: YES), it calculates the emission amount for each product used by dividing the emission amount by a predetermined standard (for example, the production volume of each of the company's products) (S6105), and calculates the emission intensity by dividing the emission amount for each product by the usage amount of the product used (S6106). On the other hand, when the information processing device A is unable to acquire the emission amount (S6104: NO), it acquires secondary data related to the products used (S6107). The information processing device A displays the emission intensity for each related company in a comparable manner (S6108). Also, when the information processing device A is able to acquire the emission intensity (S6102: YES), it displays the emission intensity for each related company in a comparable manner (S6108). This will enable companies to understand the emission intensity of each related company upstream or downstream in their supply chain, and identify related companies that are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Figure 62 is a diagram explaining the flow of the process of calculating the PCF. When the information processing device A obtains the emissions related to all the products used that are provided to the company by the related companies for each of the products used by the company (S6201: YES), it calculates the emissions by product by product by apportioning the emissions based on a predetermined standard (e.g., the production volume of each of the company's products) (S6202). When the emissions are not obtained (S6201: NO), it calculates the emissions by product by multiplying the emissions intensity (primary data or secondary data) by the amount of use (S6203). The information processing device A can calculate the PCF by summing up the emissions by product (S6204) and dividing the total emissions by the activity amount related to the product (production volume, sales volume, etc.) (S6205). This makes it possible to calculate PCF using whatever is available, whether that be emissions calculated using an emissions unit derived from an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) or emissions calculated by dividing the company's total emissions by the number of products or sales (emissions calculated using the apportionment method).

Second Embodiment
In the above-described embodiment, the emission units are exchanged between multiple information processing devices, and the emissions falling under Scope 3 are calculated using the emission units obtained from outside (for example, by multiplying the emission units obtained from another company by the activity amount such as the number of products purchased from that other company). However, in the information processing system according to the second embodiment, in addition to the emission units, emissions related to Scopes 1 and 2 are exchanged, and the emissions related to Scopes 1 to 3 for multiple emitting entities as a whole are tallied.

In the second embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the information processing device A includes a supplier emission acquisition unit, a company emission acquisition unit, a group emission calculation unit, and a group storage unit.

The group memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information identifying companies belonging to a group. In the second embodiment, the group memory unit stores group company IDs indicating other companies (hereinafter referred to as group companies) that report emissions as a group together with the company, in association with a company ID indicating the company itself. There may be multiple group companies. A group company is a company that forms a group with the company among companies that correspond to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the company's supply chain. A group company may be, for example, the company's parent company, subsidiary company, or sub-subsidiary company. A group company may be a contracting company to which the company outsources work, or a contracting company that undertakes the company's work. For example, a subcontracting company at a construction site may be a group company. Also, for example, multiple logistics companies that are in charge of a series of logistics from the shipper to the consignee may be a group company.

The group memory unit that constitutes the memory unit 230 can also store the investment ratio for group companies.

The supplier emission acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires the greenhouse gas emissions related to the related companies. The supplier emission acquisition unit may acquire the emissions (Scope 3) of the related companies calculated by the emission calculation unit. The supplier emission acquisition unit may also calculate the emissions of the related companies by multiplying the activity volume of the related companies by the emission unit corresponding to the related companies.

In the second embodiment, the supplier emissions acquisition unit acquires the emissions corresponding to scope 1 of the related company and the emissions corresponding to scope 2 of the related company. The supplier emissions acquisition unit can receive the emissions corresponding to scope 1 and scope 2 from the information processing device A of the related company. In this case, the emissions output unit can also transmit the company's own emissions corresponding to scope 1 and scope 2 to the related company.

The company's own emissions acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires emissions related to the company. The company's own emissions acquisition unit can acquire the company's own emissions (scope 1 and scope 2) calculated by the emissions calculation unit. The company's own emissions acquisition unit may also calculate the emissions related to the company by multiplying the company's activity amount by the company's own emissions intensity. The company's own emissions acquisition unit acquires the company's own emissions that fall under scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3.

The group emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount related to the group. The group emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount related to scope 1 and scope 2 related to the group companies by tallying up the emission amount related to scope 1 and scope 2 related to the group companies and the emission amount related to scope 1 and scope 2 related to the company itself, and calculate the emission amount related to scope 3 related to the group by excluding the emission amount related to the products or services provided by the group companies from the emission amount related to the company itself. Specifically, the group emission calculation unit can refer to the group storage unit to identify the group companies forming a group with the company itself, and calculate the first emission amount related to scope 1 related to the group companies, the emission amount related to scope 2 related to the group, the emission amount related to scope 1 related to the group, and the emission amount related to scope 2 related to the group by tallying up the emission amount related to the products or services provided by the group companies from the emission amount related to the company itself.

The group emissions calculation unit may also calculate the group's Scope 3 emissions by excluding the amount of emissions related to the products or services provided by group companies that corresponds to the investment ratio from the company's own Scope 3 emissions and aggregating the total.

The acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 42nd function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AP1 (P058)]
an information processing system comprising: a group memory unit that stores information indicating group companies that form a group with the company, among companies that fall into at least one of the upstream and downstream of a supply chain; a supplier emission acquisition unit that acquires greenhouse gas emissions for the companies; a company emission acquisition unit that acquires the emissions for the company; and a group emission calculation unit that calculates the emissions for the group, wherein the group emission calculation unit aggregates the emissions that fall into scope 1 and scope 2 for the group companies and the emissions that fall into scope 1 and scope 2 for the company to calculate the emissions that fall into scope 1 and scope 2 for the group, and calculates the emissions that fall into scope 3 for the group by excluding those that are related to products or services provided by the group companies from the emissions that fall into scope 3 for the company. Item AP1 includes a base information storage unit that stores information identifying the location of each base for each group company (hereinafter, base) that is a greenhouse gas emitter; an activity amount storage unit that stores the amount of activity by the emitter for each base; an activity amount input unit that accepts input of location information and activity amount of the mobile device from the user's mobile device; a base identification unit that refers to the base information storage unit and identifies a base based on the location information; and a registration unit that registers the input activity amount in the activity amount storage unit in association with the identified base.
[Item AP2]
The information processing system described in item AP1, comprising: an emission unit memory unit that stores an emission unit for calculating the emission amount; and an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires activity amounts of the company and the company itself, wherein the supplier emission amount acquisition unit multiplies the activity amount of the company by the emission unit to calculate the emission amount related to the company, and the company emission amount acquisition unit multiplies the activity amount of the company by the emission unit to calculate the emission amount related to the company.
[Item AP3]
The information processing system described in item AP1, wherein the group memory unit stores an investment ratio in the group companies, and the group emissions calculation unit calculates the emissions that fall under Scope 3 for the group by excluding an amount of the emissions related to products or services provided by the group companies that corresponds to the investment ratio from the emissions that fall under Scope 3 for the company and aggregating the amount.
[Item AP4]
the supplier emissions acquisition unit acquires from the company the emissions that fall under scope 1 of the company and the emissions that fall under scope 2 of the company; the company's own emissions acquisition unit acquires the emissions that fall under scope 1 of the company, the emissions that fall under scope 2 of the company, and the emissions that fall under scope 3 of the company; the group emissions calculation unit refers to the group memory unit to identify group companies that are the companies that form the group with the company, and aggregates the emissions that fall under scope 1 of the group companies, the emissions that fall under scope 2 of the group companies, the emissions that fall under scope 1 of the company, and the emissions that fall under scope 2 of the company to calculate first emissions that fall under scope 1 related to the group and second emissions that fall under scope 2 related to the group; and aggregates the emissions that fall under scope 3 of the company, excluding those related to products or services provided by the group companies, to calculate third emissions that fall under the scope related to the group.

<<Credit function (19th function)>>
Next, an example of adding the credit function explained in the above-mentioned 19th function will be described with reference to Figures 63 to 69. Figures 63 to 69 are conceptual diagrams of an information processing system for emissions trading.

Figure 63 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system in which a user acquires emission rights directly from an owner. The user, who is the buyer, uses a user terminal to inform the owner of the emission rights that he or she intends to purchase the emission rights. If the owner intends to sell the emission rights, the user uses the user terminal to transfer the amount corresponding to the emission rights (the price of the emission rights) to the owner's bank account. Based on the transfer, the owner transfers the emission rights from the owner's account to the user's account using the owner terminal. The user acquires the emission rights and performs the invalidation process so that the acquired emissions amount is included in the invalidation notice.

Figure 64 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system in which a user acquires emission rights from a holder via an intermediary. The user, who is a buyer, uses a user terminal to inform the intermediary of his/her intention to purchase emission rights. The holder uses the holder terminal to indicate to the intermediary his/her intention to sell the emission rights and requests that he/she provide the emission rights to a third party. The intermediary recognizes the user's intention to purchase and the holder's intention to sell. The user uses the user terminal to transfer the amount corresponding to the emission rights to the intermediary's bank account. The intermediary transfers the amount transferred from the user to the holder's bank account. Based on the transfer, the holder transfers the emission rights from the holder's account to the intermediary's account using the holder terminal. The intermediary transfers the emission rights from its own account to the user's account. The user performs invalidation processing so that the acquired emission amount is included in the invalidation notice. It is preferable that the intermediary uses an intermediary terminal and an intermediary server as shown in Figure 65 described later.

Figure 65 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 1 in which a user acquires emission rights from a holder via a platform having a management server 200. The user, who is a buyer, uses a user terminal to output invalidation information indicating an intention to purchase emission rights to the platform. The holder uses the holder terminal to output emission rights information indicating an intention to sell the emission rights to an intermediary server of the intermediary (e.g., a system similar to the management server 200) and requests that the emission rights be provided to a third party. The intermediary uses the intermediary terminal and intermediary server to output the emission rights information of the holder's intention to sell to the platform. The platform matches the emission rights information from the intermediary with the invalidation information from the user. The user uses the user terminal to perform a process of transferring an amount corresponding to the emission rights to the platform's bank account. The platform performs a process of transferring the amount transferred from the user to the intermediary's bank account. The intermediary server performs a process of transferring the amount transferred from the user to the holder's bank account. Based on the fact that the remittance has been made, the holder uses the holder terminal to output the emission rights information from the holder's account to the intermediary's account and transfer the emission rights. The intermediary server outputs the emission rights information from its own account to the platform's account and transfers the emission rights. The platform outputs the emission rights information from its own account to the user's account and transfers the emission rights. The user obtains the emission rights information and performs the invalidation process so that the obtained emissions amount is included in the invalidation notice.

Figure 66 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 2 in which a user acquires emission rights from a holder via a platform having a management server 200. The difference from Figure 65 is that the invalidation process is executed on the platform. A user who is a buyer uses a user terminal to output invalidation information indicating an intention to purchase emission rights to the platform. The holder uses the holder terminal to output emission rights information indicating an intention to sell the emission rights to the intermediary server of the intermediary, and requests that the emission rights be provided to a third party. The intermediary uses the intermediary terminal and intermediary server to output the emission rights information of the holder's intention to sell to the platform. The platform matches the emission rights information from the intermediary with the invalidation information from the user. The user uses the user terminal to perform a process of transferring an amount corresponding to the emission rights to the platform's bank account. The platform performs a process of transferring the amount transferred from the user to the intermediary's bank account. The intermediary server performs a process of transferring the amount transferred from the user to the holder's bank account. Once the remittance has been made, the holder uses the holder terminal to output the emission rights information from the holder's account to the intermediary's account and transfers the emission rights. The intermediary server outputs the emission rights information from its own account to the platform's account and transfers the emission rights. The platform acquires the emission rights information and performs invalidation processing so that the acquired emissions amount is included in the invalidation notice. The platform also outputs an invalidation notice to the user and transfers the emission rights. By having the platform perform the invalidation on the user's behalf in this way, it is possible to eliminate the need for the user to carry out the invalidation processing.

Figure 67 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 3 in which a user acquires emission rights from a holder via a platform having a management server 200. The difference from Figure 66 is that the user collects small-lot requests from small-lot users at a lower level than the user. A small-lot user who wants to use emission rights uses a small-lot user terminal to output invalidation information indicating that the user has the intention to purchase emission rights. If there are multiple small-lot users, invalidation information that is a small-lot request is output from the multiple small-lot users. The user receives the invalidation information. The user uses a user terminal to output invalidation information indicating that the user has the intention to purchase emission rights to the platform. This invalidation information may be multiple invalidation information corresponding to multiple small-lot requests, or invalidation information that is a sum of multiple small-lot requests. In this example, the latter is explained. The holder uses the holder terminal to output emission rights information indicating that the holder has the intention to sell the emission rights to the intermediary server of the intermediary, and requests that the holder wish to provide the emission rights to a third party. The intermediary uses the intermediary terminal and the intermediary server to output the emission rights information of the holder's intention to sell to the platform. The platform matches the emission credit information from the intermediary with the invalidation information from the user. The user performs a process of transferring an amount corresponding to the emission credits to the bank account of the platform using the user terminal. The platform performs a process of transferring the amount transferred from the user to the bank account of the intermediary. The intermediary server performs a process of transferring the amount transferred from the user to the bank account of the holder. Based on the transfer, the holder outputs the emission credit information from the holder's account to the account of the intermediary using the holder terminal, and transfers the emission credits. The intermediary server outputs the emission credit information from its own account to the account of the platform, and transfers the emission credits. The platform acquires the emission credit information, and performs invalidation processing so that the acquired emissions are included in the invalidation notice. In addition, the platform outputs the invalidation notice to the user, and transfers the emission credits. The user may output an invalidation notice based on a small-lot request to the small-lot user. By accepting a small-lot request in this way, it is possible to make it easier for small-lot users to use emission credits. In addition, by having the platform perform the invalidation on behalf of the user, it is possible to save the user the trouble of invalidation processing.

Figure 68 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 4 in which a user acquires emission rights from a holder via a platform having a management server 200. The difference from Figure 67 is that multiple users output multiple invalidation information to the platform. A small-scale user who wants to use emission rights uses a small-scale user terminal to output invalidation information indicating that the user has the intention to purchase emission rights. If there are multiple small-scale users, invalidation information, which is a small-scale request, is output from the multiple small-scale users. The user receives the invalidation information at the user terminal. If there are multiple users, the invalidation information is received for each user. The user uses a user terminal to output invalidation information indicating that the user has the intention to purchase emission rights to the platform. If there are multiple users, invalidation information is output for each user. The holder uses the holder terminal to output emission rights information indicating that the holder has the intention to sell the emission rights to the intermediary server of the intermediary, and requests that the emission rights be provided to a third party. The intermediary uses the intermediary terminal and intermediary server to output the emission rights information of the holder's intention to sell to the platform. The platform matches the emission rights information from the intermediary with the invalidation information from each user. Each user uses a user terminal to transfer the amount corresponding to the emission credits to the bank account of the platform. The platform transfers the amount transferred from each user to the bank account of the intermediary. The intermediary server transfers the amount transferred from each user to the bank account of the holder. Based on the transfer, the holder outputs the emission credit information from the holder's account to the intermediary's account using the holder terminal, and transfers the emission credits. The intermediary server outputs the emission credit information from its own account to the account of the platform, and transfers the emission credits. The platform acquires the emission credit information, and performs invalidation processing so that the acquired emissions are included in the invalidation notice. The platform also outputs an invalidation notice to each user, and transfers the emission credits. The user may output an invalidation notice based on a small-lot request to the small-lot user. By accepting a small-lot request in this way, it is possible to make it easier for small-lot users to use emission credits. Furthermore, by having the platform perform the invalidation on behalf of the user, it is possible to reduce the user's effort in invalidation processing. The user may execute various processes using a user server.

Figure 69 is a conceptual diagram of an information processing system 5 in which a user acquires emission rights from a holder via a platform having a management server 200. The difference from Figure 68 is that the platform does not have a bank account and a credit account. A small-scale user who wants to use emission rights uses a small-scale user terminal to output invalidation information indicating that the user intends to purchase emission rights. If there are multiple small-scale users, invalidation information, which is a small-scale request, is output from the multiple small-scale users. The user receives the invalidation information at the user terminal. If there are multiple users, invalidation information is received for each user. The user uses a user terminal to output invalidation information indicating that the user intends to purchase emission rights to the platform. If there are multiple users, invalidation information is output for each user. The holder uses the holder terminal to output emission rights information indicating that the holder intends to sell the emission rights to the intermediary server of the intermediary, and requests that the holder wish to provide the emission rights to a third party. The intermediary uses the intermediary terminal and the intermediary server to output the emission rights information of the holder's intention to sell to the platform. The platform matches the emission rights information from the intermediary with the invalidation information from each user. Each user uses a user terminal to transfer the amount corresponding to the emission credits to the bank account of the intermediary. The intermediary server transfers the amount transferred from each user to the bank account of the holder. Based on the transfer, the holder uses the holder terminal to output the emission credit information from the holder's account to the intermediary's account and transfers the emission credits. The intermediary server outputs the emission credit information from its own account to the user's account and transfers the emission credits. The intermediary server also acquires the emission credit information and performs invalidation processing so that the acquired emissions are included in the invalidation notice. Furthermore, the intermediary server outputs an invalidation notice to each user and transfers the emission credits. Note that the user may output an invalidation notice based on a small-lot request to the small-lot user. By accepting small-lot requests in this way, it is possible to make it easier for small-lot users to use emission credits. Also, by having the platform perform the invalidation on behalf of the user, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of the user performing the invalidation processing. Note that the user may perform various processes using the user server.

Next, we will explain the function that allows you to obtain better purchasing conditions by purchasing emission rights in large lots than by purchasing them in small lots. In this example, we will explain the function that allows you to lower the price (unit price) by joint purchasing on the platform of Figures 68 and 69.

On the purchase screen of the user terminal, the "minimum sales quantity = minimum ticket" according to the price is displayed for each type of emission credit, such as A, B, C, etc. For example, A, which is mediated by Company X, a seller of emission credits, has the following relationship between the minimum sales quantity and price as shown in (1) and (2).
(1) Over 1 million tons: 8,000 yen/ton-CO2
(2) Over 10 million tons: 7,000 yen/ton-CO2

Condition (1) is a condition that allows emission credits to be purchased at a price (unit price) of 8,000 yen per ton-CO2 if the total amount of emission credits purchased jointly, including other users, is between 1 million and 10 million tons. Condition (2) is a condition that allows emission credits to be purchased at a price (unit price) of 7,000 yen per ton-CO2 if the total amount of emission credits purchased jointly, including other users, is 10 million tons or more. In this way, conditions can be presented to user terminals that set the minimum sales quantity and price so that the unit price of emission credits varies depending on the total amount of emission credits purchased jointly.

When Company X puts up for sale on the platform, if the platform management server 200 is set to solicit participants for a joint purchase, users who are willing to purchase at a unit price of 10 million tons or more as specified in condition (2) can express their willingness to purchase using a user terminal. For example, if multiple users express their willingness to purchase using a user terminal and 7 million tons of the 10 million tons have been collected, the output unit of the management server 200 outputs information about the display image to the user terminal so that an image such as "When we gather buyers for another 3 million tons, the transaction will be concluded at a unit price of 7,000 yen" can be displayed on the user terminal. In addition, the output unit of the management server 200 outputs information about the display image to the user terminal so that a gauge image showing 7 million tons/10 million tons and an image showing the current unit price of 8,000 yen can also be displayed together with this image. When multiple users indicate their intention to purchase on the user terminal and 10 million tons of the 10 million tons are collected, information on the display image is output from the output unit of the management server 200 to the user terminal so that an image such as "conditions achieved" can be displayed on the user terminal. In addition, information on the display image is output from the output unit of the management server 200 to the user terminal so that a gauge image showing 10 million tons/10 million tons and an image showing 7,000 yen, which is the unit price after the conditions are achieved, can be displayed together with this image. By configuring in this way, users who wish to purchase emission rights can obtain advantageous trading conditions, so the number of users who wish to purchase emission rights increases. As the number of such users increases, the number of holders who wish to sell emission rights also increases, so the amount of emission rights trading increases and emission rights trading becomes lively, which solves the problem of a small number of participants in emission rights trading and difficulty in completing emission rights trading. In addition, users can check the process leading up to the achievement of the conditions, so users can purchase emission rights at the target unit price while checking this process. Company X, which is the seller of the emission rights, is either an owner of the emission rights or an intermediary. Although the examples shown in Figures 68 and 69 in which the user uses a user terminal have been shown, an example in which a person making a small-lot request uses a small-lot user terminal may also be used. Although an example in which a person wishing to purchase emission rights can obtain favorable purchase conditions has been explained in this paragraph, a person wishing to sell emission rights may also be able to obtain favorable sales conditions through joint sales.
<Operation>
70 is a diagram explaining operation 4 of the 19th function. The management server 200 sets up a call for participants (S1401). In detail, the offsettable amount, which is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the offsettable emission credits, is stored in the emission credit storage unit. In addition, a state is made in which input of the amount of emissions that a plurality of users wish to offset can be accepted. Furthermore, information such as images is output to the user terminal to display images such as those shown in (1) and (2) below, and participants for the joint purchase are called for.
(1) Over 1 million tons: 8,000 yen/ton-CO2
(2) Over 10 million tons: 7,000 yen/ton-CO2

Next, the management server 200 sets the first price (S1402). For example, the first price is set to 8,000 yen under condition (1). Next, the management server 200 receives the purchase intentions from the users (S1403). Next, the management server 200 sums up the purchase intentions from the users (S1404). Next, the management server 200 judges whether the sum of the purchase intentions is greater than the minimum sales quantity (S1405). In detail, it judges whether the sum of the input purchase intentions (e.g., 10 million tons) is greater than the value corresponding to the offsettable amount, which is the minimum sales quantity (e.g., 10 million tons). If the answer is Yes in S1405, the management server 200 sets the second price (S1404). For example, the second price is set to 7,000 yen under condition (2). In addition, the management server 200 acquires emission credit specification information (emission credit ID) that specifies the emission credit. If S1405 is No, the management server 200 ends this process. In this case, the price is maintained at the first price of 8,000 yen. The process of this operation 4 is executed within a predetermined period. Therefore, for example, if condition (2) cannot be achieved within the predetermined period, condition (1) applies. If condition (1) cannot be achieved within the predetermined period, emission rights may be purchased at a unit price different from that of condition (1), or emission rights may not be purchased. Also, while an example has been shown in which a user uses a user terminal, an example in which a person making a small-lot request uses a small-lot user terminal may also be used. Also, operation 4 can be combined with operations 1, 2, and 3.

<Disclosures>
The 19th function includes the following configuration in addition to S1 to S7 described above.
[Item S8 (P053)]
An information processing system comprising: a memory unit that stores an offsettable amount, which is an amount of greenhouse gas whose emissions can be offset by an offsetting emission credit; an input unit that accepts an input of an amount of emissions that a user wishes to offset; and an acquisition unit that acquires emission credit specification information that specifies emission credits when the input total amount of the emissions corresponds to the offsettable amount.
[Item S9]
An information processing system according to item S8, characterized in that, when the input total amount of emissions is smaller than the offsettable amount, the price of the emission rights is set to a first price, and when the input total amount of emissions is greater than the offsettable amount, the price of the emission rights is set to a second price which is lower than the first price.
[Item S10]
Item S8: The information processing system according to the present invention, further comprising: an output unit that outputs difference information between the input total emission amount and the offsettable amount.

<<Analysis function (43rd function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the first to forty-second functions is an embodiment of the forty-third function, which will be described in detail below. As background technology, prediction of future carbon dioxide emissions and the like has been performed. There is a problem in that the cause of future increases or decreases in carbon dioxide emissions cannot be predicted. The forty-third function aims to provide a technology that can perform an appropriate analysis of the cause of future increases or decreases in carbon dioxide emissions.

