Authors:
Salvador Cortes, Axel Garcia Fuentes, Antonio Urrutia
Abstract:
This Disclosure proposes systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer program products to determine the carbon footprint for a "shopping cart" content and products/services in general industry including retail.
Background:
"Recent evidence suggests that the Earth, now passing 390 ppmv CO2 in the atmosphere, has already transgressed the planetary boundary and is approaching several Earth system thresholds. We have reached a point at which the loss of summer polar sea-ice is almost certainly irreversible. This is one example of a well-defined threshold above which rapid physical feedback mechanisms can drive the Earth system into a much warmer state with sea levels meters higher than present. The weakening or reversal of terrestrial carbon sinks, for example through the on-going destruction of the world's rainforests, is another potential tipping point, where climate-carbon cycle feedbacks accelerate Earth's warming and intensify the climate impacts. A major question is how long we can remain over this boundary before large, irreversible changes become unavoidable." [1].
We would like to collaborate with Toshiba Climate change strategy with this disclosure [2].
Today people must estimate themselves the carbon footprint generated by their products since there is not an easy way to know the impact of what they are planning to purchase.
Description:
The impacts of climate change are becoming more serious every year, public interest in this issue is rising, and society is demanding that companies step up with big actions. Therefore we propose a method to make the people aware about their contribution to this matter.
For practicality we are going to assume the producer of each product will determine the carbon footprint of their product. The way we propose to let know the customer this data could be via:
- Carbon footprint verifier (inside store or TGCS Application)
- Carbon footprint data available in the item record (product carbon footprint, envelop/package foot print, total carbon footprint classification, carbon footprint certification)
- On the receipt, physical or digital (The total amount of carbon footprint in your shopping cart)
- The cashier could let you know by asking them
- The self-checkout can have an option to display it
For clarity, please review the proposals of how to store/obtain this date from product in the attached diagrams
Enabling Technology:
- Web Services
- Smart Device Application
References:
1. The nine planetary boundaries - Stockholm Resilience Centre
2. Toshiba: In Response to Climate Change - Environment
Link: https://www.toshiba.co.jp/env/en/vision/carbon_risk.htm
TGCS Reference 2335