As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing system of this embodiment includes an analysis unit 280. The analysis unit 280 analyzes (predicts) the causes of increases or decreases in emission amounts based on the calculated emission amounts through machine learning, and analyzes (predicts) the causes and reasons of targets through machine learning. Note that the analysis unit 280 is shown as the third function, fifth function, ninth function, tenth function, seventeenth function, eighteenth function, nineteenth function, twentieth function, and twenty-first function, but analysis units 280 can also be provided for other functions to perform analysis.

An example of providing an analysis function to the tenth function (P039) is shown. The tenth function includes an analysis unit 280 that analyzes the cause of an increase or decrease in the emission amount information by machine learning based on the emission amount information. Analyzing the cause of an increase or decrease in the emission amount means that the management server 200 analyzes what is the cause of the increase in the emission amount or the cause of the decrease in the emission amount. For example, the management server 200 performs an analysis to identify that the cause of the increase in the emission amount is the Scope 3 category with a large amount of emission. The emission amount information includes attributes of the emitter (accounting information such as the emitter's business, number of employees, region, sales amount, purchase amount, and labor cost), additional information related to the activity related to the emission amount (actual value, aggregated value of actual value, predicted value, and other activity amount, information for estimating the activity amount), and information for estimating the activity amount (floor area, roof area, number of products that can be produced, etc.), and the management server 200 analyzes these. The management server 200 includes an output unit 240 that outputs solution information based on the result of the analysis. For example, the management server 200 presents the name of the identified Scope 3 category with a large amount of emission to the user.

According to the tenth function and the forty-third function, the following configuration is included. Note that other configurations shown in the tenth function are also included. An information processing system comprising an emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information on greenhouse gas emissions by an emitter from a user of the emitter that emits greenhouse gases, a solution storage unit that stores solution information on greenhouse gas reduction means, an analysis unit that analyzes the cause of an increase or decrease in the emission information by machine learning based on the emission information, and an output unit that outputs solution information based on the results of the analysis.

The system further includes an extraction unit that extracts solution information that matches the emission information based on the results of the analysis, and an output unit that provides the extracted solution information to a user.

The solution information may use, for example, the 19th function, or may be a modified example of the 19th function as follows: An emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by an emission entity from a user of the emission entity that emits greenhouse gas; a solution storage unit that stores solution information on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions; an analysis unit that analyzes the cause of an increase or decrease in the emission information by machine learning based on the emission information; an output unit that outputs solution information based on the analysis result; an emission credit storage unit that stores emission credit specific information that identifies emission credits that can offset greenhouse gas emissions, an offsettable amount that is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission credit, and emission credit attributes in association with each other; and an offset attribute storage unit that stores attributes of emission credits that can offset emissions related to an activity in association with activity specific information that identifies an activity, and the analysis unit refers to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission credit storage unit to identify attributes corresponding to the activity specific information, and identifies emission credit specific information that corresponds to the identified attribute and the offsettable amount that is equal to or greater than the emission amount of the emission entity that was acquired; and the provision unit provides the emission credit specific information to the user as solution information. The emission rights identification information is acquired by the emission rights acquisition unit.

Furthermore, according to the tenth and forty-third functions, the following configuration may be adopted: An information processing system comprising: an emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information on greenhouse gas emissions from an emitter that emits greenhouse gas; a solution storage unit that stores solution information including cost information for determining the cost of greenhouse gas reduction measures and reduction information for determining an expected amount of greenhouse gas reduction when the reduction measures are adopted; an analysis unit that analyzes the cause of an increase or decrease in the emission information by machine learning based on the emission information; and an output unit that outputs solution information based on the results of the analysis.

The system further includes an extraction unit that extracts a predetermined number of solution information items from among the solution information items that match the emission information based on the analysis results, in order of unit cost per unit reduction amount that is determined based on the reduction amount and cost, and an output unit provides the extracted solution information items to the emission entity.

The solution information may, for example, use function 19, or may be as follows as a variation of function 19: the emission credits storage unit stores, in association with each other, emission credits specifying information that specifies emission credits capable of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, an offsettable amount that is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission credits, and attributes of the emission credits; and an offset attribute storage unit stores, in association with each other, attributes of the emission credits that can offset emissions related to the activity, in association with activity specifying information that specifies the activity. The analysis unit refers to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission credits storage unit to specify attributes that correspond to the activity specifying information, and specifies emission credits specifying information that corresponds to the specified attributes and the offsettable amount that is equal to or greater than the emission of the emitting entity that was obtained. The provision unit provides the emission credits specifying information to a user as solution information. The emission rights identification information is acquired by the emission rights acquisition unit.

As another function, an example of providing an analysis function to the twelfth function (P038) is shown. The twelfth function includes an analysis unit 280 that analyzes the first solution information by machine learning based on the emission amount information. Analyzing the first solution information means comparing the cause of the increase or decrease in the emission amount information analyzed by machine learning based on the emission amount information with the first solution information (first information that can reduce the emission amount) to analyze whether the first solution information can reduce the emission amount. Then, the management server 200 includes an output unit 240 that outputs the second solution information (second information that can reduce the emission amount) based on the analysis result. For example, when the management server 200 analyzes that the first solution information is information that can reduce the emission amount, it outputs the first solution information as the second solution information. On the other hand, when the management server 200 analyzes that the first solution information is information that cannot reduce the emission amount, it outputs the second solution information different from the first solution information. The emission information includes attributes of the emitter (such as the emitter's business, number of employees, region, sales, purchase amount, labor costs, and other accounting information), additional information related to the activity related to the emission (such as actual values, aggregated actual values, and predicted values of activity levels, and information for estimating activity levels), and information for estimating activity levels (floor area, roof area, number of products that can be produced, etc.), and the management server 200 analyzes these and outputs the analysis results.

According to the twelfth and forty-third functions, the following configurations are included. Note that other configurations shown in the twelfth function are also included. An information processing system comprising: an emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information on greenhouse gas emissions by an emitter from a user who is an emitter that emits greenhouse gas; an emission information provision unit that provides the emission information to a provider that provides a means for reducing greenhouse gas; a solution information acquisition unit that acquires first solution information on the reduction means from the provider; an analysis unit that analyzes the first solution information by machine learning based on the emission information; and an output unit that outputs second solution information based on the results of the analysis.

Furthermore, according to the twelfth and forty-third functions, the following configuration may be adopted: An information processing system comprising an emission information acquisition unit that acquires emission information on greenhouse gas emissions from an emitter that emits greenhouse gases, an emission information provision unit that provides the emission information to a provider that offers greenhouse gas reduction means, a solution information acquisition unit that acquires first solution information on the reduction means from the provider, an analysis unit that analyzes the first solution information by machine learning based on the emission information, and an output unit that outputs second solution information based on the analysis results.

Furthermore, the analysis unit 280 analyzes (calculates) the amount of greenhouse gas reduction based on the first emission information before the reduction means is implemented and the second emission information after the reduction means is implemented, and the output unit outputs second solution information based on the amount of reduction (result of the analysis). The second solution information is information for charging the provider according to the amount of reduction. Furthermore, a charging processing unit is provided, and the charging processing unit charges the provider according to the amount of reduction. Note that the amount of greenhouse gas reduction based on the first emission information before the reduction means is implemented and the second emission information after the reduction means is implemented may be calculated by the calculation unit, and the analysis unit 280 can perform analysis based on the result of the calculation by the calculation unit.

The solution information may use, for example, the 19th function, or may be as follows as a modified example of the 19th function. The solution information includes an emission credit storage unit that stores emission credits specific information that specifies emission credits that can offset greenhouse gas emissions, an offsettable amount that is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission credits, and emission credit attributes in association with each other, and an offset attribute storage unit that stores attributes of emission credits that can offset emissions related to an activity in association with activity specific information that specifies the activity. The analysis unit refers to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission credit storage unit to specify attributes that correspond to the activity specific information, and specifies emission credits specific information that corresponds to the specified attributes and the offsettable amount equal to or greater than the emission amount of the acquired emission entity, and the provision unit provides the emission credits specific information to the user as second solution information. The emission credits specific information is acquired by the emission credit acquisition unit.

As another function, an example of providing an analysis function to the second function (P032) is shown. The second function includes an analysis unit 280 that uses machine learning to analyze the causes of increases and decreases in emissions by the business entity based on future emissions. Analyzing the causes of increases and decreases in emissions means that the management server 200 analyzes what is causing the increases and decreases in emissions. For example, the management server 200 performs analysis to identify that the cause is the Scope 3 category, which has a large amount of emissions. The management server 200 then includes an output unit 240 that outputs solution information based on the results of the analysis. For example, the management server 200 presents the user with the name of the identified Scope 3 category, which has a large amount of emissions. The analysis unit 280 can also analyze the causes of increases and decreases in emissions by machine learning based on information identifying emissions. The information for identifying emissions includes attributes of the emitter (e.g., accounting information such as the emitter's business, number of employees, region, sales, purchases, and labor costs), additional information related to activities related to emissions (activity amounts such as actual values, aggregated values of actual values, and predicted values, information for estimating activity amounts), and information for estimating activity amounts (floor area, roof area, number of products that can be produced, etc.), and the management server 200 analyzes these and outputs the analysis results. The analysis unit 280 can also analyze the causes of increases and decreases in the emissions of the business entity through machine learning based on the target reduction rate.

According to the second function and the forty-third function, the following configuration is included. Note that other configurations shown in the second function are also included. An information processing system comprising: a target acquisition unit that acquires a target greenhouse gas reduction rate from multiple business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of a supply chain; an emission amount storage unit that stores information that specifies the greenhouse gas emission amount for each business entity at a reference point in time; an estimation unit that estimates future emissions for each business entity by multiplying the emission amount by the target reduction rate; a calculation unit that calculates the target reduction rate of the emission amount of the business entity by comparing the total value of the future emission amount estimated for each business entity with the total value of the emission amount for each business entity at the reference point in time; an analysis unit that analyzes the cause of the increase or decrease in the emission amount of the business entity by machine learning based on the future emission amount; and an output unit that outputs solution information based on the results of the analysis.

The analysis unit 280 also analyzes (calculates) the target reduction rate of emissions for each business entity by comparing the total value of future emissions estimated for each business entity with the total value of emissions for each business entity at the reference time. The target reduction rate of emissions for each business entity may be calculated by the calculation unit by comparing the total value of future emissions estimated for each business entity with the total value of emissions for each business entity at the reference time, and the analysis unit 280 can perform analysis based on the results calculated by the calculation unit.

The solution information may use, for example, the 19th function, or may be as follows as a modified example of the 19th function. The system includes an emission credit storage unit that stores emission credit specific information that specifies emission credits that can offset greenhouse gas emissions, an offsettable amount that is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission credits, and emission credit attributes in association with each other, and an offset attribute storage unit that stores attributes of emission credits that can offset emissions related to an activity in association with activity specific information that specifies the activity. The analysis unit refers to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission credit storage unit to specify attributes that correspond to the activity specific information, and specifies emission credit specific information that corresponds to the specified attributes and the offsettable amount that is equal to or greater than the emission amount of the emission entity that was acquired. The provision unit provides the emission credit specific information to the user as solution information. The emission credit specific information is acquired by the emission credit acquisition unit.

As another function, an example of providing an analysis function to the first function (P025) is shown. The first function includes an analysis unit 280 that analyzes the cause of the increase or decrease in the emission of the business entity by machine learning based on the reduction amount obtained by multiplying the acquired emission amount by the reduction target rate. Analyzing the cause of the increase or decrease in the emission amount means that the management server 200 analyzes what is causing the increase or decrease in the emission amount. For example, the management server 200 analyzes to identify that the cause is the Scope 3 category with a large amount of emission. The management server 200 then includes an output unit 240 that outputs solution information based on the analysis results. For example, the management server 200 presents the name of the identified Scope 3 category with a large amount of emission to the user. The analysis unit 280 can also analyze the cause of the increase or decrease in the emission of the business entity by machine learning based on the unit reduction amount obtained by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the base point to the target point. The information for identifying the amount of emissions includes attributes of the emitter (e.g., accounting information such as the emitter's business, number of employees, region, sales, purchases, and labor costs), additional information related to the activity related to the amount of emissions (activity amount such as actual values, aggregated values of actual values, and predicted values, information for estimating the amount of activity, etc.), and information for estimating the amount of activity (floor area, roof area, number of products that can be produced, etc.), and the management server 200 analyzes these and outputs the analysis results. In addition, the analysis unit 280 can also analyze the cause of the increase or decrease in the amount of emissions of the business entity by machine learning based on the target emission amount obtained by subtracting the cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to the reference time point for each unit time.

According to the first function and the forty-third function, the following configuration is included. Note that other configurations shown in the first function are also included. An information processing system comprising an emission memory unit that stores greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, an input unit that accepts input of a reduction target rate of emissions by the business entity, a base point in time, and a target point in time, a calculation unit that acquires emissions corresponding to the base point in time from the emission memory unit and calculates a reduction amount by multiplying the acquired emissions by the reduction target rate, an analysis unit that analyzes the cause of an increase or decrease in the business entity's emissions by machine learning based on the reduction amount, and an output unit that outputs solution information based on the results of the analysis.

The system further includes a unit reduction amount calculation unit that calculates a unit reduction amount by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the reference time to the target time, a target emission amount calculation unit that calculates a target emission amount for each unit time by subtracting the cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to the reference time, and an output unit that outputs the target emission amount for each unit time.

In addition, according to the first function and the forty-third function, the following configuration may be adopted: An information processing system comprising: an emission storage unit that stores a first direct greenhouse gas emission amount by the business entity, a second indirect emission amount by the business entity, and a third emission amount by other businesses located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity; an input unit that receives input of a first to a third reduction target rate of the emission amount by the business entity, a base point in time, and a target point in time for each of the first to the third emission amounts; a calculation unit that acquires an emission amount corresponding to the base point in time from the emission storage unit for each of the first to the third emission amounts, and calculates a reduction amount by multiplying the acquired emission amount by the reduction target rate; an analysis unit that analyzes the cause of the increase or decrease in the emission amount of the business entity by machine learning based on the reduction amount; and an output unit that outputs solution information based on the analysis results.

The solution information may use, for example, the 19th function, or may be as follows as a modified example of the 19th function. The system includes an emission credit storage unit that stores emission credit specific information that specifies emission credits that can offset greenhouse gas emissions, an offsettable amount that is the amount of greenhouse gas that can be offset by the emission credits, and emission credit attributes in association with each other, and an offset attribute storage unit that stores attributes of emission credits that can offset emissions related to an activity in association with activity specific information that specifies the activity. The analysis unit refers to the offset attribute storage unit and the emission credit storage unit to specify attributes that correspond to the activity specific information, and specifies emission credit specific information that corresponds to the specified attributes and the offsettable amount that is equal to or greater than the emission amount of the emission entity that was acquired. The provision unit provides the emission credit specific information to the user as solution information. The emission credit specific information is acquired by the emission credit acquisition unit.

Examples of solution information given above include (1) information based on a target reduction rate, (2) information based on a reduction amount obtained by multiplying emissions by a reduction target rate, (3) information based on a unit reduction amount obtained by dividing a calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from a base point in time to a target point in time, and (4) information based on a target emission amount obtained by subtracting a cumulative unit reduction amount from the emission amount corresponding to a base point in time. However, information specified based on a combination of these may be used. Furthermore, solution information may be based on at least one of information related to targets and information related to reductions, and may be presented (recommended) to a user on whether to purchase a certain type of credit (emission credit specification information).

The system further includes a unit reduction amount calculation unit that calculates first to third unit reduction amounts by dividing the calculated reduction amount by the number of unit times from the reference time point to the target time point, a target emission amount calculation unit that calculates a target emission amount for each of the first to third emission amounts by subtracting the cumulative first to third unit reduction amounts from the emission amount corresponding to the reference time point for each unit time, and an output unit that outputs the target emission amount for each of the first to third emission amounts for each unit time.

The analysis unit 280 can use machine learning to analyze the causes of increases or decreases in emissions related to some or all (as a whole) of a business entity, and can also analyze the causes of increases or decreases in emissions related to some or all of the business entities that make up a supply chain. The analysis unit 280 can also analyze (calculate) the target reduction rate of emissions related to some or all (as a whole) of a business entity, and can also analyze the target reduction rate of emissions related to some or all of the business entities that make up a supply chain.

The analysis unit 280 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself. Note that, although the above example shows a combination of the 43rd function with some other functions, it may also be combined with other functions.

<<Estimation function (44th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 43 is set as an embodiment of Function 44, which will be described in detail below. In the background art, carbon dioxide emissions are estimated. There is an issue that it is time-consuming to register data required for calculating emissions in the system. Function 44 aims to make it possible to easily input data required for calculating greenhouse gas emissions.
<System Overview>
The information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described below. In the information processing system according to the present embodiment, the amount of activity related to the activity that emits greenhouse gases is extracted from the document data (for example, including data on various documents related to the economic activities of a company such as invoices, receipts, and delivery notes. The document data can be text data, document data, image data, etc.), and the type of the activity (scope and/or category in the GHG protocol) is identified. In the present embodiment, the amount of activity is extracted from the document data and the type of the amount of activity is identified using a large language model (LLM) such as a generative pretrained transformer (GPT). In addition, the emission management system according to the present embodiment is intended to manage the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by an emission entity such as a company. In the emission management system according to the present embodiment, information on the activities of the emission entity or other emission entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the emission entity is received, and activity specification information is estimated based on this information. In the emission management system according to the present embodiment, the activity specification information is estimated from information on the activity, making it possible to easily calculate the emission amount.

The activity identification information can be in any format as long as it is information for identifying an activity. For example, the activity identification information can be an ID (activity ID) that can uniquely identify an activity from data input to the management server 200 (hereinafter referred to as imported data) or activity information for classifying an activity into a scope (and category).

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 44th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a generation unit 260 (generator, generation processing unit), an acquisition unit 250 (character string extraction unit), a storage unit 230 (emission coefficient storage unit, vector information storage unit, activity amount storage unit, emission amount storage unit), an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit, emission coefficient input unit), an estimation unit 270 (activity estimation unit), an acquisition unit 250 (emission coefficient acquisition unit), a calculation unit 210 (emission amount calculation unit), and an analysis unit 280 (aggregation unit).

The generator constituting the generation unit 260 generates a string using a trained language model trained by machine learning and the model. The string indicates an example of the amount of activity and the scope (and/or category). The generator also generates an answer based on the trained language model. The answer is a string corresponding to the instruction. In this embodiment, the trained language model is assumed to be GPT. Note that the trained language model may not be managed by the management server 200, and an external server may be provided with the trained model, and an answer to the instruction may be generated using the trained language model by calling an API provided by the external server.

The character string extraction unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 extracts character strings from the form data. It is assumed that the form data includes the amount of activity that emits greenhouse gases. If the form data is text data, the character string extraction unit can read out the contents of the text data. If the form data is image data, the character string extraction unit can extract character strings drawn in the image data by known OCR processing. If the form data is binary data such as a word processor document or a spreadsheet document, the character string extraction unit can extract character string data from the binary data by known methods.

When the document data, which is the form data, is text data, the character string extraction unit distinguishes the parts in the document, and if there are multiple parts, divides the document into parts. Parts are examples of tables and sentences. Parts may also include figures, illustrations, etc.

In the case of text data, there are four extraction patterns as follows.
(A) When the string extraction unit divides a table into components, it analyzes the table and determines what type of document the table is, stores the determination result in memory unit 230, and extracts activity information from the table and text determination results and the string information (extraction pattern A).
(B) When a table is divided as a component, the character string extraction unit analyzes the table and extracts activity information from the table and text discrimination results and character string information (extraction pattern B).
(C) When the string extraction unit divides a sentence into parts, it determines the reading order of the sentence to generate a string of characters, stores this in the memory unit 230, and extracts activity information from the table and sentence discrimination results and the string information (extraction pattern C).
(D) When the text extraction unit divides text into parts, it extracts activity information from the table and text discrimination results and the text information (extraction pattern D).

When the form data is image data, the character string extraction unit uses OCR to extract characters and a BBOX (bounding box). In object detection, the position of an object (such as a table) is represented by a rectangle called a BBOX, so the character string extraction unit can extract, for example, a table.

When the data is image data, there are the following two extraction patterns.
(E) After extracting activity information from the characters and BBOX, the character string extraction unit determines what type of document it is from the characters and BBOX, stores the determination result in memory unit 230, and extracts activity information from the characters and BBOX (extraction pattern E).
(F) The character string extraction unit extracts activity information from the characters and the BBOX, and then extracts activity information from the characters and the BBOX (extraction pattern F).

Other extraction patterns are as follows:
(G) The character string extraction unit extracts company information from the database (extraction pattern G). The company information used is company information acquired by the acquisition unit 250 of the third function, but is not limited to this.

The information extracted using extraction patterns A to G is linked to an emission coefficient by the character string extraction unit to create an activity. Note that the functions performed by the character string extraction unit here may be performed by the analysis unit.

The generation processing unit constituting the generation unit 260 causes the generator to generate the activity amount and scope (and/or category). The generation processing unit can cause the generator to generate the activity amount and scope (and/or category) by providing the generator with the character string extracted by the character string extraction unit, an instruction to generate the specified activity amount, and an instruction to generate the scope (and/or category) corresponding to the activity amount.

The generation processing unit can cause the generator to learn information that associates activity-specific information that identifies an activity with a scope (and/or category). The generation processing unit may perform fine-tuning to cause a pre-trained language model to learn data that associates activity-specific information with a scope and/or category, or may include data that associates activity-specific information with a scope and/or category in instructions (prompts) given to the generator. The generation processing unit can cause the generator to generate activity amounts, scopes, and activity-specific information related to the activity instructed to the generator by providing the generator with character strings extracted from the form data and instructions to generate scope and activity-specific information.

In addition, when multiple activities form a tree structure (when major categories, minor categories, details, etc. of activities are defined), the tree structure may be trained. In this case, the generation processing unit may train the generator to learn, for example, the first activity specification information, the scope, and the second activity specification information that specifies the second activity that is the parent or child in the tree structure of the first activity specified by the first activity specification information. The learning here may also be performed by updating the trained language model in advance by fine tuning, or the prompt may include information that specifies the tree structure (information that indicates the parent-child relationship between the first and second activity specification information). In this way, the generation processing unit can generate multiple hierarchical levels of activity specification information from character strings included in the form data.

The management server 200 may also be provided with a vector information storage unit that records information indicating activity and information obtained by vectorizing the information indicating activity, and the generation processing unit may vectorize the character string extracted by the character string extraction unit, read information indicating activity corresponding to a vector close to the vector of the character string from the vector information storage unit, and include the information in the prompt provided to the generator. The specialized information (information indicating activity) stored in the vector information storage unit may be provided to the generator as learning data to generate the amount of activity and the scope (and/or category).

The emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information including emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (hereinafter referred to as emission coefficient information). The emission coefficients may be primary data (data collected by the emitter itself, obtained from direct measurement, or data obtained from calculations based on direct measurement in the first information source) or secondary data (data other than primary data, for example, data standardized (statistically processed) from the emissions of multiple companies that provide the same type of product).

The emission coefficient storage unit can store emissions in association with activities. The emission coefficient storage unit can store information that identifies an activity (activity specification information), the scope of the activity, and an emission coefficient in association with each other. The emission coefficient storage unit can store activity specification information, the scope of the activity, the category of the activity, and an emission coefficient in association with each other. Note that the scope and category of the activity are assumed to be the scope and category of the GHG Protocol. Also, the category may be omitted.

The activity identification information can be in any format as long as it is information for identifying an activity. For example, if an ID (activity ID) that uniquely identifies an activity is set in the data input to the management server 200 (hereinafter referred to as imported data), the activity ID can be used as the activity identification information.

The vector information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information for identifying an activity. In this embodiment, the information for identifying an activity is vector information in which words are vectorized. The vector information storage unit stores the vector information and the activity identification information in association with each other.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the amount of activity. The activity amount memory unit can store a company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), activity specification information, attribute information, and activity amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, year, month, date, or date and time range. The attribute information can be various items related to the activity (for example, any items such as a supplier of goods, related department, or person in charge).

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission amount memory unit can store the company ID, time information, scope, category, and emission amount in association with each other. The scope and category can be the scope and category registered in the classification memory unit constituting the memory unit 230.

The activity amount input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of the activity amount. The activity amount is, for example, the number of products produced (pieces), the number of products purchased (pieces), the weight x distance transported by logistics (ton-kilometers), the amount of fuel consumed (liters), and the amount (yen). The amount includes material costs, transportation costs, labor costs, and the like. The activity amount input unit accepts input of time information and the activity amount from the user along with various attribute information related to the activity. The activity amount input unit may receive import data from the user terminal 100. The import data may be, for example, data exported from an ERP system or the like (export data), data converted from the export data, receipts and estimates obtained from an OCR, and the like. The import data may be, for example, CSV data, JSON data, or XML data. For example, in CSV data, it is known which item is which type of data, and the type of activity can be identified by what value is entered in which item of the CSV data in the activity identification information. Additionally, for JSON data, XML data, etc., the type of item of the set data may be tagged or set as an attribute.

The activity estimation unit constituting the estimation unit 270 identifies an activity based on items related to the amount of activity. The activity estimation unit estimates activity specification information by machine learning based on the items. In this embodiment, the activity estimation unit creates vector information by vectorizing the received items, refers to the vector information storage unit, selects vector information (first vector information) stored in the vector information storage unit according to the distance from the created vector information (second vector information), and can read out activity specification information corresponding to the selected first vector information from the vector information storage unit. The activity estimation unit can, for example, identify a predetermined number (which may be one) in order of the smallest distance between the first and second vector information. When the estimation unit 270 (activity estimation unit) estimates activity specification information, it can also estimate an emission coefficient corresponding to the activity specification information.

The emission coefficient acquisition unit constituting the acquisition unit 250 acquires an emission coefficient related to an activity. The emission coefficient acquisition unit can read out an emission coefficient corresponding to the company ID and activity specification information from the emission coefficient storage unit. When the emission coefficient is managed by an external system, the emission coefficient acquisition unit may access the external system to acquire the emission coefficient.

The emission coefficient input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of an emission coefficient. The emission coefficient input unit identifies the company ID indicating the emission entity to which the user belongs (for example, it can accept the input of a company ID. In addition, the management server 200 has a user information storage unit that stores user information related to the user, and the company ID can be set in the user information and acquired from the user information storage unit), accepts input of activity specification information and an emission coefficient from the user, and registers the company ID, activity specification information, and emission coefficient in the emission coefficient storage unit. If an emission coefficient corresponding to the type of activity amount related to the import data is not stored in the emission coefficient storage unit, the emission coefficient input unit can, for example, notify the user terminal 100 of that fact and accept the emission coefficient from the user terminal 100.

The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the emission amount based on the emission coefficient and the amount of activity. The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount for each piece of information received from the user (e.g., each record included in the import data). The emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the amount of activity by the emission coefficient corresponding to the activity-specific information identified based on the items related to the amount of activity.

If the units in which the activity amount is expressed match the units assumed by the emission factor (tCO2/unit), the emission calculation unit can calculate the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission factor. If the units do not match, the emission calculation unit can also calculate the emission amount after performing unit conversion.

The emission calculation unit can register the calculated emission amount in the emission amount storage unit. The emission calculation unit can register the company ID, time information such as the current date or time, the scope and category of the calculated emission amount, and the calculated emission amount in the emission amount storage unit in association with each other.

The counting unit constituting the analysis unit 280 counts the emissions. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by scope. The counting unit can count the emissions calculated by the emission amount calculation unit by category. The scope and category corresponding to the company ID and activity specification information can be read from the distribution memory. Note that the counting may be performed by another functional unit such as the calculation unit 210, rather than the analysis unit 280.

The activity specific information presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the estimated activity specific information to the user. In detail, the management server 200 outputs the estimated activity specific information to the user terminal 100. In addition, the emission coefficient presentation unit constituting the output unit 240 presents the estimated emission coefficient to the user. In detail, the management server 200 outputs information on the estimated emission coefficient to the user terminal 100. The information presented may be one or multiple. If there is only one estimated information, one piece of information is presented. If there is multiple estimated information, all information may be presented, or information on the top five (not limited to five) analysis scores based on the results of the analysis may be presented, or one piece of information with the highest analysis score based on the results of the analysis may be presented.

Next, the operation of the 44th function will be described with reference to FIG. 71. The management server 200 accepts activity amounts and items related to activity amounts from the outside (S7101). For example, it can accept uploads of CSV data from the user terminal 100, accept inputs to forms, and accept data such as acquired receipts and estimates by reading them using OCR. The management server 200 creates vector information by vectorizing the accepted items (S7102), and estimates (specifies) activity specific information (activity specific information corresponding to items related to activity amounts) corresponding to the vector information (one or more) that is closest to the vectorized vector information among the vector information stored in the vector information storage unit (S7103). For example, it can estimate (specify) multiple activity specific information such as wood atmospheric fluidized bed boiler and coke atmospheric fluidized bed boiler as items related to activity amounts (items to be calculated) from the contents described in the supporting data.

When the management server 200 identifies multiple pieces of activity-specific information, it proposes (presents) the activity-specific information corresponding to the item to be calculated that has been identified to the user through the output unit 240 (S7104). The management server 200 may be configured to have the user select one of the multiple pieces of activity-specific information (or accept input of other activity-specific information). When the management server 200 identifies multiple pieces of activity-specific information, it may propose (present) emission coefficients corresponding to the activity-specific information to the user through the output unit 240 and have the user select one (or accept input of other emission coefficients). The management server 200 reads out the emission coefficient corresponding to the selected activity-specific information from the emission coefficient storage unit (S7105), and calculates the emission amount by multiplying the activity amount by the emission coefficient (S7106). The management server 200 registers the calculated emission amount in the emission storage unit (S7107). The management server 200 may also be configured to tally up and output the emission amount registered in the emission storage unit (S7108). The management server 200 may also analyze and identify items recommended for reduction based on the amount of activity, and present solutions. The function of providing solutions will be explained in Functions 10 to 15.

If the activity amount received in S7101 is incorrect, for example, if the value is incorrect, a normal value can be input from the user terminal 100 and accepted. In addition, a 40th function having an error output unit that outputs a notice of input error when the activity amount input again is not within the normal range can be combined. In addition, if the information received in S7101 is for scope 1 or 2, one activity specification information can be specified, but in the case of scope 3, one activity specification information may not be specified. In this way, only in the case of scope 3 where the activity specification information cannot be specified as one, a process of presenting multiple activity specification information can be executed. Furthermore, for electricity in scope 2, when identifying an activity from an invoice or the like using a character string extraction unit (OCR, etc.), the reading order of the text of the invoice or the like can be determined to make it a character string, and an emission intensity unit based on the electric power company and the contract plan can be specified from the information of the character string. The identification of the emission intensity unit may be executed by the analysis unit 280 or the emission intensity unit identification unit, rather than the character string extraction unit. In this way, the emission intensity unit can also be estimated from data related to the activity amount, etc., and input can be made easier. The management server 200 may also present candidates for the emission intensity units to be assigned.

In this way, activity can be estimated from data on activity levels, making input easier.

In this embodiment, the activity is identified according to the distance of the vector information, but the vector information may be set as a prompt and given to a large-scale language model (LLM) to estimate the activity. Also, a learning model can be created by machine learning using items as input data and activity specification information as teacher data. In this case, the activity estimation unit can estimate the activity specification information by giving the accepted items to the learning model. Also, the output unit 240 can visualize the emission amount. Also, the analysis unit 280 can analyze and identify items recommended for reduction from the amount of activity and propose reduction solutions.

If only part of the text information can be deciphered, an artificially intelligent system that learns from nearby character strings and previously registered activity item data can infer the activity items.

The input unit 220, estimation unit 270, acquisition unit 250, calculation unit 210, analysis unit 280, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 44th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AR1 (P087)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission coefficient memory unit that stores emission coefficients for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in association with activity specification information that specifies an activity that emits greenhouse gas; an extraction unit that extracts activity amounts and items related to the activity amounts related to the activities that emit greenhouse gas; an estimation unit that estimates activity specification information by machine learning based on the items related to the activity amounts; and an activity specification information presentation unit that presents the estimated activity specification information.
[Item AR2]
The information processing system according to item AR1, wherein the extraction unit extracts a character string from data including an activity amount of an activity that emits greenhouse gases.
[Item AR3]
The information processing system according to item AR2, characterized in that the information processing system identifies an amount of activity and an item related to the amount of activity from the extracted character string.
[Item AR4]
An information processing system according to item AR1, comprising a vector information storage unit that corresponds and stores first vector information, which is obtained by vectorizing the items, and the activity specification information, wherein the activity estimation unit vectorizes the received items to create second vector information, selects the first vector information according to a distance from the created second vector information, and reads out the activity specification information corresponding to the selected first vector information from the vector information storage unit.
[Item AR5]
The information processing system according to item AR4, wherein the activity estimation unit estimates the activity specification information by providing a prompt including the first and second vector information to a large-scale language model.
[Item AR6]
An information processing system according to item AR1, comprising a learning model memory unit that stores a learning model created by machine learning using the items and the activity specification information as training data, and the activity estimation unit provides the received items to the learning model to estimate the activity specification information.

<<Automatic carbon offset calculation function (45th function)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of the first to forty-fourth functions is an embodiment of the forty-fifth function, which will be described in detail below.

In recent years, businesses are being required to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by their business activities and to disclose the results of the calculation. Businesses are introducing greenhouse gas emission calculation and visualization systems as a method for calculating and visualizing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that they are emitting. Currently, greenhouse gas emission calculation and visualization systems provided as software services can calculate and visualize the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by business activities, but they do not provide reduction proposals (e.g., carbon offsets) for businesses, which are the emitters, on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on the calculation results. For this reason, after calculating and visualizing greenhouse gas emissions, businesses must collect information on what reduction proposals exist to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and this has created a problem in that it takes a lot of time and money (such as labor costs) to consider greenhouse gas emission reduction proposals. Therefore, the 45th function aims to provide a system that automatically calculates the amount of carbon offsets required by a company and the amount of carbon credits (emission rights) that can be created by the company.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 45th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (activity amount memory unit, emission amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit), an analysis unit 280, an estimation unit 270, a calculation unit 210, an execution unit 290, and an output unit 240.

The activity amount storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores the activity amount. The activity amount storage unit can store the company ID, information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), activity specification information, attribute information, and activity amount in association with each other. The time information can be set to any period such as a fiscal year, a year, a year and month, a year and month, a date, or a date and time range. The attribute information can be various items related to the activity. The activity amount storage unit collects and records the activity amount such as the amount of power generation from the user terminal 100 via the acquisition unit 250 or the input unit 220. The method of inputting the activity amount includes, but is not limited to, manual input, voice input, OCR input, and the like. The activity amount storage unit records the activity amount in a time series of activity amount. The activity amount storage unit can also store the amount of power consumption and the amount of energy consumption, but the amount of power consumption and the amount of energy consumption may be stored in a separate storage unit. The amount of activity can also be collected from an IoT system (a centralized management system for saving energy used at home called a Home Energy Management System (HEMS)) via the acquisition unit 250 and the input unit 220 to collect information about the amount of power usage, energy usage, power generation, and the like. The activity amount storage unit also has the functions described in the other functions section.

The emission amount memory constituting the memory unit 230 stores the calculated greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission amount memory can store the company ID, time information, scope, category, emission amount, activity specification information, attribute information, and activity amount in association with each other. The emission amount memory records the emission amount, which is the calculated data calculated based on the activity amount such as the power consumption amount, energy consumption amount, and power generation amount in the activity amount memory unit and the emission coefficient stored in the emission coefficient memory unit, in a chronological order. By storing the emission amount in association with the time information and information specifying the time when the activity was performed (time information), the emission amount memory can record the emission amount in a chronological order. The emission amount memory stores the period during which the business entity (e.g., the company) using the information processing system used the system and the past emission amount imported. The emission amount memory also has the functions described in the other functions. Note that the emission coefficient memory unit is a function described in the other functions, so its description is omitted.

The analysis unit 280 uses an AI-based fraud detection system to inspect the input activity amount information. The analysis unit 280 automatically checks whether the input activity amount information is fraudulent information or whether an error has occurred. The analysis unit 280 returns the inspection results to the memory unit 230. The memory unit 230 stores the inspection results. The management server 200 executes a predetermined process on the fraudulent or erroneous information in the memory unit. The predetermined process is, for example, an input error detection function that indicates an input error in the activity amount, and details will be explained in the 40th function.

The estimation unit 270 uses AI (or other logic calculations) to estimate and predict the business entity's future greenhouse gas emissions based on the recorded emission calculation data. The estimation unit 270 may also refer to information on past emissions stored in chronological order.

The calculation unit 210 includes a carbon offset amount calculation unit and a carbon credit amount calculation unit. The carbon offset amount calculation unit automatically calculates the amount of carbon offset required by the company based on the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions. For example, if the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions for the next month are greater than the emissions of the comparison target, such as the same month of the previous year, the difference between the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions and the emissions of the comparison target is set as the required carbon offset amount. The carbon credit amount calculation unit automatically calculates the amount of carbon credits that can be generated by the company (for example, the amount of renewable energy generated by the company) based on the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions. For example, if the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions for the next month are smaller than the emissions of the comparison target, such as the same month of the previous year, the difference between the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions and the emissions of the comparison target is set as the surplus carbon offset amount. The surplus carbon offset amount is the amount of carbon credits that can be generated.

When the execution unit 290 automatically calculates the amount of carbon offset required by the company based on the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions, it automatically reserves the purchase of carbon credits (emission rights) corresponding to the calculated carbon offset amount. The execution unit 290 does not purchase the carbon credits themselves corresponding to the calculated offsettable amount, but only needs to be able to purchase the amount of carbon credits corresponding to the offsettable amount. The execution unit 290 can also match the carbon credits or emission rights corresponding to the offsettable amount.

When the execution unit 290 automatically calculates the amount of carbon credits that can be generated by the company based on the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions, it automatically reserves the sale of carbon credits (emission rights) corresponding to the calculated first carbon credit amount. The execution unit 290 does not sell the carbon credits themselves corresponding to the calculated offsettable amount, but only needs to be able to sell the amount of carbon credits corresponding to the offsettable amount. The execution unit 290 can also match the carbon credits or emission rights corresponding to the offsettable amount.

The output unit 240 outputs information on the amount of offset possible to the user terminal 100. When displaying the required carbon offset amount, for example, it may display "minus 100t" or information such as "100t may be insufficient." When displaying the surplus carbon offset amount, it may display "plus 100t" or information such as "100t may be left over."

<Operation>
FIG. 72 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 45th function. The management server 200 stores the greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity in the emission storage unit (S7201). The emissions are calculated based on the amount of activity and the emission coefficient, and are stored in chronological order. Next, the management server 200 estimates the projected emissions of the business entity based on the stored emissions (S7202). Next, the management server 200 calculates the offsettable amount, which is the amount of greenhouse gas that can offset the greenhouse gas emissions based on the estimated projected emissions (S7203). Next, the management server 200 outputs the offsettable amount (S7204). The process of outputting the offsettable amount is not limited to this timing. It may be output in a later process.

Next, the management server 200 judges whether the calculated offsettable amount is a value indicating a surplus (S7205). If the calculated offsettable amount is a value indicating a surplus in S7205 (YES, when the offsettable amount is positive data), the management server 200 executes a process to sell carbon credits corresponding to the calculated offsettable amount (S7206). If the calculated offsettable amount is not a value indicating a surplus in S7205 (NO, when the offsettable amount is negative data), the management server 200 executes a process to purchase carbon credits corresponding to the calculated offsettable amount (S7207). Next, the management server 200 judges whether the above process (purchase process or sale process) is completed (S7208), and if it is judged that the process is completed (YES), it outputs information indicating that the purchase process or sale process is completed to the user terminal 100 (S7209). On the other hand, if it is judged that the process is not completed (NO), the judgment process is repeatedly executed until the process is completed, but if the process is not completed within a predetermined period, this process is terminated.

<Carbon credit purchase>
When the amount of carbon offset required by a company is automatically calculated based on predicted future greenhouse gas emissions, a purchase reservation is automatically made for carbon credits (e.g., emission rights) corresponding to the calculated first carbon offset amount, but the AI of the estimation unit 270 can estimate and predict the second carbon offset amount with a risk of loss, and the AI of the calculation unit 210 can automatically calculate the third carbon offset amount taking into account the risk of loss, and the result can be reflected in the purchase reservation.

<Carbon credit sales>
If the amount of carbon credits that the company can create (for example, the amount of renewable energy generated by the company) is automatically calculated based on the predicted future greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon credits corresponding to the calculated fourth carbon credit amount are automatically reserved for sale. However, the AI of the estimation unit 270 can estimate and predict the amount of carbon offset required by the company, and the AI of the calculation unit 210 can automatically calculate the fifth amount of carbon credits that can be put up for sale on the carbon credit market (a system for trading greenhouse gas emission rights) excluding the amount of carbon offset required by the company, and the result can be reflected in the sale reservation.

According to the information processing system of this embodiment, the amount of carbon offset required by the company is automatically calculated from the amount of activity such as the amount of electricity consumption, the amount of energy consumption, the amount of power generation, etc., so that the amount of work required to consider reduction plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced. In addition, the amount of carbon credits (emission rights) that can be generated by the company is automatically calculated from the amount of activity such as the amount of electricity consumption, the amount of energy consumption, the amount of power generation, etc., so that these can be offered on the carbon credit market as a new source of income.

The 45th function can have the following configuration:

When information such as power usage, power generation, and energy usage is acquired from HEMS, general households, companies, buildings, factories, machine tools, IoT modules, solar panels, etc. and stored in the activity amount storage unit, the management server 200 can use a fraud detection system to determine whether or not this information is fraudulent. This determination can be made by inspecting and detecting whether or not the information contains fraudulent information using AI. The result of the determination is stored in the storage unit 230 such as the activity amount storage unit. If it is determined to be fraudulent, fraud processing is performed so that the acquired information is not used in the estimation process of the predicted emission amount in the estimation unit 270, and fraud processing is also performed so that the information is not used in the automatic calculation process in the calculation unit 210. The fraud detection system is provided outside the management server 200, and can eliminate fraudulent information before various power generation amounts and the like are input to the management server 200, and only non-fraudulent information can be input into this system.

The calculation unit 210 and the estimation unit 270 can utilize past emissions stored in chronological order, as well as carbon offset certification AI and carbon offset certification logic. The calculation unit 210 and the estimation unit 270 can also be combined into one function (automatic calculation unit). The carbon offset certification AI is exemplified by the calculation unit 210 that predicts future (future) activity levels such as electricity and adjusts the value of the offsettable amount. The carbon offset certification logic is exemplified by the calculation unit 210 that uses the calculation history of past emissions.

The amount of surplus that can be offset is certified within the information processing system. For example, the selling business entity certifies internally by using the approval function of function 24 or by certifying with an electronic signature. If certified with the approval function or certified with an electronic signature, the management server 200 applies for certification to an external certification body such as a government agency. The external body certifies using an electronic signature or the like, and outputs information on the certification results to the information processing system. The management server 200 of the information processing system stores this certification result in the ledger writing system (ledger management unit including memory unit 230).

If the certification result information is only information approved and authenticated by the present information processing system, the ledger management unit stores the information in the centralized memory unit (centralized ledger) that constitutes the memory unit 230. The calculation unit 210 automatically calculates the amount that can be sold (listed) from the information stored in the centralized ledger, excluding the amount required by the company. The calculation unit 210 may be an AI-based calculation unit. On the other hand, if the certification result information includes information of other business entities other than the information approved and authenticated by the present information processing system, the ledger management unit stores the information in the distributed memory unit (distributed ledger) that constitutes the memory unit 230. Note that the centralized ledger stores information of the owner (business entity).

The calculation unit 210 automatically calculates the amount that can be sold (listed) from the information stored in the distributed ledger, excluding the amount required by the company. The calculation unit 210 may be an AI calculation unit. In this calculation, the calculation can be performed by referring to the company's emission information. The offsettable amount calculated by the calculation unit 210 is sold to the platform described in the 19th function by the execution unit 290. For example, the execution unit 290 automatically lists it on the matching PF. The distributed ledger stores information on the owners (business entity and other business entities). The offsettable amount calculated by the calculation unit 210 may be output by the execution unit 290 to the intermediary as information on the intention to sell described in the 19th function.

The decision as to whether to use the centralized ledger or the distributed ledger is made by the analysis unit 280, but a judgment unit or the like may also be provided as another function. The analysis unit 280 judges whether the information in the certification result is information only approved and authenticated by the present information processing system, and decides whether to use the centralized ledger or the distributed ledger. The judgment may be made as to whether or not the information includes information of other business entities, and if it does not include information of other business entities, the centralized ledger may be used, and if it does include information of other business entities, the distributed ledger may be used.

On the other hand, if the calculated result is the required offsettable amount, the execution unit 290 purchases the required offsettable amount for the platform. For example, the execution unit 290 reserves the purchase for the matching PF. In the purchase process, the required offsettable amount is set as a set amount in the previous stage of the purchase process, and the set amount is reflected. In addition, for example, if the data on G's business activities includes information on the business activity budget, this budget information is reflected and automatic purchase is made within the budget amount. In addition, the execution unit 290 performs a deposit process with an external institution such as a bank. For cash and credit transactions, the bank's system is used. When the external institution such as a bank confirms the deposit, it outputs information indicating that the deposit has been made to the platform. The required offsettable amount may be processed by the execution unit 290 as information on the purchase intention described in the 19th function.

The calculation unit 210 and/or the analysis unit 280 calculate the risk of loss of the carbon offset. This risk of loss can be reflected in the calculation of the offsettable amount and the purchase process, so that the offsettable amount can be purchased while taking into consideration the risk of loss. The risk of loss here is, for example, the risk that the offsettable amount to be purchased will be lost due to some cause (for example, a forest fire) before purchase. In calculating the risk of loss, the analysis unit 280 analyzes and calculates the credit score of the emission credits, which are carbon offsets being bought and sold, and compares the scores corresponding to multiple emission credits. The execution unit 290 then purchases emission credits with high scores based on the results of this comparison. In this way, emission credits with high reliability can be purchased.

When a transaction is completed, the matching PF performs the process of changing the owner. The execution unit 290 performs the process of changing the owner information in the centralized ledger or distributed ledger by overwriting it. By performing the owner change, the system can accurately manage the owner. The owner change process may be a method of rewriting the name of the carbon credits that have been bought and sold. When this method is used, the administrator of the carbon credit market performs the name change of the carbon credits that have been bought and sold on the system and notifies the owner of the carbon credits (previous owner/successive owner), making it possible to accurately manage the owner of the carbon credits.

The 45th function can be particularly combined with the 19th function. In addition, the analysis unit 280, the estimation unit 270, the calculation unit 210, the execution unit 290, and the output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 45th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AS1 (P078)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission amount memory unit that stores greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity; an estimation unit that estimates the business entity's predicted emissions (e.g., future greenhouse gas emissions) based on the stored emissions; and a calculation unit that calculates an offsettable amount (e.g., a required carbon offset amount or a surplus carbon offset amount) that can offset greenhouse gas emissions (that can be offset by emission rights) based on the estimated predicted emissions.
[Item AS2]
An information processing system according to item AS1, comprising: an execution unit capable of purchasing an amount of carbon credits corresponding to the calculated offsettable amount.
[Item AS3]
An information processing system according to item AS1, comprising: an execution unit capable of selling an amount of carbon credits corresponding to the calculated offsettable amount.

<<Numeric calculation function (46th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the embodiments of the first to forty-fifth functions described above is an embodiment of the forty-sixth function, which will be described in detail below. In the background art, emissions are calculated according to the mileage of gasoline-powered vehicles. Currently, company cars owned by companies are mainly gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles. There is an issue that it is not specified how to replace vehicles in use with other vehicles. There is also an issue that in the future, it is necessary to consider converting company-owned vehicles to EVs in order to reduce GHG emissions. The forty-sixth function aims to provide a system that can propose economic rationality when replacing vehicles in a company.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 46th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (mileage information memory unit, emission amount memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit), a calculation unit 210 (reduction value calculation unit, amount calculation unit, comparison value calculation unit), an analysis unit 280 (determination unit), and an output unit 240.

The mileage information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information on the mileage of a vehicle (e.g., a cargo vehicle). The type of vehicle is not limited to a cargo vehicle, and may be any type of vehicle, including a passenger car. The vehicle type can be determined by acquiring the information on the purpose (passenger or cargo type) of the vehicle inspection certificate described in the third function, whether the vehicle is for personal or business use (personal or business type), the shape of the vehicle body (types such as van, station wagon, etc.), and the type of fuel (types such as gasoline, diesel, etc.). In this embodiment, the type of fuel is described as the type of vehicle. The mileage information may be acquired in any way. If the information is directly input to the management server 200, acquired by OCR, etc., imported from CSV data, etc., or acquired from a GPS or IC tag, and indicates the mileage, the mileage information storage unit stores this information.

The vehicle type memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores the type of vehicle. The type of vehicle is the type of fuel, such as "gasoline," "diesel," "hydrogen," or "propane gas." Information such as the purpose information on the vehicle inspection certificate (passenger or cargo type), whether the vehicle is for personal or business use (personal or business type), and the shape of the vehicle body (van, station wagon, etc.) can also be stored as the surroundings of the vehicle. For example, multiple types can be linked and stored, such as Vehicle A Type 1: "Gasoline," Vehicle A Type 2: "Cargo," Vehicle A Type 3: "Business," and Vehicle A Type 4: "Van."

The emission amount storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores information (hereinafter referred to as emission amount information) necessary to obtain the emission amount of environmental load substances related to the product or service. The emission amount information can be, for example, the amount of carbon dioxide emission according to the distance traveled by the vehicle, or the amount of carbon dioxide emission (standard value) per unit of the vehicle (for example, 1 km or 1 m, which can be a unit of measurement of the distance traveled). The emission amount storage unit is the same storage unit as the emission amount storage unit of other functions, and may also have the same function as the emission amount information storage unit. The emission amount storage unit stores the value of the carbon dioxide emission amount (for a certain period such as monthly or annually) calculated by the calculation unit 210 for each vehicle. In this example, the monthly emission amount is calculated and stored. The emission amount storage unit stores the results of the calculation for each vehicle type. Note that, for the calculation of the carbon dioxide emission amount, an example is shown in which the fuel consumption amount x emission unit of the fuel method is used. The method of calculating carbon dioxide may be the fuel consumption method, the improved ton-kilometer method, or the conventional ton-kilometer method, instead of the fuel method.

The reduction value calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the value of the greenhouse gas reduction amount (reduction value) based on the emission amount (pre-change emission amount: first emission amount) stored in the emission amount storage unit and the emission amount after the vehicle change (post-change emission amount: second emission amount). The reduction value calculation unit calculates as "post-change emission amount" - "pre-change emission amount" = "reduction value", but it may also calculate as "pre-change emission amount" - "post-change emission amount" = "reduction value". The reduction value calculation unit can also calculate the reduction rate value (reduction value) by division instead of subtraction. In the case of division, the reduction value calculation unit calculates as "post-change emission amount" / "pre-change emission amount" = "reduction value", but it may also calculate as "pre-change emission amount" / "post-change emission amount" = "reduction value". Here, for the calculation of the post-change emission amount, the same value is used for the amount of fuel used in the pre-change emission amount, but an emission intensity unit different from the value used in the calculation of the pre-change emission amount (for example, an emission intensity unit of an EV vehicle) is used. The emissions before and after the change are each stored in the emissions storage unit. The reduction value calculation unit performs calculations for each vehicle type.

The amount calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates, for each vehicle type, the difference between the amount when using a gasoline vehicle (or a diesel vehicle) of the same size and the amount when using an EV. For example, for the first calculation, the "monthly amount when using a gasoline vehicle with a 1000cc displacement" minus the "monthly amount when using an EV vehicle with a 1000cc displacement" is calculated as the "difference", and for the second calculation, the "monthly amount when using a gasoline vehicle with a 1500cc displacement" and the "monthly amount when using an EV vehicle with a 1500cc displacement" are calculated as the "difference". Note that the difference may also be the amount of "monthly amount when using an EV vehicle with a certain displacement" minus "monthly amount when using a gasoline vehicle with a certain displacement". The amount calculation unit can also calculate the "amount ratio" of "monthly amount when using a gasoline vehicle of a certain displacement" / "monthly amount when using an EV vehicle of a certain displacement" or "monthly amount when using an EV vehicle of a certain displacement" / "monthly amount when using a gasoline vehicle of a certain displacement." The monthly amount is exemplified as the monthly gasoline cost, but it may be the annual gasoline cost or an amount for a specified period such as the monthly lease fee or annual lease fee. Note that if the vehicle is purchased, the total depreciation amount may be used instead of the lease amount.

The amount calculation unit can calculate the "insurance amount when an EV vehicle with a certain engine displacement is used" and the "insurance amount when a gasoline vehicle with a certain engine displacement is used." It can also calculate the "difference" and "amount ratio" between these amounts. Furthermore, the insurance amount for the vehicle can be included as a monthly amount. Note that the insurance amount may take into account discount amounts for each vehicle, such as EV discounts.

The comparison value calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates a comparison value for each vehicle type, which is the "difference value calculated by the amount calculation unit" / the "reduction value calculated by the reduction value calculation unit." In addition, the comparison value calculation unit calculates a comparison value for each vehicle type, which is the "amount ratio value calculated by the amount calculation unit" / the "reduction value calculated by the reduction value calculation unit."

The determination section constituting the analysis unit 280 analyzes and determines which vehicle would be most economically rational to replace with an EV or other vehicle and thus reduce GHG emissions. The analysis unit 280 determines whether the comparison value calculated by the comparison value calculation section for each vehicle is greater than specific value A, and if it is determined to be greater, it determines and identifies the vehicle as a vehicle to be replaced. Note that it may determine cases where the comparison value is smaller depending on the calculation method.

The analysis unit 280 can also determine whether the reduction value calculated by the reduction value calculation unit for each vehicle is greater than the specific value B, and if it is determined that it is greater, determine and identify the vehicle as a vehicle to be replaced. Note that it can also determine that it is smaller depending on the calculation method used.

Furthermore, the analysis unit 280 can determine whether the difference value (or the value of the amount ratio) calculated by the amount calculation unit for each vehicle is greater than the specific value C, and if it is determined that it is greater, it can determine and identify the vehicle as a vehicle to be replaced. Note that it can also determine cases where it is smaller depending on the calculation method used.

The analysis unit 280 can determine and identify the top 10 (not limited to 10) vehicles as replacement targets based on the comparison value calculated by the comparison value calculation unit, the reduction value calculated by the reduction value calculation unit, and the difference value (or amount ratio value) calculated by the amount calculation unit, or can comprehensively determine the comparison value, reduction value, and difference value (or amount ratio value) associated with each vehicle and identify the top 10 (not limited to 10) vehicles as replacement targets.

The output unit 240 outputs the comparison value calculated by the comparison value calculation unit. The output format is an example of a bar graph (horizontal axis: vehicle type, vertical axis: comparison value), but may be a line graph or may be output as a numerical value. The output unit 240 also outputs the reduction value calculated by the reduction value calculation unit. The output format is an example of a bar graph (horizontal axis: vehicle type, vertical axis: reduction value), but may be a line graph or may be output as a numerical value. The output unit 240 also outputs the difference value and/or the amount ratio value calculated by the amount calculation unit. The output format is an example of a bar graph (horizontal axis: vehicle type, vertical axis: difference value, amount ratio value), but may be a line graph or may be output as a numerical value.

The output unit 240 may output at least one of the comparison value, reduction value, and difference value, but may output multiple pieces of information. The output unit 240 also presents the total payment amount for each vehicle. The total payment amount may be the total lease payment amount. The output unit 240 also outputs the analysis results from the analysis unit 280 and solution information proposing replacing vehicles that are economically rational and capable of reducing GHG with vehicles such as EVs. Outputting information in this manner can ultimately assist in the decision-making of which vehicles to replace with vehicles such as EVs.

<Operation>
FIG. 73 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 46th function. The management server 200 stores the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the vehicle in the emission amount storage unit (S7301). The management server 200 stores the first emission amount of the greenhouse gas related to the first type of vehicle and the second emission amount of the greenhouse gas related to the second type of vehicle. The emission amount is calculated based on the activity amount and the emission coefficient, and is stored in chronological order. Next, the management server 200 calculates a reduction value based on the first emission amount and the second emission amount (S7302). Next, the management server 200 calculates the difference in the amount based on the amount of the first type of vehicle and the amount of the second type of vehicle in a predetermined period (S7303). Next, the management server 200 calculates a comparison value by comparing the difference value with the reduction value (S7304). Next, the management server 200 outputs at least one information of the comparison value among the difference value, the reduction value, and the comparison value (S7305).

The 46th function is a function that proposes which vehicle types a company should replace with vehicles with lower GHG emissions, such as EVs, based on economic rationality as follows:
(1) Determine the mileage of each type of vehicle owned by the business operator, or the amount of gasoline/diesel used.
(2) Calculate the GHG emissions for each vehicle (for a fixed period, such as monthly or annually), and then tally them up by vehicle type.
(3) Calculate the GHG reductions achieved by switching vehicles to EVs (or low-emission vehicles such as hybrid cars).
(4) For each vehicle type, calculate the difference between the monthly lease amount if the same size gasoline/diesel vehicle (ICE) is purchased and the monthly lease amount if an EV is purchased (Calculation 2).
(5) Calculate the "value of (4)" / "value of (3)" for each vehicle type. The comparison is presented in a graph. It is calculated which vehicle would be most economically rational to replace with an EV and would result in the greatest GHG reduction. The total lease payment amount for each vehicle is also presented. As a result, it is possible to assist in the decision-making process of which vehicles to switch to EVs.
(6) If you are purchasing the vehicle, you may use the total depreciation amount instead of the lease amount.

In this way, it is possible to provide solution information that takes economic rationality into account. It can also assist in decision-making regarding which vehicles to switch to, such as EVs. Furthermore, this can ultimately lead to a reduction in GHG emissions.

The analysis unit 280, calculation unit 210, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 46th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AT1 (P082)]
An information processing system comprising: an emission amount memory unit that stores a first emission amount of a greenhouse gas associated with a first type of vehicle and a second emission amount of a greenhouse gas associated with a second type of vehicle; a reduction value calculation unit that calculates a reduction value based on the first emission amount and the second emission amount; and an output unit that outputs the reduction value.
[Item AT2]
An information processing system comprising: an emission amount memory unit that stores a first amount of greenhouse gas emissions related to a first type of vehicle and a second amount of greenhouse gas emissions related to a second type of vehicle; an amount calculation unit that calculates an amount difference based on the amount spent on the first type of vehicle and the amount spent on the second type of vehicle in a specified period; and an output unit that outputs the difference.
[Item AT3]
an emission storage unit that stores a first emission amount (emission amount before the change) of greenhouse gases related to a first type of vehicle (e.g., a gasoline vehicle currently in use) and a second emission amount (emission amount after the change) of greenhouse gases related to a second type of vehicle (e.g., an EV vehicle to be replaced); and a reduction value calculation unit that calculates a reduction value (e.g., a value obtained by subtracting monthly emissions of EV vehicles from monthly emissions of gasoline vehicles) based on the first emission amount (e.g., emission amount before the change; e.g., monthly emissions of gasoline vehicles) and the second emission amount (e.g., monthly emissions of EV vehicles); An information processing system comprising: an amount calculation unit that calculates an amount difference (e.g., the annual lease amount for a gasoline vehicle minus the annual lease amount for an EV vehicle) based on an amount incurred for a first type of vehicle over a specified period (e.g., one year) (e.g., the annual lease amount for a gasoline vehicle) and an amount incurred for a second type of vehicle (e.g., the annual lease amount for an EV vehicle); a comparison value calculation unit that calculates a comparison value by comparing the value of the difference with the reduction value (e.g., the difference value/reduction value); and an output unit that outputs the comparison value.

<<Verification facilitation function (Function No. 47)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of Functions 1 to 46 will be described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 47.

In order to achieve carbon neutrality, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain is being promoted. In order to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to create a market in which decarbonized and low-carbon products (green products) are selected, and as a basis for this, the Carbon Footprint of Product (CFP), a mechanism for visualizing greenhouse gas emissions per product, is essential. CFP is a mechanism for converting the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted throughout the entire life cycle of a product or service, from raw material procurement to disposal and recycling, into CO2 and displaying it in an easy-to-understand manner on the product or service. CFP calculation (calculation of greenhouse gas emissions per product) is a method of quantitatively calculating environmental loads (such as CO2 emissions) using the LCA (life cycle assessment) method, and is generally carried out in the following steps: "Step 1: Consideration of calculation policy" → "Step 2: Setting the calculation scope" → "Step 3: CFP calculation" → "Step 4: Verification and reporting".

Currently, businesses working on CFP are required to verify whether the calculation was performed appropriately to ensure the reliability of the CFP, and are also required to report the results of the CFP calculation together with related information to the outside. Verification to ensure the reliability of the CFP includes internal verification performed by the business entity that performs the CFP calculation itself and third-party verification performed by a certification body. In many cases, third-party verification is selected, and the results of the CFP calculation are reported to the outside in a document called a CFP calculation report after this third-party verification. The CFP calculation report has 20 items to be described, assuming various readers inside and outside the company. In addition, the results, data, methods, assumptions, and interpretations must be explained in detail while ensuring transparency so that readers can understand the contents of the CFP calculation. For this reason, third-party verification checks whether there are any omissions in the items that should be described in the CFP calculation report and whether the results, data, methods, assumptions, and interpretations were appropriate. This third-party verification requires the certification body to interview the business operators who are the CFP calculation entities about each of the 20 items listed, and because the amount and type of data to be checked is huge, the verification process requires a lot of man-hours. Function 47 aims to provide a system that makes it easier to calculate and visualize greenhouse gas emissions, facilitating third-party verification of CFP calculation reports.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 for the 47th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit), an execution unit 290 (flow creation unit, authenticator setting unit, authentication path setting unit), an acquisition unit 250, a generation unit 260 (information generation unit), and an output unit 240. In addition, the software configuration includes other functions that can be combined with the 47th function.

<< Verification ease function >>
The information processing system that facilitates the calculation and visualization of greenhouse gas emissions is provided with a verification facilitation function. The verification facilitation function is composed of at least a life cycle flow function and a linking function with the greenhouse gas calculation function.

<Life cycle flow function>
The life cycle flow function is a function that draws a flow diagram of the phases (raw material procurement, production, distribution/sales, use/maintenance, disposal/recycling) of the life cycle of a product or service as a target object (target item) and selects items to be calculated. The life cycle flow is composed of the following five life cycle phases (stages), but the five stages may be changed by separating the distribution and sales stages or unifying the use/disposal stages. The five stages are in the order of (1) → (2) → (3) → (4) → (5), and the flow creation unit (execution unit 290) that creates the life cycle flow can create the flow in this order.
(1) Procurement of raw materials (2) Production (3) Distribution and sales (4) Use and maintenance (5) Disposal and recycling

Each phase can be broken down into multiple processes. The processes shown here are examples of "objects" and "steps." The flow creation unit (execution unit 290) can create a life cycle flow that includes multiple processes, with life cycle phases as major categories and processes as intermediate categories linked to the major categories.

(1) Raw material procurement can be broken down into (1-1) raw materials (process of goods) and (1-2) transportation (process of steps). If the process proceeds in the order of (1-1) raw materials → (1-2) transportation, it then moves to the (2-1) manufacturing process described below. If there are multiple raw materials, it is broken down into transportation X for raw material X and transportation Y for raw material Y. The activity amount and emission coefficient of raw materials and transportation can be stored when creating a flow. The activity amount is stored in the activity amount storage unit. The activity amount storage unit is the same as other functions, so a description will be omitted. The emission coefficient is stored in the emission coefficient storage unit. The emission coefficient storage unit is the same as other functions, so a description will be omitted.

(2) Production can be broken down into (2-1) manufacturing (process of steps), (2-1-1) packaging (process of steps), (2-2) waste (process of items), (2-3) transportation (process of steps), and (2-4) waste disposal (process of steps). The process moves in the order of (2-1) manufacturing → (2-2) waste → (2-3) transportation → (2-4) waste disposal, and the process in this flow ends with (2-4) waste disposal. In addition, if the process moves in the order of (2-1) manufacturing → (2-1-1) packaging, it then moves to the process of (3-1) transportation, which will be described later. The activity amount and emission coefficient of each process can be stored when creating a flow. The activity amount is stored in the activity amount storage unit, and the emission coefficient is stored in the emission coefficient storage unit.

(3) Distribution and sales can be broken down into (3-1) transportation (process of steps), (3-1-1) sales (process of steps), (3-1-2) waste (process of goods), (3-1-3) transportation (process of steps), and (3-1-4) waste treatment (process of steps). The process moves in the order of (3-1) transportation → (3-1-1) sales → (3-1-2) waste → (3-1-3) transportation → (3-1-4) waste treatment, and the process in this flow ends with (3-1-4) waste treatment. In addition, if the process progresses in the order of (3-1) transportation → (3-1-1) sales, it then moves to the process of (4-1) transportation, which will be described later. The activity amount and emission coefficient of each process can be stored when creating a flow. The activity amount is stored in the activity amount storage unit, and the emission coefficient is stored in the emission coefficient storage unit.

(4) Use and maintenance can be broken down into (4-1) transportation (process of steps), (4-1-1) use (process of steps), and (4-1-2) waste (process of things). The process moves in the order of (4-1) transportation → (4-1-1) use → (4-1-2) waste, and then moves to the process of (5-1) transportation, which will be described later. The activity amount and emission coefficient of each process can be stored when creating the flow. The activity amount is stored in the activity amount storage unit, and the emission coefficient is stored in the emission coefficient storage unit.

(5) Disposal and recycling can be broken down into (5-1) transportation (process of the process) and (5-2) waste treatment (process of the process). The process moves in the order of (5-1) transportation → (5-2) waste treatment, and the life cycle ends here. The activity amount and emission coefficient of each process can be stored when creating the flow. The activity amount is stored in the activity amount storage unit, and the emission coefficient is stored in the emission coefficient storage unit.

The life cycle flow is stored and saved in the storage unit 230 in this information processing system. The output unit 240 outputs information about the life cycle flow to the user terminal 100, and the user can visually confirm the flow diagram being created (created) on the user terminal 100. The flow diagram displays a diagram (image) of the life cycle phase and a diagram (image) of multiple processes displayed under the life cycle phase, but it is possible to display only the diagram of the life cycle phase or only the diagram of the process. The output unit 240 displays the names of each life cycle phase and each process that make up the flow diagram in a manner that is visible to the user, but it can also display the activity amount, emission coefficient, and emission amount so that the user can see them. It is also possible to import photo data of the product and display it on the flow diagram, and it is also possible to correspond information obtained by reading document data using OCR or information obtained by importing external data as the activity amount of the process in the flow.

<Linkage function with greenhouse gas calculation function>
As described above, since the activity amount and the emission coefficient are registered for the calculation target item for each process, it is possible to calculate the greenhouse gas emission amount. The emission calculation unit constituting the calculation unit 210 calculates the greenhouse gas emission amount related to each process based on the activity amount and the emission intensity. In addition, the emission calculation unit can calculate the greenhouse gas emission amount related to each life cycle phase based on the activity amount and the emission intensity. The activity amount of a phase of a life cycle is calculated by calculating the total activity amount of each process belonging to the life cycle phase. The emission intensity of a phase of a life cycle is calculated by calculating the average value of the emission intensity of each process belonging to the life cycle phase. The greenhouse gas emission amount related to a phase of a life cycle can also be calculated by calculating the total greenhouse gas emission amount of each process belonging to the life cycle phase. The report or database that is the basis of the data of the activity amount can be stored (or linked) in this information processing system. When automatic linkage with this information processing system is implemented, it is preferable to manage the log. In addition, the source of the emission coefficient can be stored (or linked) in the system. In addition, when restricting the display of the emission coefficient, the restriction is performed using the 21st function.

In addition, a format (e.g., questions and answer columns) is prepared for the description items 20 of the CFP calculation report, and answer information of past CFP calculation reports can be reused. The CFP calculation report can be configured as follows using the third function. An information processing system can be provided that includes: first information (e.g., CFP calculation report) including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (e.g., information on the contents to be described in the CFP calculation report); an acquisition unit 250 that acquires second information indicating the attributes of the business entity; a generation unit 260 (information generation unit) that generates third information (e.g., a new CFP calculation report, a CFP calculation report that reflects the review results) based on information related to emissions of a second business entity (another supplier) that coincides with or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and an output unit 240 (presentation unit) that outputs (presents) the third information. In this way, a CFP calculation report can be easily created.

The acquisition unit 250 acquires information related to CFP calculation as the second information. In this case, the information processing system can also be configured as follows. An information processing system can be provided that includes an acquisition unit 250 that acquires first information (e.g., a CFP calculation report) including information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (e.g., information on the contents to be described in the CFP calculation report) and second information related to CFP calculation, a generation unit 260 that generates third information (e.g., a new CFP calculation report, a CFP calculation report that reflects the review results) based on information related to emissions of a second business entity (another supplier) that coincides with or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity, and an output unit 240 (presentation unit) that outputs (presents) the third information. In this way, a CFP calculation report can be easily created.

Item 20 to be included in the CFP calculation report is as follows: The CFP calculation report must include the following second information (information related to the CFP calculation):
(1) Functional unit (unit of calculation) and declaration unit (2) System boundary (3) List of significant unit processes (4) Information on data sources and data collection (5) List of GHGs covered (6) Selected characterization factors 1
(7) The cutoff criteria selected and the items targeted for cutoff; (8) Allocation method (including whether the allocation was calculated from primary data).
(9) Timing of specific GHG emissions and removals (absorption) (if applicable)
(10) Information on the data used (including primary data rate, data selection criteria, and evaluation of data quality)
(11) Results of sensitivity analysis and uncertainty assessment (12) Treatment of electricity (including calculation of grid electricity emission factors and related constraints)
(13) Results of the interpretation (including conclusions and limitations)
(14) Explanation of disclosure and justification for value-based judgments 2
(15) Justification of the scope (functional unit, system boundary, etc.) (16) Explanation of the life cycle stages (including explanation of scenarios for the use stage and disposal/recycling stage)
(17) Evaluation of the impact on the final result if scenarios different from those used in the calculation for the use stage or the disposal/recycling stage are adopted. (18) The period covered by the CFP calculation (including the period covered by the data used).
(19) Referenced product-specific calculation rules, ? indicates other requirements (20) Explanation of performance tracking (if applicable)

The created CFP calculation report can also be linked to a third-party verification agency. The linking method can be a method of linking with the third-party verification agency's system, or a method of assigning access rights to the account of the business entity that is the CFP calculation entity to the third-party verification agency. While the authentication process is being carried out, the business entity that is the CFP calculation entity and the third-party verification agency can exchange questions on the system. The certificate issued by the third-party verification agency can also be stored in the system. If the result of the verification by the third-party verification agency is that the report has failed, the deficiencies, points of criticism, reasons for failure, etc. can also be kept as a history in the system.

The authentication path (approval path) for authenticating the third-party verification organization can be set as follows using the 24th function. The information processing system is characterized by having an authentication person setting unit (approval person setting unit) that sets an authentication person (approval person) who checks and authenticates (approves) the CFP calculation report (including the CFP calculation report as the third information generated by the information generation unit), and an authentication path setting unit (approval path setting unit) that allows multiple authentication paths (approval paths) for checking and authenticating (approving) the CFP calculation report to be set. The authentication person setting unit sets an authentication person who checks and authenticates the CFP calculation report. The authentication person is a certification organization. The authentication person setting unit sets one of multiple certification organizations such as certification organization A and certification organization B. The certification organization can be selected from the user terminal 100 of the business entity that uses the information processing system. In addition, the information processing system is provided with an access authority granting unit that grants the third-party verification organization access authority to certify the CFP calculation report. By facilitating the setting of the authentication path in this way, third-party verification of the CFP calculation report can be facilitated. In addition, the 24th function "approval" can be replaced with "authentication" and applied to this example.

<Operation>
FIG. 74 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 47th function. The management server 200 stores the activity amount related to the process of the business entity in the activity amount storage unit (S7401). Next, the management server 200 stores the emission intensity in the emission intensity storage unit (S7402). Next, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount of the process based on the activity amount and the emission intensity (S7403). When there are multiple processes, for example, when there are two processes, the management server 200 calculates the emission amount of the first process and the emission amount of the second process. Next, when a flow diagram showing the flow of the process is created, the management server 200 outputs the flow diagram so that it can be viewed on the user terminal 100 (S7404). When there are multiple processes, the flow diagram of the first process and the second process related to the first process is output in a format in which the first process and the second process are linked. Next, the management server 200 outputs the emission amount of the first process and the emission amount of the second process (S7405). The output unit 240 outputs information indicating the emission amount of the first process and the emission amount of the second process, and these values can be confirmed on the user terminal 100. In addition to the emission amount, information on the activity amount and the emission intensity may also be output. The order of S7401 to S7405 is not limited to this, and the created flow chart may be output first, and then the activity amount and the emission intensity may be stored and the emission amount may be calculated. The activity amount, the emission intensity, and the emission amount can be input by selecting a figure (an image constituting a flow chart) indicating a process on the user terminal 100. If the activity amount, the emission intensity, and the emission amount have already been input and stored, the stored values of the activity amount, the emission intensity, and the emission amount can be output to the user terminal 100 by selecting a figure indicating a process on the user terminal 100, and can be confirmed via the user terminal 100.

The 47th function includes an activity amount memory unit that stores the activity amount (e.g., the activity amount of CFP) related to the process of a business entity that is at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain, an emission intensity memory unit that stores an emission intensity for calculating the greenhouse gas emission amount (e.g., the emission amount of CFP) related to the process in the life cycle, a flow creation unit that can create a flow diagram showing the flow of a first process and a second process that is related to the first process and is connected to the first process in the life cycle, an emission calculation unit that calculates the emission amount of the first process and the emission amount of the second process based on the activity amount and the emission intensity, and an output unit that outputs the emission amount of the first process and the emission amount of the second process.

The operation of the 47th function also includes the operation shown in FIG. 8. The management server 200 acquires first information including at least information related to greenhouse gas emissions by business entities that constitute the upstream or downstream of the supply chain (S801). Next, the management server 200 acquires at least second information related to CFP calculation (S802). Next, the management server 200 stores the acquired first information and second information in the storage unit 230 (S803). Next, the management server 200 reads out second information corresponding to the first business entity from the storage unit 230 (S804). Next, the management server 200 refers to the storage unit 230 to identify a second business entity corresponding to second information that is identical or similar to the read second information (S805). Next, the management server 200 reads out information related to emissions corresponding to the identified second business entity from the storage unit 230, and generates a CFP calculation report as third information based on the read emission-related information (S806). Next, the management server 200 presents (outputs) the third information (CFP valuation report) (S807).

Furthermore, the operation of the 47th function also includes the operation shown in FIG. 38. Here, the explanation will be given by replacing "approval" shown in the figure with "authentication". The management server 200 sets and registers an authenticator who checks and authenticates the CFP calculation report (S3801). Next, the management server 200 sets and registers an authentication path that checks and authenticates the CFP calculation report (S3802). The authentication path can be set in multiple patterns. Next, the management server 200 determines whether multiple authentication paths are registered (S3803). If multiple authentication paths are registered (YES in S3803), the management server 200 allows multiple authentication paths to be selected (S3804). On the other hand, if multiple authentication paths are not registered (NO in S3803), the management server 200 allows only one registered authentication path to be selected (S3805). Next, the management server 200 sets and registers the authentication path to be forwarded based on the pressing of the authentication path registration completion button (S3806). The authentication path to be forwarded may also be set and registered based on the passage of a predetermined time. Note that if multiple authentication paths are not registered (NO in S3803), it is also possible to register the authentication path to be forwarded without making the registered authentication paths selectable.

By visualizing the greenhouse gas emission calculation results and process flow in this way, it is possible to facilitate third-party verification of the CFP calculation report. In addition, by referencing other companies' CFP calculation reports, one's own CFP calculation report can be easily created. Furthermore, by making it possible to set multiple certification routes, it is easy to set up new certification routes to be forwarded, reducing the labor required for managing the certification routes.

The execution unit 290, acquisition unit 250, generation unit 260, and output unit 240 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 47th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AU1 (P083)]
An information processing system comprising: an activity amount memory unit that stores activity amounts related to processes in the life cycle of a target item; an emission unit memory unit that stores emission units for calculating greenhouse gas emissions related to the processes in the life cycle of the target item; a flow creation unit that can create a flow diagram showing the flow of a first process and a second process that is related to (connected to or continues from) the first process; an emission calculation unit that calculates the greenhouse gas emissions related to the first process and the greenhouse gas emissions related to the second process based on the activity amount and the emission unit; and an output unit that outputs the greenhouse gas emissions related to the first process and the greenhouse gas emissions related to the second process.
[Item AU2]
An information processing system as described in item AU1, characterized in that it comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires first information (e.g., a CFP calculation report) including information related to greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., information on the contents to be included in the CFP calculation report) and second information related to the CFP calculation; a generation unit that generates a CFP calculation report based on information related to the emissions of a second business entity (another supplier) that coincides with or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and a presentation unit (output unit) that presents (outputs) the CFP calculation report.
[Item AU3]
An information processing system according to item AU2, comprising: a certifier setting unit that sets a certifier who checks and certifies the generated CFP valuation report; and a certification path setting unit that enables a plurality of certification paths to be set for checking and certifying the CFP valuation report. The information processing system also comprises an access authority granting unit that grants access authority to a third-party verification organization to certify the CFP valuation report.

<<GHG/CFP linking function (function no. 48)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-mentioned embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of Functions 1 to 47 will be described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 48.

Calculations of greenhouse gas emissions for the supply chain (supply chain emissions calculations) and calculations of greenhouse gas emissions for one's own products (CFP calculations) are being carried out. Supply chain emissions calculations are a method of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions emitted by oneself (scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions) and the greenhouse gas emissions emitted along the supply chain (scope 3 emissions). On the other hand, CFP calculations are a method of calculating the greenhouse gas emissions emitted in the process of raw material procurement, production, distribution and sales, use, maintenance, disposal and recycling on a product-by-product basis. Greenhouse gas emissions are calculated using the formula "activity amount x emissions intensity", which is common to both supply chain emissions calculations and CFP calculations. Therefore, when using the system to calculate supply chain emissions and CFP calculations, data related to the same type of activity (activity amount data) must be registered separately, resulting in duplicate registration work. As a result, there is a problem of the amount of work required to register activity amount data. Function 48 aims to provide a system that links the life cycle phases of the CFP (by product) with the scope and categories of supply chain emissions (by organization) and links emissions data between organizations and products.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 for the 48th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, classification memory unit), an execution unit 290 (management unit), and an output unit 240. In addition, the software configuration includes other functions that can be combined with the 48th function.

The information processing system of the 48th function has the life cycle flow function described in the 47th function. The life cycle flow function is a function that depicts a flow diagram of the stages, which are the phases of the life cycle of a product or service as a target object (target item), and selects items to be calculated. The life cycle flow is composed of the following five life cycle phases (stages), but in the 48th function, the distribution and sales phases are separated, the use and maintenance are separated, and the disposal and recycling are separated for explanation. The five phases are arranged in the order of (1) → (2) → (3) → (4) → (5), and the flow creation unit (execution unit 290) that creates the life cycle flow can create the flow in this order. Each life cycle can be decomposed into multiple processes (steps), but each process is explained in the 47th function, so the explanation here is omitted.
(1) Procurement of raw materials (first stage)
(2) Production (second stage)
(3) Distribution and sales (third stage)
(4) Use and maintenance (fourth stage)
(5) Disposal and recycling (fifth stage)

The life cycle flow function allows you to visually display the items to be calculated and the registered activity data by linking the life cycle flow diagram of the target item with the supply chain flow diagram. For example, the life cycle flow diagram can be displayed as the left diagram (Figure 1) and the supply chain flow diagram as the right diagram (Figure 2), allowing you to compare them with each other. Images that correspond to the life cycle phase of "raw material procurement" in CFP calculation in the life cycle flow diagram are highlighted in the flow diagram so that they are easily visible. Images that correspond to Scope 3-Category 1 [Purchased products and services] in the supply chain flow diagram are also highlighted in the flow diagram so that they are easily visible. Examples of highlighting are changing the color of the image or the type of line around the image, but the highlighting is not limited to these, and any display that is easily visible may be used. By displaying them in this way, you can check the relationship between them in a comparative state.

The emission amount memory constituting the memory unit 230 has the same functions as those described in the other functions, but the differences from the other functions will be described below. The emission amount memory unit includes a first memory unit, a second memory unit, a third memory unit, a fourth memory unit, and a fifth memory unit. The memory area of each memory unit is set within the memory area of the emission amount memory unit, but some of the memory areas may be used as overlapping areas. For example, the areas may be configured so that part of the memory area of the first memory unit overlaps with part of the memory area of the second memory unit, or part of the memory area of the third memory unit (storage area for Scope 3 Category 1) and part of the memory area of the fourth memory unit (storage area for raw material procurement) overlap. In this way, the memory area of the memory unit 230 can be saved and used.

The first memory unit is a memory unit that stores first emissions, which are emissions in scope 1 of the supply chain emissions calculation (scope 1 according to the GHG Protocol), and is a GHG emissions data input area. The first memory unit stores first emissions related to direct greenhouse gases by the business entity. The first memory unit may also be a memory unit that stores first activity information, which is activities and activity amounts related to scope 1 in the GHG Protocol.

The second memory unit is a memory unit that stores second emissions, which are emissions in scope 2 of the supply chain emissions calculation (scope 2 related to the GHG Protocol), and is a GHG emissions data input area. The second memory unit stores second emissions related to direct and/or indirect greenhouse gases by the business entity. The second memory unit may be a memory unit that stores second activity information, which is activities and activity amounts related to scope 2 in the GHG Protocol.

The third memory unit is a memory unit that stores third emissions, which are emissions in scope 3 of the supply chain emissions calculation (scope 3 according to the GHG Protocol), and is a GHG emissions data input area. The third memory unit stores third emissions related to greenhouse gases by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity. The third memory unit may be a memory unit that stores third activity information, which is activities and activity amounts related to scope 3 in the GHG Protocol.

The fourth memory unit is a memory unit that stores a fourth emission amount, which is the emission amount over the life cycle of the target item for CFP calculation. The fourth memory unit is a memory unit that stores a CFP emission amount obtained by converting the greenhouse gas emission amount emitted throughout the entire life cycle of the target item, which is a product or service, from the procurement of raw materials to disposal and recycling, into CO2. The fourth memory unit also stores a fourth emission amount related to the life cycle phase of the target item of a business entity that corresponds to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The fourth memory unit may also be a memory unit that stores fourth activity information, which is the activity or amount of activity related to the target item.

The fifth memory unit is a memory unit that stores a fifth emission amount, which is the emission amount of the target item of the environmental index, and is an environmental index data input area. The fifth memory unit is a memory unit that stores the greenhouse gas emission amount related to the target item of the environmental index, such as the target item "energy" or "water resources", converted into CO2. The fifth memory unit also stores a fifth emission amount related to each target item of the environmental index set by a business entity corresponding to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. The fifth memory unit may be a memory unit that stores fifth activity information, which is the activity or activity amount related to the activity item of the environmental index.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 is the same as the memory unit described in the other functions, so a description thereof will be omitted. Also, the emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 is the same as the memory unit described in the other functions, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The management section that constitutes the execution unit 290 manages the emission amount information stored in each memory section. Four management patterns are explained below.

(Management Pattern 1)
The management unit stores in the fourth memory unit the same information (including substantially the same information) as the emission amount information stored in the third memory unit. The management unit also stores in the fourth memory unit the same information (including substantially the same information) as the emission amount information stored in the first memory unit. The management unit also stores in the fourth memory unit the same information (including substantially the same information) as the emission amount information stored in the second memory unit. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, cooperate) the supply chain information and the life cycle information.

(Management Pattern 2)
The management unit manages the emission amount information by storing it in the memory unit so that the specified emission amount stored in the third memory unit and the specified emission amount stored in the fourth memory unit are the same. Also, the management unit manages the emission amount information by storing it in the memory unit so that the specified emission amount stored in the first memory unit and the specified emission amount stored in the fourth memory unit are the same. Also, the management unit manages the emission amount information by storing it in the memory unit so that the specified emission amount stored in the second memory unit and the specified emission amount stored in the fourth memory unit are the same. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, interlock) the supply chain information and the life cycle information.

(Management Pattern 3)
The management unit manages information on each emission amount so that, when storing a third emission amount relating to a specified classification, a fourth emission amount relating to a specified life cycle phase is stored. Moreover, when storing a first emission amount relating to a specified classification, the management unit manages information on each emission amount so that a fourth emission amount relating to a specified life cycle phase is stored. Moreover, when storing a second emission amount relating to a specified classification, the management unit manages information on each emission amount so that a fourth emission amount relating to a specified life cycle phase is stored. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, interlock) supply chain information and life cycle information.

The classification in management pattern 3 refers to the scope and/or category registered in the classification memory unit. In the case of scope 1, scope 1 is the specified classification. In the case of scope 2, scope 2 is the specified classification. In the case of scope 3, scope 3 is the specified classification. In addition, in the case of scope 3, category 1, category 2, category 3, ... and category 15 are also specified classifications. Furthermore, in the case of scope 3, category 1 of scope 3, category 2 of scope 3, category 3 of scope 3, ... and category 15 of scope 3 are also specified classifications.

(Management Pattern 4)
The management unit manages information of the predetermined classification related to the third emission amount and information of the predetermined life cycle phase related to the fourth emission amount in association with each other. The management unit also manages information of the predetermined classification related to the first emission amount and information of the predetermined life cycle phase related to the fourth emission amount in association with each other. The management unit also manages information of the predetermined classification related to the second emission amount and information of the predetermined life cycle phase related to the fourth emission amount in association with each other. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, interlock) supply chain information and life cycle information.

<Linkage between supply chain emissions and CFP>
This function links the scope and category of supply chain emissions (by organization) with the life cycle phase of the CFP for the product/service unit, enabling the linking of emissions data between organizations and products, and allocates items subject to calculation of supply chain emissions to the CFP.

(Example of Scope 3 – Category 1 and raw materials procurement)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 1 [Purchased products and services] to the life cycle phase of “Raw materials procurement” in the CFP calculation.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fourth storage unit the emissions amount (including only the emission value) of "raw material procurement", which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the emissions amount (including only the emission value) of Scope 3-Category 1, which is the emissions amount information stored in the third storage unit. The emissions amount (including only the emission value) of "raw material procurement", which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the information of the emissions amount of Scope 3-Category 1, may be stored in the fourth storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the emission information by storing in the storage unit the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 1 (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amount stored in the third storage unit and the emission amounts of "raw material procurement" (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amount stored in the fourth storage unit. The emission information may be managed by storing in the storage unit the information of a part of the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 1 and the emission amounts of "raw material procurement" so that they are the same.
(3) When storing the third emission amount related to the predetermined classification Scope 3-Category 1, the execution unit 290 manages the information of each emission amount so as to store the fourth emission amount related to the predetermined life cycle phase “Raw Material Procurement.” The timing of storing the emission amounts is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 1, which is information on a specified classification related to the third emissions, and information on “raw material procurement”, which is information on a specified life cycle phase related to the fourth emissions.

For example, when 100 tons of iron ore is purchased per year as supply chain emissions, the execution unit 290 records the emissions in Scope 3 - Category 1. By allocating these emissions by production volume, they correspond to the emissions from raw material procurement for one unit of product. In addition, the execution unit 290 can allocate the procurement volume of raw materials etc. related to product X to material units according to the number of materials in product X (CFP of material A, CFP of product B, CFP of product C). For example, if product X is made up of three materials, A, B, and C, it is possible to calculate the CFP of material A, the CFP of material B, and the CFP of material C.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 9 and distribution)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 9 [Transportation, distribution (downstream)] to the life cycle phase of “Distribution (or distribution and sales)” in CFP calculation.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fourth storage unit the "distribution" emissions (including only the emission values) which are the same information (including substantially the same information) as the Scope 3-Category 9 emissions (including only the emission values), which is the emission amount information stored in the third storage unit. The "distribution" emissions (including only the emission values) which are the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the information on the Scope 3-Category 9 emissions may be stored in the fourth storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the emission information by storing in the memory unit so that the Scope 3-Category 9 emission amount (including only the emission value) as the predetermined emission amount stored in the third memory unit and the "distribution" emission amount (including only the emission value) as the predetermined emission amount stored in the fourth memory unit are the same. The emission information may be managed by storing in the memory unit so that the information of a part of the Scope 3-Category 9 emission amount and the "distribution" emission amount are the same.
(3) When storing the third emission amount related to the predetermined classification, Scope 3-Category 9, the execution unit 290 manages the information of each emission amount so as to store the fourth emission amount related to the predetermined life cycle phase, “Distribution.” The timing of storing the emission amounts is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 9, which is information on a specified classification related to the third emissions, and information on “distribution”, which is information on a specified life cycle phase related to the fourth emissions.

(Scope 3 - Category 11 and use examples)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 11 [Use of sold products] to the life cycle phase of “Use (or “Use and maintenance”)” in CFP calculation.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fourth storage unit the emissions amount of "use" (including only the emission value), which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the emissions amount of Scope 3-Category 11 (including only the emission value), which is the emissions information stored in the third storage unit. The emissions amount of raw material procurement (including only the emission value), which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the information of a part of the emissions amount of Scope 3-Category 11, may be stored in the fourth storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the emission information by storing in the memory unit so that the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 11 (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the third memory unit and the emission amounts of "use" (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the fourth memory unit are the same. The emission information may be managed by storing in the memory unit so that the information of a portion of the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 11 and the emission amounts of "use" are the same.
(3) When storing the third emission amount related to the predetermined classification, Scope 3-Category 11, the execution unit 290 manages the information of each emission amount so as to store the fourth emission amount related to the predetermined life cycle phase, “use.” The timing of storing is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 11, which is information on a specified classification related to the third amount of emissions, and information on “use”, which is information on a specified life cycle phase related to the fourth amount of emissions.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 12 and waste)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 12 [Disposal of sold products] to the life cycle phase of "Disposal (disposal and recycling are also acceptable)" in the CFP calculation. It can also be reflected in the supply chain emissions by multiplying by the production volume of each product.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fourth storage unit the "disposal" emissions (including only the emission values), which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the Scope 3-Category 12 emissions (including only the emission values), which is the emission amount information stored in the third storage unit. The "disposal" emissions (including only the emission values), which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the information on the Scope 3-Category 12 emissions, may be stored in the fourth storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the emission information by storing in the storage unit the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 12 (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the third storage unit and the emission amounts of "disposal" (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the fourth storage unit. The emission information may be managed by storing in the storage unit the information of a portion of the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 12 and the emission amounts of "disposal" so that they are the same.
(3) When storing the third emission amount related to the predetermined classification, Scope 3-Category 12, the execution unit 290 manages the information of each emission amount so as to store the fourth emission amount related to the predetermined life cycle phase, “disposal.” The timing of storing the emission amounts is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 12, which is information on a specified classification related to the third emissions, and information on “disposal”, which is information on a specified life cycle phase related to the fourth emissions.

(Example of Scope 1, 2 and production)
The execution unit 290 links scopes 1 and 2 (direct emissions, indirect emissions) to the life cycle phase of "production" in CFP calculation.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fourth storage unit the "production" emissions (including only the emission values) which are the same information (including substantially the same information) as the Scope 1 or 2 emissions (including only the emission values), which are the emission amount information stored in the first or second storage unit. The "production" emissions (including only the emission values) which are the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the Scope 1 or 2 emission amount information may be stored in the fourth storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the emission information by storing in the storage unit the emission amounts of Scope 1 or 2 (including only the emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the third storage unit and the emission amounts of "production" (including only the emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the fourth storage unit. The emission information may be managed by storing in the storage unit the information of a part of the emission amounts of Scope 1 or 2 and the emission amounts of "production" so that they are the same.
(3) When storing the third emission amount related to the predetermined classification of Scope 1 or 2, the execution unit 290 manages the information of each emission amount so as to store the fourth emission amount related to the predetermined life cycle phase of “production.” The timing of storing the emission amounts is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 1 or 2, which is information on a specified classification relating to the third emissions, and information on “production”, which is information on a specified life cycle phase relating to the fourth emissions.

The execution unit 290 also allocates the amounts of light, water, and other energy used to manufacture product X. For example, if electricity, gas, and water are used to process product X, the CFP of electricity during processing, the CFP of gas during processing, and the CFP of water during processing can be calculated.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 4 and the "Transport" process)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 4 [Transportation, Distribution (Upstream)] to the “Transportation” process in CFP calculation.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fourth storage unit the emissions amount of "transportation" (including only the emission value), which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the emissions amount of Scope 3-Category 4 (including only the emission value), which is the emissions amount information stored in the third storage unit. The emissions amount of "transportation" (including only the emission value), which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the information of the emissions amount of Scope 3-Category 4, may be stored in the fourth storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the emission information by storing in the storage unit so that the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 4 (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the third storage unit and the emission amounts of "transportation" (including only emission values) as the predetermined emission amounts stored in the fourth storage unit are the same. The emission information may be managed by storing in the storage unit so that the information of a portion of the emission amounts of Scope 3-Category 4 and the emission amounts of "transportation" are the same.
(3) When storing the third emission amount related to the predetermined classification, Scope 3-Category 4, the execution unit 290 manages the information of each emission amount so as to store the fourth emission amount related to the predetermined life cycle phase, “Transportation.” The timing of storing the emission amounts is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 4, which is information on a specified classification related to the third emissions, and information on “Transportation”, which is information on a specified life cycle phase related to the fourth emissions.

The execution unit 290 allocates the transport distance units of the raw materials related to product X. For example, if product X is composed of three materials A, B, and C, the CFP of the transport distance of material A, the CFP of the transport distance of material B, and the CFP of the transport distance of material C can be calculated.

An example of automatically posting the emissions of a scope/category to the emissions of a CFP breakdown item has been shown, but the emissions of a CFP breakdown item can also be automatically posted to a scope/category and reflected. For example, when storing the third emissions related to Scope 3-Category 1, the information of each emission is managed so that the fourth emissions related to "Raw Material Procurement" is stored. The timing of storing the fourth emissions is determined by the user operating the "Link Button" displayed on the user terminal 100, and the information of the third emissions and the information of the fourth emissions are linked based on the operation. The emission of a CFP breakdown item is also reflected in the scope/category based on the operation of the "Link Button". Note that an example of the "Link Button" has been shown, but this is not limiting. The link function may be operated based on the storage of one of the emissions, or a recommendation such as "Do you want to link?" may be displayed to the user after the storage of one of the emissions, and the link function may be operated if the user agrees.

The execution unit 290 can also indicate which lifecycle phase of the CFP a certain scope/category corresponds to, and can also indicate which lifecycle phase a certain scope/category corresponds to.

<Operation>
FIG. 75 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 48th function. The management server 200 stores the emission amount (S7501). The management server 200 judges whether or not the supply chain emission amount is stored as the supply chain information (S7502). Next, the management server 200 checks the storage unit 230, and if the supply chain emission amount is registered (YES in S7502), it identifies the scope and the category (S7503). Note that the management server 200 identifies the category as well in the case of Scope 3, but does not identify the category in the case of Scope 1 and Scope 2 information being registered. Next, the management server 200 identifies the life cycle phase of the CFP corresponding to the scope and category identified in S7503 (S7504).

On the other hand, the management server 200 checks the memory unit 230, and if emissions related to the CFP are registered (NO in S7502), it identifies the life cycle phase of the CFP (S7505). Next, the management server 200 identifies the scope and category corresponding to the life cycle phase of the CFP identified in S7505 (S7506).

Next, if the data has passed through S7503 and S7504, the management server 200 manages the information on the life cycle phase, which is life cycle information, by associating it with the information on the scope and category, which is supply chain information (S7507). On the other hand, if the data has passed through S7505 and S7506, the management server 200 manages the information on the life cycle phase, which is life cycle information, by associating it with the information on the scope and category, which is supply chain information (S7507). The four patterns mentioned above are given as examples of management in association.

Note that, although an example has been given in which input of either supply chain emissions or CFP information in S7501 links to the other information, by inputting an item in S7501 that is a higher-level concept of supply chain emissions or CFP, "greenhouse gas emissions without specifying supply chain emissions or CFP," it is also possible to branch processing to S7503 and S7505 without executing S7502, thereby reflecting both supply chain emissions and CFP information.

In addition, by inputting the activity amount (e.g., supply chain activity amount or CFP-related activity amount) in S7501, processing may be branched to S7503 and S7505 without executing S7502, so that information on both the supply chain activity amount and the CFP-related activity amount is reflected. Based on the reflected activity amount, the emissions may be calculated by multiplying the emission coefficient for that activity, so that information on both the supply chain emissions and the CFP-related emissions is reflected.

In addition, by inputting the activity amount (e.g., supply chain activity amount or CFP-related activity amount) in S7501, the processes of S7503 and S7504 may be executed without executing S7502, and then the processes of S7505 and S7506 may be executed, so that information on both the supply chain activity amount and the CFP-related activity amount is reflected. Note that the processes of S7505-S7506 may be executed before the processes of S7503-S7504 are executed. Note that, based on the reflection of the activity amount, the emissions may be calculated by multiplying by the emission coefficient for that activity, so that information on both the supply chain emissions and the CFP-related emissions are reflected.

In addition, the emissions of a scope/category are matched to the emissions of a CFP breakdown item, but the activity volume of a scope/category can also be matched to the activity volume of a CFP breakdown item.

The operation of function 48 also includes the operations shown in Figures 74, 8, and 38. By visualizing the greenhouse gas emission calculation results and process flow in this way, it is possible to facilitate third-party verification of the CFP calculation report. Also, by referring to other companies' CFP calculation reports, a company's own CFP calculation report can be easily created. Furthermore, by making it possible to set multiple certification routes, a new certification route to be forwarded can be easily set, reducing the labor required for managing the certification routes.

Furthermore, when the scope (including category) or life cycle phase cannot be identified due to unclear items related to the registered activity amount, the ninth function can be used. An information processing system can be provided that includes an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit) that accepts input of the activity amount and items related to the activity amount related to the activity that emits greenhouse gases, an estimation unit 270 that estimates an emission coefficient by machine learning based on the items related to the activity amount, and an emission coefficient presentation unit that presents the estimated emission coefficient.

The execution unit 290, acquisition unit 250, generation unit 260, output unit 240, input unit 220, and estimation unit 270 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 48th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AV1 (Management Pattern 4: P084)]
An information processing system comprising: an emissions memory unit capable of storing a first amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a second amount of indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a third amount of greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, and a fourth amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle (of a target item of a business entity that is at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain); and a management unit that manages a predetermined classification related to the third emissions in association with a predetermined life cycle stage related to the fourth emissions.
[Item AV2-1]
An information processing system according to item AV1, comprising: an activity amount memory unit that stores an activity amount related to a predetermined life cycle stage; an emission intensity memory unit that stores an emission intensity for calculating greenhouse gas emissions related to the stage; a flow creation unit that can create a flow diagram showing a flow of a first stage and a second stage related to the first stage; an emission calculation unit that calculates the greenhouse gas emissions related to the first stage and the greenhouse gas emissions related to the second stage based on the activity amount and the emission intensity; and an output unit that outputs the greenhouse gas emissions related to the first stage and the greenhouse gas emissions related to the second stage.
[Item AV2-2]
An information processing system according to item AV1, comprising: an activity amount memory unit that stores an activity amount related to a process at a specified life cycle stage; an emission unit memory unit that stores an emission unit for calculating an amount of greenhouse gas emission related to the process; a flow creation unit that can create a flow diagram showing a flow of a first process and a second process related to the first process; an emission calculation unit that calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emission related to the first process and the amount of greenhouse gas emission related to the second process based on the activity amount and the emission unit; and an output unit that outputs the amount of greenhouse gas emission related to the first process and the amount of greenhouse gas emission related to the second process.
[Item AV3]
An information processing system as described in item AV1, characterized in that it comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires first information (e.g., a CFP calculation report) including information related to greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., information on the contents to be included in the CFP calculation report) and second information related to the CFP calculation; a generation unit that generates a CFP calculation report based on information related to the emissions of a second business entity (another supplier) that coincides with or is similar to the second information corresponding to the first business entity; and an output unit that outputs the CFP calculation report.
[Item AV4]
An information processing system according to item AV3, comprising: a certifier setting unit for setting a certifier who checks and certifies the generated CFP valuation report; and a certification path setting unit for enabling a plurality of certification paths to be set for checking and certifying the CFP valuation report. The information processing system also comprises an access authority granting unit for granting access authority to a third-party verification organization to certify the CFP valuation report.
[Item AV5 (Management Pattern 1)]
An information processing system comprising a first memory unit storing a first amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a second memory unit storing a second amount of indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a third memory unit storing a third amount of greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity, and a fourth memory unit storing a fourth amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle (of a target item of a business entity that is at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain), wherein the information processing system stores the same information as the emission information stored in the third memory unit in the fourth memory unit.
[Item AV6 (Management Pattern 2)]
An information processing system comprising a first memory unit storing a first amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a second memory unit storing a second amount of indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a third memory unit storing a third amount of greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity, and a fourth memory unit storing a fourth amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle (of a target item of a business entity that is at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain), wherein the specified emission amount stored in the third memory unit is the same as the specified emission amount stored in the fourth memory unit.
[Item AV7 (Management Pattern 3)]
An information processing system comprising: an emissions memory unit capable of storing a first amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a second amount of indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a third amount of greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, and a fourth amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle (of a target item of a business entity that is at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain), and when storing the third amount of emissions relating to a specified classification, storing the fourth amount of emissions relating to a specified life cycle stage.

<<GHG/environmental indicator linking function (function no. 49)>>
Next, although some of the configurations have been described in the above-described embodiments, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-described embodiments of Functions 1 to 48 will be described in detail below as an embodiment of Function 49.

Users of supply chain emissions (hereinafter, GHG emissions) calculation and visualization systems want to manage GHG emissions and activity amounts (amounts related to the scale of a business's activities, such as amounts grasped by the business through fuel consumption and energy consumption). In conventional GHG emissions calculation and visualization systems, an area for inputting data related to GHG emissions (hereinafter, GHG emissions data input area) and an area for inputting data related to environmental indicators (hereinafter, environmental indicator data input area) are separated. The reason for this is that the GHG emissions data input area is intended to be used for calculating and visualizing GHG emissions, and the environmental indicator data input area is intended to be used for visualizing activity amounts. When calculating GHG emissions, activity content data and activity amount data are input (or imported) into the GHG emissions data input area. On the other hand, when visualizing environmental indicators, the same activity content data and activity amount data input (or imported) into the GHG emissions data input area are re-input (or imported). Because the data input areas are separated in this way, the same data must be input (or imported) twice, making data input (or import) time-consuming. Function No. 49 aims to provide a system that can link the GHG emission data input area with the environmental indicator data input area, reducing the amount of data input (or import) required to calculate and visualize GHG emissions and activity levels. It also aims to provide a system that can appropriately manage GHG emissions and activity levels, respectively.

First, the definition of the environmental index will be explained. The environmental index is a measure that expresses the load related to various environmental problems. The environmental index is also a measure that quantitatively evaluates the various interests that changes in the environmental state caused by the natural environment bring to human life and survival. The environmental index is also a measure that quantitatively evaluates the various interests that changes in the environmental state caused by artificial or natural causes bring to human life and survival. In this information processing system, various item names can be set for the environmental index. For example, the item names (1) to (15) described in the 13th function and the 34th function. In addition, the item name "(1) Greenhouse gas emission index related to climate change" can be changed to "Energy", and "(10) Water resource utilization intensity related to water resources (collection fee/available resource amount)" and "(12) Fish catch volume related to fishery resources" can be collectively changed to "Water resources". This change can be set by a user with administrator authority. The administrator is, for example, the head office or parent company, and can change the item name by the user terminal 100 used by the administrator.

<System Overview>
The information processing system of this embodiment includes a management server 200. The management server 200 is communicably connected to the user terminal 100 via a communication network.

An example of the software configuration of the management server 200 for the 49th function will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The management server 200 includes a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, classification memory unit), an execution unit 290 (management unit), and an output unit 240. In addition, the software configuration includes other functions that can be combined with the 49th function.

The activity amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 includes a first activity memory unit, a second activity memory unit, a third activity memory unit, a fourth activity memory unit, and a fifth activity memory unit. The memory area (data input area) of each memory unit is set within the memory area of the activity amount memory unit, but some of the memory areas may be used as overlapping areas. For example, an area may be configured such that a part of the memory area of the first activity memory unit overlaps with a part of the memory area of the second activity memory unit, or an area may be configured such that a part of the memory area of the third activity memory unit (scope 3 category 1 memory area) overlaps with a part of the memory area of the fifth activity memory unit (energy memory area). In this way, the memory area of the memory unit 230 can be saved and used.

The first activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores a first activity amount (a numerical value of a first activity) which is an activity amount of Scope 1 (Scope 1 related to the GHG Protocol) of the supply chain emission calculation, and is a GHG emission data input area. The first activity memory unit stores a first activity amount related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity. The first activity memory unit may be a memory unit that stores first activity information which is an activity or activity amount related to Scope 1 in the GHG Protocol.

The second activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores a second activity amount (a numerical value of a second activity) which is an activity amount of Scope 2 (Scope 2 related to the GHG Protocol) of the supply chain emission calculation, and is a GHG emission data input area. The second activity memory unit stores a second activity amount related to direct and/or indirect greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity. The second activity memory unit may be a memory unit that stores second activity information which is an activity or activity amount related to Scope 2 in the GHG Protocol.

The third activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores a third activity amount (a numerical value of a third activity) which is the activity amount of Scope 3 (Scope 3 related to the GHG Protocol) of the supply chain emission calculation, and is a GHG emission data input area. The third activity memory unit stores a third activity amount related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the supply chain of the business entity. The third activity memory unit may be a memory unit that stores third activity information which is an activity or activity amount related to Scope 3 in the GHG Protocol.

The fourth activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores a fourth activity amount (fourth activity value), which is the amount of activity in the life cycle of the target item for CFP calculation. The fourth activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores the activity amount related to greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire life cycle of the target item, which is a product or service, from raw material procurement to disposal and recycling. The fourth activity memory unit can also store a fourth activity amount related to the life cycle phase of the target item of a business entity that is at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain. The fourth activity memory unit may be a memory unit that stores fourth activity information, which is the activity or activity amount related to the target item.

The fifth activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores the fifth activity numerical value (fifth activity amount and fifth usage amount) which is the activity amount and usage amount of the target item of the environmental index, and is an environmental index data input area. The fifth activity memory unit is a memory unit that stores the activity amount (in the case of energy) and usage amount (in the case of water resources) related to the target item of the environmental index, such as the target item "energy" and "water resources". In addition, the fifth activity memory unit stores the fifth numerical value such as the activity amount and usage amount related to each target item of the environmental index set by the business entity corresponding to at least one of the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. In addition, the fifth activity memory unit may be a memory unit that stores the fifth activity information which is the activity (including usage) and activity amount (usage amount) related to the activity item of the environmental index.

The emission amount memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 is the same as the memory unit described in the other functions (particularly the 48th function), so a description thereof will be omitted. Also, the emission coefficient memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 is the same as the memory unit described in the other functions, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The management section constituting the execution section 290 manages the information on the amount of activity stored in each memory section. Four management patterns are explained below. Note that hereafter, the description of the amount of activity stored in the fifth activity memory section refers to the numerical value of the fifth activity as the amount of activity, amount of use, amount of input, amount of generation, amount of output, or amount of waste.

(Management Pattern 1)
The management unit stores in the fifth activity memory unit the same information (including substantially the same information) as the activity amount information stored in the third activity memory unit. The management unit also stores in the fifth activity memory unit the same information (including substantially the same information) as the activity amount information stored in the first activity memory unit. The management unit also stores in the fifth activity memory unit the same information (including substantially the same information) as the activity amount information stored in the second activity memory unit. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, link) the supply chain information and the environmental index information.

(Management Pattern 2)
The management unit manages the information on the activity amount by storing it in the memory unit such that the predetermined activity amount stored in the third activity memory unit and the predetermined activity amount stored in the fifth activity memory unit are the same. Also, the management unit manages the information on the activity amount by storing it in the memory unit such that the predetermined activity stored in the first activity memory unit and the predetermined activity amount stored in the fifth activity memory unit are the same. Also, the management unit manages the information on the activity amount by storing it in the memory unit such that the predetermined activity amount stored in the second activity memory unit and the predetermined activity amount stored in the fifth activity memory unit are the same. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, interlock) the supply chain information and the environmental index information.

(Management Pattern 3)
The management unit manages information on each activity amount so that, when storing a third activity amount related to a predetermined classification, a fifth activity amount related to a predetermined environmental index item is stored. Furthermore, when storing a first activity amount related to a predetermined classification, the management unit manages information on each activity amount so that a fifth activity amount related to a predetermined environmental index item is stored. Furthermore, when storing a second activity amount related to a predetermined classification, the management unit manages information on each activity amount so that a fifth activity amount related to a predetermined environmental index item is stored. In this way, the execution unit 290 can link (link, interlock) supply chain information and environmental index information.

The classification in management pattern 3 refers to the scope and/or category registered in the classification memory unit. In the case of scope 1, scope 1 is the specified classification. In the case of scope 2, scope 2 is the specified classification. In the case of scope 3, scope 3 is the specified classification. In addition, in the case of scope 3, category 1, category 2, category 3, ... and category 15 are also specified classifications. Furthermore, in the case of scope 3, category 1 of scope 3, category 2 of scope 3, category 3 of scope 3, ... and category 15 of scope 3 are also specified classifications.

(Management Pattern 4)
The management unit manages information of the predetermined classification related to the third activity amount and information of the predetermined environmental index item related to the fifth activity amount in association with each other. Moreover, the management unit manages information of the predetermined classification related to the first activity amount and information of the predetermined environmental index item related to the fifth activity amount in association with each other. Moreover, the management unit manages information of the predetermined classification related to the second activity amount and information of the predetermined environmental index item related to the fifth activity amount in association with each other. In this way, the execution unit 290 can associate (link, cooperate) supply chain information and environmental index information.

<Linking supply chain activity data with environmental indicator activity data>
This function links the scope and category of supply chain emissions (by organization) with the target items of environmental indicators, and realizes the linking of activity amount data and emission data between organizations and environmental indicators, and allocates the activity amount of the calculation target items of supply chain emissions to the activity amount of the target items of environmental indicators. Note that after inputting the activity amount, it can also be used as a function to allocate the emission amount of the calculation target items of supply chain emissions to the emission amount of the target items of environmental indicators.

(Scope 3 - Category 1 and Energy example)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 1 [Purchased products and services] to the environmental indicator item of "Energy" in the environmental indicators.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fifth activity storage unit the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "energy", which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of Scope 3-Category 1, which is the activity amount information stored in the third activity storage unit. The activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "energy", which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the activity amount information of Scope 3-Category 1, may be stored in the fifth activity storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the information on the activity amount by storing in the storage unit such that the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of Scope 3-Category 1 as the predetermined activity amount stored in the third activity storage unit and the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "energy" as the predetermined activity amount stored in the fifth activity storage unit are identical. The information on the activity amount may be managed by storing in the storage unit such that part of the information on the activity amount of Scope 3-Category 1 and the activity amount of "energy" are identical.
(3) When storing a third activity amount related to Scope 3-Category 1, which is a predetermined classification, the execution unit 290 manages information on each activity amount so as to store a fifth activity amount related to “energy”, which is a predetermined environmental index item. The timing of storing is not limited to the same timing and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 1, which is information on a predetermined classification related to the third amount of activity, and information on “energy”, which is information on a predetermined environmental indicator item related to the fifth amount of activity.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 9 and Energy)
As in the above-mentioned "Example of Scope 3-Category 1 and Energy," the execution unit 290 associates Scope 3-Category 9 [Transportation, Distribution (Downstream)] with the environmental indicator item of "Energy" in the environmental indicators.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 11 and Energy)
As in the above-mentioned "Example of Scope 3-Category 1 and Energy," the execution unit 290 associates Scope 3-Category 11 [Use of sold products] with the "Energy" environmental indicator item in the environmental indicators.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 4 and Energy)
As in the above-mentioned "Example of Scope 3-Category 1 and Energy," the execution unit 290 associates Scope 3-Category 4 [Transportation, distribution (upstream)] with the "Energy" environmental indicator item in the environmental indicators.

(Example of Scope 3 - Category 12 and waste)
The execution unit 290 links Scope 3-Category 12 [Disposal of sold products] to the environmental indicator item of "Waste" in the environmental indicators.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fifth activity storage unit the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "waste", which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of Scope 3-Category 12, which is the activity amount information stored in the third activity storage unit. The activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "waste", which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as part of the activity amount information of Scope 3-Category 12, may be stored in the fifth activity storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the information on the activity amount by storing in the storage unit the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of Scope 3-Category 12 as the predetermined activity amount stored in the third activity storage unit and the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "waste" as the predetermined activity amount stored in the fifth activity storage unit. The information on the activity amount may be managed by storing in the storage unit a part of the information on the activity amount of Scope 3-Category 12 and the activity amount of "waste" so that they are the same.
(3) When storing the third activity amount related to Scope 3-Category 12, which is a predetermined classification, the execution unit 290 manages information on each activity amount so as to store the fifth activity amount related to “waste”, which is a predetermined environmental indicator item. The timing of storing is not limited to the same timing, and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 3-Category 12, which is information on a predetermined classification related to the third amount of activity, and information on “waste”, which is information on a predetermined environmental indicator item related to the fifth amount of activity.

(Example of Scope 1, 2 and energy)
The execution unit 290 associates scopes 1 and 2 (direct emissions, indirect emissions) with the environmental indicator item "energy" in the environmental indicators.
(1) The execution unit 290 stores in the fifth activity storage unit the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "energy" which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of scope 1 or 2 which is information of the activity amount stored in the first or second activity storage unit. The activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of "energy" which is the same information (including substantially the same information) as a part of the information of the activity amount of scope 1 or 2 may be stored in the fifth activity storage unit.
(2) The execution unit 290 manages the information on the activity amount by storing in the storage unit such that the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of the scope 1 or 2 as the predetermined activity amount stored in the third activity storage unit and the activity amount (including only the activity amount value) of the "energy" as the predetermined activity amount stored in the fifth activity storage unit are identical. The information on the activity amount may be managed by storing in the storage unit such that part of the information on the activity amount of the scope 1 or 2 and the activity amount of the "energy" are identical.
(3) When storing the third activity amount related to the predetermined classification of scope 1 or 2, the execution unit 290 manages information on each activity amount so as to store the fifth activity amount related to “energy”, which is a predetermined environmental index item. The timing of storing is not limited to the same timing and may be different timings.
(4) The execution unit 290 manages, in association with each other, information on Scope 1 or 2, which is information on a predetermined classification related to the third amount of activity, and information on “energy”, which is information on a predetermined environmental indicator item related to the fifth amount of activity.

Although an example of automatically categorizing the activity amount of a scope/category to the activity amount of a subitem of an environmental index has been shown, the activity amount of a subitem of an environmental index can also be automatically categorized to a scope/category and reflected. For example, when storing the third activity amount related to scope 3-category 1, the information of each activity amount is managed so that the fifth activity amount related to "energy" is stored. The timing of storing the fifth activity amount is configured such that the user operates the "link button" displayed on the user terminal 100, and the information of the third activity amount and the information of the fifth activity amount are linked based on the operation. The case of reflecting the activity amount of the subitem of an environmental index to a scope/category is also performed based on the operation of the "link button". Note that, although an example of the "link button" has been shown, this is not limiting, and the link function may be operated based on the storage of one activity amount, or a recommendation such as "Do you want to link?" may be displayed to the user after the storage of one activity amount, and the link function may be operated if the user agrees.

The execution unit 290 can also indicate which environmental index item a certain scope/category corresponds to, and can also indicate which environmental index item corresponds to which scope/category.

<Operation>
FIG. 76 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the 49th function. The management server 200 stores the amount of activity (S7601). The management server 200 judges whether or not the amount of supply chain activity as information on the supply chain is stored (S7602). In detail, it judges whether or not the amount of activity for scopes 1 to 3 is stored. Next, the management server 200 checks the storage unit 230, and if the amount of supply chain activity is registered (YES in S7602), it identifies the scope and category (S7603). Note that the management server 200 identifies the category as well in the case of scope 3, but does not identify the category when information on scopes 1 and 2 is registered. Next, the management server 200 identifies the target item of the environmental indicator corresponding to the scope and category identified in S7603 (S7604).

On the other hand, the management server 200 checks the memory unit 230, and if a numerical value related to an environmental indicator (e.g., a value of an activity amount, a usage amount, an input amount, an amount generated, an output amount, or a waste amount) is registered (NO in S7602), it identifies the target item of the environmental indicator (S7605). Next, the management server 200 identifies the scope and category corresponding to the target item of the environmental indicator identified in S7605 (S7606).

Next, if the data has passed through S7603 and S7604, the management server 200 manages the information on the environmental indicator items by linking them to the information on the scope and category, which is information on the supply chain (S7607). On the other hand, if the data has passed through S7605 and S7606, the management server 200 manages the information on the environmental indicator items by linking them to the information on the scope and category, which is information on the supply chain (S7607). The four patterns mentioned above are given as examples of management of linkages.

Note that, although an example has been shown in which information on either supply chain activity amount or activity amount related to an environmental indicator is input in S7601 to link it to information on the other, by inputting an item "activity amount without specifying a numerical value related to supply chain activity amount or environmental indicator," which is a higher-level concept of activity amount related to supply chain activity amount or environmental indicator, in S7601, processing may be branched to S7603 and S7605 without executing S7602, so that information on both supply chain activity amount and activity amount related to an environmental indicator (which may be amount of use, input, generation, emission, or waste) is reflected. Note that, based on the reflection of the activity amount, the emission amount may be calculated by multiplying it by the emission coefficient for that activity, so that information on both supply chain emission amount and emission amount related to an environmental indicator is reflected.

Note that in S7601, an example has been shown in which information on either the supply chain activity amount or the activity amount related to an environmental indicator is input to link it to information on the other. However, since "activity amount that does not specify the supply chain activity amount or the numerical value related to an environmental indicator or the activity amount related to a CFP," which is a higher-level concept of the supply chain activity amount, the activity amount related to an environmental indicator, and the activity amount related to a CFP, has already been input (registered), the process may be branched to S7603 (S7503) and S7605 (S7505) without executing S7602 (S7502 in the case of FIG. 75), so that the information on the supply chain activity amount and the activity amount related to an environmental indicator (which may be the amount of use, input, generation, discharge, or waste) and the activity amount related to a CFP are reflected. Note that it is sufficient that at least one of the three activity amounts is reflected.

For example, if a parent company or the top-level group company inputs a specific activity amount, the supply chain activity amount of subsidiaries and group companies related to the specific activity amount, the activity amount related to environmental indicators, and the activity amount related to CFP are automatically input. Specific activity amounts are activity amounts that only need to be registered between the top-level company (e.g., parent company) and its lower-level companies (e.g., subsidiaries). In addition, if an electric power company inputs activity amounts, the activity amounts of companies that use that electric power company (not necessarily all three activity amounts) may be reflected.

The management unit stores in the storage unit at least one of the values of the first activity, the second activity, the third activity, and the environmental index of the business entity based on the input of the specific activity amount by the other business entity. Note that all the values may be stored.
In this way, the activity amounts of the top companies can be reflected in the storage unit of the business entity's information processing system simply by logging in to the information processing system. Based on the reflected activity amount, the amount of emissions may be calculated by multiplying the emission coefficient for that activity, so that information on both the supply chain emissions and the emissions related to the environmental indicators is reflected.

In addition, by inputting the amount of emissions (e.g., supply chain emissions or emissions related to environmental indicators) in S7601, processing may be branched to S7603 and S7605 without executing S7602, so that information on both supply chain emissions and emissions related to environmental indicators is reflected.

In addition, by inputting the activity amount (for example, the supply chain activity amount or the activity amount related to the environmental indicator) in S7601, the processes of S7603 and S7604 may be executed without executing S7602, and then the processes of S7605 and S7606 may be executed, so that information on both the supply chain activity amount and the activity amount related to the environmental indicator is reflected. Note that the processes of S7605-S7606 may be executed before the processes of S7603-S7604 are executed. Note that, based on the reflection of the activity amount, the emissions may be calculated by multiplying by the emission coefficient for that activity, so that information on both the supply chain emissions and the emissions related to the environmental indicator are reflected.

In addition, while the activity amount of the scope/category is configured to correspond to the activity amount of the breakdown item of the environmental indicator, it is also possible to configure it so that the emission amount of the scope/category corresponds to the emission amount of the breakdown item of the environmental indicator.

The operation of the 49th function can also be combined with the 48th function. In this way, the activity amount of the supply chain, the activity amount of the CFP, and the activity amount of the environmental indicator can be managed in a linked manner. Furthermore, the emission amount of the supply chain, the emission amount of the CFP, and the emission amount of the environmental indicator can be managed in a linked manner. The 48th function also includes the operations shown in FIG. 74, FIG. 8, and FIG. 38. By visualizing the calculation results and process flow of greenhouse gas emissions in this way, the work of third-party verification of the CFP calculation report can be facilitated. In addition, the company's own CFP calculation report can be easily created by referring to the CFP calculation report of another company. Furthermore, by making it possible to set multiple authentication routes, it is possible to easily set a new authentication route to be forwarded, and the labor required for managing the authentication route can be reduced.

In addition, the ninth function can also be used when the scope (including category) or environmental indicator item cannot be specified due to unclear items related to the registered activity amount. For example, a storage unit capable of storing a numerical value of a first activity related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a numerical value of a second activity related to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a numerical value of a third activity related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, and numerical values related to the environmental indicators, a management unit that manages a predetermined classification related to the first activity, the second activity, and/or the third activity in association with a predetermined item related to the environmental indicators, an emission coefficient storage unit that stores an emission coefficient for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, and a numerical value related to the activities that emit greenhouse gases. It is possible to provide an information processing system that includes an input unit 220 (activity amount input unit) that accepts input of activity amount and items related to the activity amount (environmental index items), an estimation unit 270 that estimates an emission coefficient by machine learning based on the items related to the activity amount, an emission coefficient presentation unit that presents the estimated emission coefficient, a calculation unit that can calculate the third emission amount and the fifth emission amount based on the estimated emission coefficient and the activity amount (can also calculate the first emission amount and the second emission amount), and a management unit that manages the emission amount of a specified classification related to the third emission amount and the emission amount of a specified environmental index item related to the fifth emission amount in association with each other.

The 49th function is a function that links the GHG emission data input area and the environmental indicator data input area. When activity content data and activity amount data are input (or imported) to calculate GHG emissions, these data are flowed into the area for inputting data related to environmental indicators, and the same values are registered. A template is registered in advance, and when data for a specific item (for example, activity amount) is imported, data (for example, information such as activity amount and emission amount) is registered for both GHG emissions and environmental indicators. When data registered in the environmental indicator data input area (for example, activity amount for an energy item) is updated, the activity amount data for the same item registered in the GHG emission data input area is automatically updated. Data such as activity amount and emission amount are not linked to specific environmental items that are not related to GHG emissions (for example, items for environmental indicators that do not emit GHG).

The calculation flow for function 49 consists of the following steps. In the first step, environmental indicator data is input (or imported) into the environmental indicator data input area. In the second step, of the environmental indicator data input (or imported) into the environmental indicator data input area, the data necessary for calculating GHG emissions is reflected in the GHG emission data input area. In the third step, GHG emissions are calculated based on the data reflected in the GHG emission data input area.

Function No. 49 also provides an area for registering the number of products produced, and by linking this area with the GHG emission data input area, it has an additional function that allows a business to calculate its own emission unit based on the GHG emission amount and the number of products produced.

The execution unit 290, acquisition unit 250, generation unit 260, output unit 240, input unit 220, and estimation unit 270 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that learns by itself.

<Disclosures>
The 49th function also includes the following configuration:
[Item AW1 (Management Pattern 4: P096)]
an information processing system comprising: a memory unit (activity amount memory unit) capable of storing a numerical value of a first activity (Scope 1) related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a numerical value of a second activity (Scope 2) related to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a numerical value of a third activity (Scope 3) related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, a numerical value of a fourth activity (CFP) related to greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle, and numerical values related to environmental indicators (activity amount, usage amount, input amount, generation amount, emission amount, and waste amount of environmental indicators); and a management unit that, when any numerical value of the first activity, the numerical value of the second activity, the numerical value of the third activity, and the numerical value related to the environmental indicators is stored, manages a predetermined classification related to the first activity, the second activity, and/or the third activity in association with a predetermined item related to the environmental indicator.
[Item AW2]
An information processing system according to item AW1, characterized in that, based on input of a specific amount of activity, at least one of a numerical value of the first activity, a numerical value of the second activity, a numerical value of the third activity, and a numerical value related to the environmental index is stored in the memory unit.
[Item AW3 (Management Pattern 1)]
An information processing system comprising: a first activity memory unit storing numerical values of a first activity (Scope 1) related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity; a second activity memory unit storing numerical values of a second activity (Scope 2) related to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity; a third activity memory unit storing numerical values of a third activity (Scope 3) related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain; a fourth activity memory unit storing numerical values of a fourth activity (CFP) related to greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle; and a fifth activity memory unit storing numerical values related to environmental indicators (of target items of business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain), wherein the information on the amount of activity stored in the third activity memory unit is stored in the fifth activity memory unit.
[Item AW4 (Management Pattern 2)]
An information processing system comprising: a first activity memory unit storing numerical values of a first activity (Scope 1) related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity; a second activity memory unit storing numerical values of a second activity (Scope 2) related to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity; a third activity memory unit storing numerical values of a third activity (Scope 3) related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain; a fourth activity memory unit storing numerical values of a fourth activity (CFP) related to greenhouse gas emissions over its life cycle; and a fifth activity memory unit storing numerical values related to environmental indicators (of target items of business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain), wherein a predetermined activity amount stored in the third activity memory unit and a predetermined numerical value (activity amount) stored in the fifth activity memory unit are the same.
[Item AW5 (Management Pattern 3)]
An information processing system comprising: a memory unit (activity amount memory unit) capable of storing numerical values for a first activity (scope 1) relating to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a numerical value for a second activity (scope 2) relating to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a numerical value for a third activity (scope 3) relating to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, a numerical value for a fourth activity (CFP) relating to greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle, and numerical values relating to environmental indicators (of target items of business entities that are at least either upstream or downstream in the supply chain), and when storing the third activity amount relating to a specified classification, storing a fifth activity amount relating to a specified environmental indicator item.
[Item AW6]
An information processing method (a program for causing a computer to execute the method), characterized in that a computer executes the following steps: storing at least one numerical value of a first activity related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a second activity related to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a third activity related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, and an environmental indicator; and when any numerical value of the first activity, the second activity, the third activity, and the environmental indicator has been stored, managing a predetermined classification related to the first activity, the second activity, and/or the third activity in association with a predetermined item related to the environmental indicator.

<<Environmental indicator template function (50th function)>>
Next, although some of the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail, an example of a configuration that can be further applied to the above-mentioned embodiments of the 1st to 49th functions will be described in detail below as an embodiment of the 50th function.

Businesses prepare and publish sustainability reports to disclose to stakeholders how they are addressing social issues such as the environment and human rights. The examples of environmental initiatives in sustainability reports mainly explain the environmental indicators of "GHG emissions," "air quality," "energy management," "water and sewage management," "waste and hazardous materials management," and "impact on ecosystems." In order to disclose the impact of climate change issues on their business in sustainability reports, businesses use a system to calculate GHG emissions and other environmental indicators (hereinafter, environmental indicators other than "GHG emissions" are simply referred to as environmental indicators). In the conventional system used by businesses, when calculating environmental indicators at multiple locations of the same company, each location determines the activity items to be input or imported, which leads to an issue (issue 1) in which the activity items to be input differ from location to location, and activity items that are required to be input are omitted. In addition, when calculating environmental indicators, the units of notation used for the calculation results differ from business to business, but there is an issue (issue 2) in which the business cannot freely convert the units of notation. Furthermore, in issue 2, measurement units differ depending on the country or region, but there is a problem in that business operators cannot freely convert the measurement units used in the calculation results. In addition, among the activity items used to calculate GHG emissions, many of the activity items required to calculate Scope 1 and 2 emissions are common to the activity items used to calculate environmental indicators (hereinafter referred to as common activity items). Examples of common activity items include the amount of energy resources used and the amount of water resources used. In the conventional system used by business operators, the data area for inputting or importing activity items required to calculate GHG emissions and the data area for inputting or importing activity items required to calculate environmental indicators are separated, and even if the activity items are common activity items, they must be input or imported separately into each data area. This causes the issue of duplicate input or import work (issue 3).

Using FIG. 3, an example of the software configuration of the management server 200 in the 50th function will be described. The management server 200 has the same functions as the configuration of the 17th function. For example, it has a memory unit 230 (base information memory unit, reduction standard memory unit, reduction target memory unit), an execution unit 290 (reduction target registration unit, template registration unit), an input unit 220 (base information input unit, template input unit, industry input unit), an output unit 240 (proposal unit), and an analysis unit 280. The management server 200 also has the same functions as the configuration of the 49th function. For example, it has a memory unit 230 (emission amount memory unit, activity amount memory unit, emission coefficient memory unit, classification memory unit), an execution unit 290 (management unit), and an output unit 240. These software configurations have been described in the 17th function and the 49th function, so differences from the 17th function and the 49th function will be mainly described. In addition, it has software configurations of other functions that can be combined with the 50th function.

The base information storage unit constituting the storage unit 230 stores base information indicating the base of another business entity related to a certain business entity for each of the other business entities. The base information may be the locations or names of multiple companies. For example, the base information may be the locations or names of related companies consisting of multiple companies such as a company (first business entity) that manufactures and sells the target product, a company (second business entity) that manufactures and sells parts of the target product handled by the first business entity, and a company (third business entity) that manufactures and sells parts (child parts and grandchild parts) that constitute the parts (parent parts) of the target product handled by the second business entity. The related companies are a group consisting of multiple companies that provide each part of the BOM (bill of materials that lists information on parts required to manufacture a product). The base information may be configured to include related information indicating that these multiple business entities are related.

The reduction standard memory unit constituting the memory unit 230 stores information (reduction standard information) relating to standard reduction rates (reduction targets set by many companies) related to greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction standard information can include reduction rates in association with environmental indicators. For environmental indicators, the classification of the environmental indicators can also be included.

The reduction target memory unit is a memory unit 230 that stores information (reduction target information) regarding the emission reduction targets set by the company, and is the same as function 49.

The template registration section constituting the execution section 290 registers and stores templates into which information related to environmental indicators can be input. Information related to environmental indicators is information included in the first information, such as activity items, activity amounts, and categories related to environmental indicators. The first information is, for example, an emissions report containing information related to emissions, and details will be explained in the third function. The emissions report is also a template used by each business entity when registering emissions.

The base information input unit constituting the input unit 220 accepts the input of base information. The base information input unit can be input using a specific user terminal 100. The specific user terminal 100 is exemplified by a user terminal 100 used by an administrator of a plurality of user terminals 100 (for example, a head office, a parent company, or a first business entity). The base information input unit inputs the name of a branch of the same company, the name of a group company, the name of an associated company, etc. In the case of the same company, the name of the Tokyo branch or the Osaka branch can be input. In the case of a group company, the name of a parent company, a subsidiary company, a sub-subsidiary company, etc. can be input. In the case of an associated company, the name of a company that manufactures the target product or a company that manufactures parts of the target product can be input. By inputting the base information, related information indicating that these multiple business entities are related bases or companies is set. In other words, it is set that the multiple business entities are related bases (associated companies) and are bases belonging to a group. A base (associated base) for which related information is set can refer to and use the template used by other bases to register emissions when registering emissions. If the base information is used as size information, the size information can also be entered in the base information input section.

The template input section constituting the input unit 220 accepts input of information related to environmental indicators and the like into the template. In the input unit 220, the same input items (same input method) as the input items of some of the information related to supply chain emissions can be input as information related to environmental indicators. The same input items are "input of base name" and "activity items." An input method that differs from information related to supply chain emissions is, for example, "input of environmental indicator items" instead of "input of scope or category" when inputting to specify the content of an activity.

In addition, the input method that differs from the input method for information related to supply chain emissions is "entering categories" and "entering labels," which are not included in the input method for information related to supply chain emissions. There are major categories, medium categories, and minor categories. For example, if the environmental indicator is "energy," the details of the major category can be set by selecting "thermal energy" or "electrical energy." If "electrical energy" is selected in the major category, the details of the medium category can be set by selecting "purchased electricity," "self-generated electricity," or "other electricity." If "purchased electricity" is selected in the medium category, the details of the minor category can be set by selecting "purchased electricity during the day" or "purchased electricity at night." The details of these categories are added and set by each administrator in advance, and users other than the administrator can use only the categories added in advance, but users other than the administrator may be allowed to add categories. Even if users other than the administrator can add categories, the administrator (e.g., parent company, etc.) can set the aggregation setting of "not aggregated or aggregated to other" for the categories added by users other than the administrator (e.g., subsidiary, etc.) to aggregate without affecting the aggregation of the category that the administrator originally wants to check. In addition, the categories added by the administrator can be reflected in the calculation using the "counting flag." For example, when the counting flag is off, counting is not performed, or it can be set to "counted" otherwise. By setting the categories in this way, the administrator and users other than the administrator can calculate activity levels and emissions by detailed items (categories).

In addition, an input method that differs from information related to supply chain emissions is, for example, input of the unit of input data (hereinafter, input unit). The input unit of the environmental indicator can be set arbitrarily by the user. This input unit can be changed using the unit conversion function. If a gap is expected between the expected aggregation unit (for example, the specified unit in the case of calculation results or when applying for approval) and the specified input unit, unit conversion can be performed to fill the gap. The source of conversion is the input unit of the input data (specified unit), and the destination is the specified aggregation unit (specified unit). A conversion button is displayed and conversion is performed based on the button operation by the user, but if the input unit and the aggregation unit match, the conversion button is hidden. In this way, in the 50th function, the unit used in the calculation result can be freely converted.

The template input unit can input information related to environmental indicators using a specific user terminal 100 or a user terminal 100 other than the specific user terminal 100. Examples of information related to environmental indicators include classification, usage amount, input amount, generation amount, discharge amount, activity amount, and waste amount. In the process of the template registration unit, input is possible in the user terminal 100 at the base registered by the specific user terminal 100, but input is not possible in the user terminal 100 at the base not registered by the specific user terminal 100. Instead of making input impossible, it is also possible to make it impossible to select and use the template itself. If a specific user terminal 100 has not registered a base, it is configured not to allow input even if it is a base belonging to the group (each branch, subsidiary, sub-subsidiary, or associated company).

The industry input section constituting the input unit 220 accepts input of the industry. The industry input section is intended to accept the industry of the company that is trying to set a reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposal unit constituting the output unit 240 proposes reduction targets. The proposal unit can propose standard reduction targets for the industry and base to the user by reading the reduction rate corresponding to the accepted industry and base (including related companies) from the reduction standard storage unit and sending it to the user terminal 100. The proposal unit can read the reduction rate by scope, environmental index, or part corresponding to the industry and base from the reduction standard storage unit, and propose and present the read standard reduction rate by scope, environmental index, or part as the user's target reduction rate.

The reduction target registration unit, which constitutes the execution unit 290, registers the reduction targets of companies and bases (including affiliated companies) in the reduction target memory unit.

The analysis unit 280 can analyze the reduction targets stored in the reduction target storage unit to create standard reduction targets. The analysis unit 280 can perform analysis for each environmental indicator, industry, scale, attribute, scope, and category, and add or update the environmental indicator, industry, base, scale, attribute, scope, category, base year, target year, and reduction rate that are the results of the analysis to the reduction standard storage unit.

Figure 77 is a diagram for explaining the details of S2504 in the process of registering the template in Figure 25 (processing in the template registration section). Note that Figure 77 will be explained as a subroutine of the process of accepting input items in S2504. The management server 200 accepts the activity content (environmental indicator) (S2504-1). The environmental indicators are energy, water resources, etc., and the user sets one of these items, and the management server 200 accepts the item set by the user as the environmental indicator. Next, the management server 200 accepts the category (S2504-2). The category can be a large category, a medium category, or a small category. Next, the management server 200 accepts the unit of the input data (S2504-3). Next, the management server 200 determines whether or not it has accepted whether or not to perform unit conversion (S2504-4). If unit conversion has been accepted (YES in S2504-4), the method of unit conversion is accepted (S2505-5). On the other hand, if unit conversion has not been accepted (NO in S2504-4), the process proceeds to S2505-6. Next, the management server 200 accepts label input (S2505-6). Next, the management server 200 proceeds to S2505 in FIG. 25.

At the base (business entity) accepted by the management server 200 in S2504, for example, a base belonging to an affiliated company, the registered template can be used to input and register the required items of the template without the need to register a new template using the user terminal 100. Also, at bases belonging to a specific group (including affiliated companies), the registered template is used to input activity items for calculating greenhouse gas emissions related to environmental indicators, but this input can be limited to inputting only the necessary activity items. Also, if there is an approver who checks the input contents, the use of the template makes it easier to approve, as it is only necessary to check the minimum amount of information that has been entered.

In addition, the administrator can copy a template that has already been created and register a new template. When copying and registering a new template, the management server 200 restricts the registration of the same name as the original template as the name of the new template. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the original template from being overwritten. In addition, when copying, the management server 200 sets the base registered in the original template as the new template. By configuring in this way, it is not necessary to register a new base. In addition, the administrator can assign a specific template to a specific base (including an affiliated company). It is also possible to cancel the assignment. When the administrator and users other than the administrator (such as branches, subsidiaries, and affiliated companies) register greenhouse gas emissions related to the environmental indicators of the bases they are responsible for, they can add items using the assigned template. When the administrator and users other than the administrator (such as branches, subsidiaries, and affiliated companies) register greenhouse gas emissions related to the environmental indicators of the bases they are responsible for, it is possible to distinguish whether the activity items are reflected from the assigned template or individually entered activity items. For example, the background colors of the activity items are different. The administrator can automatically reflect the template to a specific base. The number of templates is not limited to one; multiple templates can be set.

The management server 200 can also accept input of the user's industry from the user terminal 100, read out standard reduction targets corresponding to the accepted industry from the reduction standard memory unit, and propose the read reduction targets to the user.

In this way, the information processing system of this embodiment can suggest standard reduction targets according to industry to users who are trying to set reduction targets.

In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the trend of the target reduction rate disclosed by a company or the like is constant, but changes in the trend may also be taken into consideration. For example, the analysis unit 280 may analyze the trend of an increase or decrease in the target reduction rate for each company (business entity). In this case, the reduction target storage unit stores information indicating the time when the company disclosed the reduction target (e.g., year, month, or date) in association with the reduction target.

In this case, the suggestion unit can correct the proposed reduction rate (or the statistical value if multiple reduction rates match) according to the trend and propose the corrected statistical value. For example, if the reduction rate is on the rise, the proposed reduction rate can be increased according to the degree of increase.

The 50th function is an activity template function used when calculating environmental indicators, and has the following functions.
(1) It is possible to select the indices to be calculated, such as energy and water resources.
(2) It is possible to set the size into large, medium, and small categories.
(3) The unit of input data can be set.
(4) Labels can be set.
(5) When accounting data or activity data is imported, it can be sorted into GHG emissions and environmental indicators. Two templates (GHG template and environmental indicator template) can be applied to one record (one data source) to produce two outputs. The registration flow of activity data can be data import → registration to environmental indicators → registration to GHG emissions, instead of sorting.
(6) The unit conversion can be set and the device is equipped with a unit conversion function. For example, when calculating the amount of water resources used, it is possible to freely set whether the result is to be expressed in "kiloliters" or "cubic meters," and it is possible to freely convert between "kiloliters" and "cubic meters."
(7) Since units used differ depending on the country or region, input units can be freely changed. For example, in calculations in Japan, water usage is expressed in "kiloliters," while in calculations in the United States, water usage is expressed in "gallons." Note that business operators may freely set unit conversion master and set up unit conversion logic. Conversion is possible by setting the source unit (e.g., kiloliters) and destination unit (e.g., gallons) and setting a conversion formula.
(8) It has a function to link the GHG emission data area with the environmental indicator data area.

Such a fiftieth function has the following effects.
(1) The environmental indicator template function makes it possible to import activity item data in the same way as when calculating GHG emissions.
(2) The unit conversion function allows calculation results to be expressed in a way appropriate for the business or country/region.
(3) The function of linking the GHG emission data input area and the environmental indicator data input area makes it possible to eliminate duplicated input or import work.

The input unit 220, output unit 240, analysis unit 280, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be executed by a system (mechanical system) with artificial intelligence that can learn by itself.

<Disclosures>
In addition, the 50th function also includes the following configuration.
[Item AX1 (P100)]
an information processing system comprising: a memory unit (activity amount memory unit) capable of storing numerical values of a first activity (scope 1) related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a numerical value of a second activity (scope 2) related to indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a numerical value of a third activity (scope 3) related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, a numerical value of a fourth activity (CFP) related to greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle, and numerical values related to environmental indicators (activity amount, usage amount, input amount, generation amount, emission amount, and waste amount of environmental indicators); and a template registration unit that registers templates into which information related to the environmental indicators (e.g., classification, usage amount, input amount, generation amount, emission amount, activity amount, waste amount) can be input.
[Item AX2]
The information processing system according to item AX1, further comprising: a management unit that, when any one of a numerical value of the first activity, a numerical value of the second activity, a numerical value of the third activity, and a numerical value related to the environmental index is stored, manages a predetermined classification related to the first activity, the second activity, and/or the third activity in association with a predetermined item related to the environmental index.
[Item AX3]
The information processing system according to item AX1, comprising: a base information storage unit that stores at least base information of a first business entity and a second business entity that constitute a supply chain; a template registration unit that registers a template into which information related to the environmental indicators by the first business entity can be input; and an input unit that enables the second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity using the template.
[Item AX4]
The information processing system according to item AX3, wherein the template registration unit is capable of registering the second business entity as a business entity related to the first business entity, and when the second business entity is registered as a business entity related to the first business entity, the template is used by the second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity, whereas when the second business entity is not registered as a business entity related to the first business entity, the template is not used by the second business entity to input information related to greenhouse gas emissions by the second business entity.
[Item AX5]
An information processing system comprising: an emission memory unit capable of storing a first amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity, a second amount of indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity, a third amount of greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in the business entity's supply chain, and emissions related to an environmental indicator; and a template registration unit that registers templates into which information related to the environmental indicators (e.g., classification, amount used, amount input, amount generated, amount emitted, amount of activity, amount disposed of) can be input.
[Item AX6]
An information processing system according to item AX5, comprising: a management unit that manages a predetermined classification related to the third emission amount and a predetermined item related to the environmental index in association with each other.

<<Modifications>>
An example of a configuration that can be further applied to the embodiments of each of the functions described above will be described below.

<Modification of Acquisition Unit>
The acquisition unit 250 collects information with the highest priority given to E1, which is a transition risk, and the following priority order for physical risks: E1, E3, E4, S2, S3, S4, E5, E2, S1, and G. The acquisition unit 250 can be connected to an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and can easily collect in-house data. The acquisition unit 250 can also collect external data. The acquisition unit 250 can color-code the collected data. Examples of color-coding include unifying data definitions, recognizing data with high materiality, unifying awareness, understanding double counting, and erasing. The acquisition unit 250 can link data. Examples of data linkage include collaborative editing within a team or with an external consultant, output to an external analysis partner via an API, and connection to a financial accounting system, etc. The acquisition unit 250 can manage stakeholders. Examples of stakeholder management include restricting access to information of high importance and schedule management for creating disclosure documents.

The acquisition unit 250 enables data synchronization in real time between workers (including external consultants). Other benefits include: Contact history and the like can be tracked by theme. Scheduling can be easily done between the parties involved. Stakeholder information can be listed. The definition of collected data is standardized between the parties involved, and there is no return. The preparation of work manuals and other things are somewhat standardized. It becomes possible to reduce the effort required for collecting information from a wide range of stakeholders. It becomes possible to manage stakeholder lists. It becomes possible to conduct surveys, tally up data, and consolidate data. It becomes possible to carry out fixed-point observation. It becomes possible to standardize data definitions between groups. It becomes possible to eliminate double counting.

The acquisition unit 250 has functions that can be executed in the following order.
(1) Register suppliers from which ESG information is to be collected and organize them into a tree. This is done for each material business and product. This is called the supplier registration/structuring function.
(2) You can select which data you want to collect for disclosure and enter company/business information. This is called the premise/purpose input function.
(3) For each ESG area, a list of data sets that need to be collected is displayed, and a person in charge is assigned. This is called the list of collected data items and person in charge assignment function.
(4) The SAQ template is displayed, and when a supplier is selected, it is automatically distributed. This is called the hearing form template display/supplier selection function.
(5) Prompt data input with actionable UX. This is called the supplier input function.
(6) Progress can be tracked for each data item and each supplier. This is called the progress tracking function.
(7) The results of the calculation can be displayed and output. This is called the data calculation/output function.
(8) Linkage to the analysis unit 280 and the output unit 240 is possible. This is called a linkage function to the analysis/dashboard.

<Modifications of the Analysis Section>
Although an example of one analysis unit is shown, the analysis unit 280 may be configured from a plurality of analysis units. For example, the analysis unit 280 may be configured from an analysis unit 280E1 for E1, an analysis unit 280E2 for E2, an analysis unit 280E3 for E3, an analysis unit 280E4 for E4, an analysis unit 280E5 for E5, an analysis unit 280S1 for S1, an analysis unit 280S2 for S2, an analysis unit 280S3 for S3, an analysis unit 280S4 for S4, and an analysis unit 280G for G. The analysis unit 280 may also be configured from an analysis unit for information on the environment (analysis units 280E for E1 to E5), an analysis unit for information on society (analysis units 280S for S1 to S4), and an analysis unit 280G for information on governance. The output unit 240 is also referred to as the provision unit 240. The execution unit 290 is also called a solution unit 290 .

The analysis unit 280 analyzes the collected data.
(E1) If the collected data is E1 and the type is physical risk, analyze chronic and acute risks based on climate change scenarios. Note that if the collected data is E1 and the type is transition risk, no analysis is performed.
(E2) When the data to be collected is E2, fixed-point observation and evaluation of visualization of improvement status are performed.
(E3) If the data to be collected is E3, a water stress analysis will be conducted and interviews will be conducted with subsidiaries regarding their response status.
(E4) If the data to be collected is E4, perform LEAP analysis (TNFD framework).
(E5) If the data to be collected is E5, perform a circular economy evaluation in the inflow and outflow.
(S1) When the data to be collected is S1, a benchmark comparison analysis is performed.
(S2) If the data to be collected is S2, an evaluation of its conformity with the UN guidelines is performed.
(S3) If the data to be collected is S3, authentication is obtained from a third party, etc.
(S4) If the data to be collected is S4, perform due diligence analysis based on the OECD Guidelines.
(G) If the data to be collected is G, an evaluation such as an internal audit is performed.

The analysis unit 280 identifies data to be prioritized from among the collected data. The analysis unit 280 prioritizes the data using the following three perspectives (1) to (3). Note that the perspectives are not limited to three.
(1) The data involves a high workload.
This is a perspective that indicates that the data is subject to disclosure requirements regardless of materiality, that it is data related to requirements in a new field (being undertaken for the first time), or that it is data that involves frequent issues or tasks.
(2) The data is of an urgent nature. This is a perspective that indicates that the data is already subject to disclosure pressure under other frameworks (other EU laws/ISSB/TNFD/Human Rights DD, etc.) or that the data is of high priority in terms of management issues.
(3) The data has an affinity with information processing systems. This is a perspective that indicates that the data can be collected in the value chain and that the data can be used for data-driven analysis.

The resulting priority order is as follows:
Result 1: The data related between viewpoint (1) and viewpoint (2) is data S1, which has a medium priority.
Result 2: The data related between viewpoint (1) and viewpoint (3) is data E5, which has a medium priority.
Result 3: The data related between viewpoint (2) and viewpoint (3) is the data of E2, which has a medium priority.
Result 4: The data related among all viewpoints are E1, E3, E4, S2, S3, and S4, and the data has priority=high.

Data E1, E3, and E4 are natural capital data, and data S2, S3, and S4 are human capital data. The number of types of natural capital data and human capital data is the same, but when comparing the number of types in more detail, E1 data is classified into two types: E1 data for transition risks and E1 data for physical risks, so the number of types of natural capital data is greater than the number of types of human capital data. In this way, the analysis unit 280 can identify prioritized data (areas).

There are two types of human capital data: the type of company and the type of data acquisition in the value chain (hereinafter referred to as VC). The type of company includes breakdown of employees by country, number of employees by gender, number of employees in countries with 50 or more employees, employee information by contract type by region, employee definition and category, employee turnover rate, total number of unemployed workers, percentage of workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, definition of company workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, link with works councils and trade unions, information on social dialogue, definition of top management, gender of top management, paying workers an adequate wage, identifying workers who are not receiving an adequate wage, percentage of workers below an adequate wage, calculation of minimum wage, fair wage benchmark, indicative reference value for minimum wage, social protection of life events, countries and types of employees without social protection, employees with social protection and Number of unemployed workers, percentage of disabled workers, gender breakdown, percentage of performance reviews, percentage of reviews agreed by management, average total training hours, average training hours by gender, employee categories, number of deaths due to work-related injuries and work-related diseases, number and percentage of recordable work-related accidents, number of recordable cases of work-related diseases, number of days lost due to work-related injuries, work-related diseases and deaths due to disease, information on internal audits or external certifications, maternity/paternity/parental/carer's leave, pay gap, ratio of highest paid employee to median remuneration of employee, gender pay gap, information on work-related grievances, incidents and claims, information on serious human rights impacts and incidents, incidents and/or grievances and actions taken, discrimination cases, serious cases related to human rights issues and incidents, etc.

Types of data captured in the VC include: significant impacts on value chain workers and policies, scope and form of policy, alignment with UN Guiding Principles, alignment with relevant policies, engagement with value chain workers, disclosure of the company's process, reflecting the perspective of value chain workers, capturing the perspective of specific worker groups, remediation process for value chain workers, description of channels for value chain workers, tracking/monitoring issues and effectiveness of channels, approach and process for redress for value chain workers, existence of third-party mechanisms, protection against retaliation, addressing specific adverse impacts on value chain workers, provision of redress and ensuring effectiveness, prevention of significant adverse impacts and relationship to other business pressures, reporting of human rights issues and incidents, summary of action plans and resources, effective management/tracking/evaluation of significant impacts, etc.

Next, an example of an analysis using E4 data will be shown. The analysis unit 280 inputs the data points necessary for analysis, such as location information on business activities, business sector information, and business financial information collected by the acquisition unit 250, and performs the analysis. The analysis will be shown as an example of LEAP analysis. This analysis is an analytical approach recommended by the TNFD and the ESRS, which references it, for verifying biodiversity risks. This analysis is conducted in four phases: (1) the business's contact with nature, (2) the impact and dependency on nature, (3) evaluation of risks and opportunities, and (4) goal setting and response.

The results of the analysis are output separately as quantitative and qualitative requirements. The output is output by the output unit 240.

Quantitative requirements include, for example, the number and area of material sites, TNFD/SDPI-based target setting, area of land permanently protected, area of land restored, number of sites with improved ecosystem integrity, land use based on LCA, changes in land cover over time (e.g. deforestation), changes in ecosystem management over time, changes in the spatial configuration of the landscape, changes in the structural connectivity of ecosystems, financial impacts of risks/opportunities, products and services exposed, etc.

Qualitative requirements include, for example, alignment of strategy and business model, impact drivers and mitigation actions, explanation of biodiversity offsets, assessment of the resilience of the business model related to biodiversity and ecosystems, process for identifying significant impacts, risks and opportunities, disclosure of verified biodiversity and ecosystem scenarios, policy on restricting sourcing of raw materials, information on products derived from ecosystems, disclosure on biodiversity offsets, and policy on raw material sourcing.

Although an example of the analysis in four phases has been shown, the four phases may be set as follows.
(Phase 1) Identify points of contact with nature throughout the supply chain and identify priority areas.
(1-1) Business footprint (1-2) Points of contact with nature (1-3) Analysis of priority areas (1-4) Impact analysis (Phase 2) Diagnose the dependencies and impacts of your company's business activities on nature.
(2-1) Identify relevant environmental assets and ecosystem services. (2-2) Identify dependencies and impacts. (2-3) Analyze dependencies. (2-4) Analyze impacts. (Phase 3) Based on the results of the diagnosis, assess significant risks and opportunities.
(3-1) Identify and assess risks (3-2) Mitigate and manage existing risks (3-3) Mitigate and manage additional risks (3-4) Assess materiality (3-5) Identify and assess opportunities (Phase 4) Prepare to respond to nature-related risks and opportunities and report to investors.
(4-1) Strategy and resource allocation (4-2) Performance measurement (4-3) Reporting (4-4) Publication

The analysis unit 280 acquires and analyzes data related to the company and group companies. The analysis unit 280 acquires and analyzes pollution data such as hazardous substance data for PRTR regulations from the environmental database. The analysis unit 280 also acquires and analyzes data related to water and marine resources/biodiversity such as equipment information, location information, and financial data from the asset management system and ERP. The analysis unit 280 also acquires and analyzes data related to the circular economy such as recycled materials and recycled materials from the procurement system and BOM/PLM. The analysis unit 280 also acquires and analyzes data related to human capital such as wage data/executive data/human rights data from the personnel system and human rights database. Furthermore, the analysis unit 280 acquires and analyzes third-party data. The analysis unit 280 acquires and analyzes data related to human capital such as wage data/executive data/human rights data from the personnel system and human rights database. The analysis unit 280 also acquires and analyzes data from the circular PF. The analysis unit 280 also acquires and analyzes data from suppliers' sustainability reports, CDP, and ESG rating databases. Furthermore, the analysis unit 280 acquires and analyzes data from subsidiaries/group companies and suppliers. Subsidiaries/group companies include, for example, subsidiary AA, which is a subsidiary of subsidiary A. Suppliers include, for example, supplier AA, which is a lower hierarchical level than supplier A. Subsidiaries/group companies acquire data from the analysis unit 280 via UX/UI. Subsidiaries/group companies also add or overwrite data to be output to the analysis unit 280.

Next, the operation DX and ESG data pipeline construction in the analysis unit 280 will be described. The analysis unit 280 receives disclosure request information from investors, rating agencies, business partners, national regulations, etc. In the front end, the analysis unit 280 reads disclosure items/requirements, sets workflow for each disclosure destination/purpose, and manages and creates a tree of suppliers. Next, the flow goes from the front end to the back end, where the analysis unit 280 stores and links ESG data. In the back end, the analysis unit 280 generates an ESG data table. The ESG data table is a data table in which data such as E1, E3, E4, E5, and S1 is stored. In addition, in the back end, the analysis unit 280 stores the data collected in the front end in these tables, tags them with the disclosure destination/purpose, and enables the extraction of related data using these as keys. In other words, mapping with the disclosure destination/purpose is performed. In this way, the requirements for each disclosure destination/purpose are broken down into data items, making it possible to design tables in each ESG area. Next, the flow goes from the back end to the front end, where the extracted data is output to the front end. In the front end, the analysis unit 280 creates questionnaires and assists in answering them (referencing past answers/industry practices), links collected data to disclosure destinations/purposes, extracts data for each disclosure destination/purpose, and outputs this data to be answered and disclosed to investors, rating agencies, business partners, and national regulations. Examples of data sources from which the analysis unit 280 collects data include suppliers, subsidiaries/business companies, in-house systems, and third party data.

The process for digitalizing ESG data collection and disclosure operations is as follows:
(1) Workflow for each disclosure recipient/purpose Workflows can be set for each investor and disclosure regulation, and internal staff can be assigned to each task to manage progress.
(2) Questionnaire creation and response support Questionnaires can be created based on templates for each disclosure destination/purpose. Past responses and industry practices can be referenced, making response work easier.
(3) Linking collected data with disclosure destinations/purposes Data items collected not only from suppliers/subsidiaries but also from internal systems can be linked with disclosure destinations/purposes.
(4) Data extraction for specific disclosure recipients/purposes It is possible to extract data for specific disclosure recipients/purposes.

The ESG data pipeline is constructed as follows.
(1) Breaking down requirements for each disclosure recipient/purpose into data items The requirements for each disclosure recipient/purpose have been broken down into data items, and tables have been designed for each ESG area.
(2) Mapping with disclosure destination/purpose The data collected on the front end is stored in these tables and tagged with the disclosure destination/purpose, making it possible to extract related data using these as keys.

<Modifications of the Output Unit>
The output unit 240 extracts data to be used for disclosure. It also determines which collected and analyzed data will be used for which disclosure. It also saves data used for past disclosures and the calculation process. The output unit 240 outputs to documents. In this way, the person in charge can easily edit and output data. The output unit 240 is a dashboard for management. This dashboard allows the KPI to be grasped. It also allows for a common understanding between stakeholders. The output unit 240 performs business management. Examples of business management include alerts for material events and grasping differences through fixed-point observation. The output unit 240 discloses various reports. Types of reports include CDP, ISSB, GRI, RE100, the Global Warming Countermeasures Act, CSRD, CSDD, etc. In this way, the output unit 240 has a consulting function by disclosing various reports.

Before the output unit 240 was installed, it was troublesome to integrate scattered ESG data, and even after integration, important items were difficult to identify, KPIs important to the company could not be shared or tracked with relevant parties, and VC information was not even understood (even if the data was available, it was not compiled). By installing the output unit 240, it is possible to share important items with relevant parties in an easy-to-understand manner. In addition, real-time synchronization can be used to output alerts for differences. Furthermore, the way in which the data is displayed can be easily customized by the person in charge. VC information can be automatically collected from the output unit 240.

The execution unit 290 provides the solution to the buyer. The execution unit 290 can also provide the solution to a third party other than the buyer. The third party is, for example, a supplier.

At the output section 240, the following can be resolved:
(1) Strengthening ESG management: By strengthening ESG management from a medium- to long-term perspective, it is possible to achieve sustainable management.
(2) Strengthening ESG ratings: By strengthening the ratings set by the EU (SFDR Article 9 labeling compliance) and rating agencies (MSCI/Ecovalis/Moody's), it will be possible to raise funds more competitively.
(3) Business risk management: (Apart from regulatory compliance) it is possible to accurately grasp the ESG risks of the business. In addition to transition risks, it is possible to understand the business impact of biodiversity, physical risks, and human capital risks.
(4) Compliance with various compliance standards: Efficiently comply with regulations such as CSRD/CBAM/CS3D/TNFD/ISSB/CDP/Battery regulations.
(5) Providing information to business partners and investors: It is possible to efficiently respond to requests for ESG-related data from investors and major business partners who contact us via ad-hoc.

The analyzer 280 can solve the following:
(1) Diverse ESG analysis: Highly specialized analysis needs to be carried out in a variety of areas, but this can solve the problem of the high costs involved when doing it through consulting.

The acquisition unit 250 can solve the following:
(1) Cost of data collection in VCs: It is possible to engage suppliers while streamlining ESG data collection in VCs, which is labor-intensive and difficult to guarantee quality.

The output unit 240 can be used in cases such as strengthening ESG management, strengthening ESG ratings, business risk management, compliance with various compliance standards, and providing information to business partners/investors. The output unit 240 also has functions such as dashboarding of ESG material items, rating simulation (e.g. SFDR, MSCI), monitoring of ESG risks by business unit, ESG scoring for each supplier, data extraction and output according to business partner/investor/disclosure requirements, data feed to external systems (e.g. Catena-X), automatic linkage and difference detection with the acquisition unit 250/analysis unit 280. The analysis unit 280 has functions such as partner linkage (API linkage between each analysis PF and the acquisition unit 250/output unit 240). Each analysis PF can also be built independently. The acquisition unit 250 has functions such as questionnaires, setting of data items (preparing templates for each purpose/disclosure), data input assistance, validation, tracking, scheduling, and management of supplier information and aggregation results.

Although the present embodiment has been described above, the above embodiment is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and equivalents thereof are also included in the present invention. The present invention may also be a combination of multiple functions described above.

In the embodiment of each function, the calculation unit 210, input unit 220, output unit 240, acquisition unit 250, generation unit 260, estimation unit 270, analysis unit 280, and execution unit 290 of the management server 200 may be a system with artificial intelligence that learns by itself (a mechanical system).

An example of an information processing system is shown in the disclosure of an embodiment of each function, but each process (step) of the information processing system can also be an information processing method executed by a computer and a program for causing a computer to execute the process.

100 User terminal 200 Management server

Claims (3)

a first activity storage unit capable of storing a first activity value related to a direct greenhouse gas emission amount by a business entity;
a second activity storage unit capable of storing a second activity value related to an indirect greenhouse gas emission amount by the business entity;
a third activity storage unit capable of storing a third activity value related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in a supply chain of the business entity ;
a fourth activity storage unit capable of storing a fourth activity value related to an environmental indicator by the business entity;
An information processing system comprising:
The information processing system executes the following (1) to (8).
(1) When the first activity value is input, the first activity value is stored in the first activity storage unit.
(2) when the second activity value is input, the second activity value is stored in the second activity storage unit;
(3) When the third activity value is input, the third activity value is stored in the third activity storage unit.
(4) When the fourth activity value is input, the fourth activity value is stored in the fourth activity storage unit.
(5) When the first activity value is input, the first activity value is stored in the fourth activity storage unit.
(6) When the second activity value is input, the second activity value is stored in the fourth activity storage unit.
(7) When the third activity value is input, the third activity value is stored in the fourth activity storage unit.
(8) When the fourth activity value is input, at least one of the following (8-1) to (8-3) is executed.
(8-1) storing the fourth activity value in the first activity storage unit;
(8-2) storing the fourth activity value in the second activity storage unit;
(8-3) storing the fourth activity value in the third activity storage unit; storing a first activity value related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity in a first activity storage unit;
storing a second activity value related to the indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity in a second activity storage unit;
storing a third activity value related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in a supply chain of the business entity in a third activity storage unit ;
storing a fourth activity value related to an environmental indicator by the business entity in a fourth activity storage unit ;
An information processing method executed by a computer, comprising:
The computer executes the following steps (1) to (8).
(1) when the first activity value is input, storing the first activity value in the first activity storage unit;
(2) storing the second activity value in the second activity storage unit when the second activity value is input;
(3) when the third activity value is input, storing the third activity value in the third activity storage unit;
(4) when the fourth activity value is input, storing the fourth activity value in the fourth activity storage unit;
(5) when the first activity value is input, storing the first activity value in the fourth activity storage unit;
(6) storing the second activity value in the fourth activity storage unit when the second activity value is input;
(7) when the third activity value is input, storing the third activity value in the fourth activity storage unit;
(8) When the fourth activity value is input, at least one of the following (8-1) to (8-3) is executed.
(8-1) storing the fourth activity value in the first activity storage unit;
(8-2) storing the fourth activity value in the second activity storage unit;
(8-3) storing the fourth activity value in the third activity storage unit storing a first activity value related to direct greenhouse gas emissions by a business entity in a first activity storage unit;
storing a second activity value related to the indirect greenhouse gas emissions by the business entity in a second activity storage unit;
storing a third activity value related to greenhouse gas emissions by other business entities located upstream or downstream in a supply chain of the business entity in a third activity storage unit ;
storing a fourth activity value related to an environmental indicator by the business entity in a fourth activity storage unit ;
A program for causing a computer to execute the above,
A program that causes a computer to execute the following steps (1) to (8).
(1) when the first activity value is input, storing the first activity value in the first activity storage unit;
(2) storing the second activity value in the second activity storage unit when the second activity value is input;
(3) when the third activity value is input, storing the third activity value in the third activity storage unit;
(4) when the fourth activity value is input, storing the fourth activity value in the fourth activity storage unit;
(5) when the first activity value is input, storing the first activity value in the fourth activity storage unit;
(6) storing the second activity value in the fourth activity storage unit when the second activity value is input;
(7) when the third activity value is input, storing the third activity value in the fourth activity storage unit;
(8) When the fourth activity value is input, at least one of the following (8-1) to (8-3) is executed:
(8-1) storing the fourth activity value in the first activity storage unit;
(8-2) storing the fourth activity value in the second activity storage unit;
(8-3) storing the fourth activity value in the third activity storage unit