The dual-carbon management and service platforms (carbon peak and carbon neutral), or simply smart digital platforms of carbon and GHG emission data, aims to introduce such information into the operations and management of enterprises and government organizations at various levels. They embodies the main task of the “twin transition” or green digital transformation of human activities and interactions with the planet.

How might we define, design and develop such a platform？

Decarbonization requires voluntary will and participation, and values provide incentives.

Only by providing true values to individuals and organizations, the climate goal of GHG emission reduction can be achieved. It requires the incorporation of GHG and carbon emission information into the production, distribution, consumption and investment processes of human activities.

How might we define, design and develop such a platform of carbon and GHG emission ？

Developed by Oxford Roadmapping (Oxon8), the visCEADs project has systematically incorporates the core Chinese dataset of the Carbon Emission Accounts and Datasets (CEADs). For building viable prototypes, the visCEADs project has applied data science for data cleaning and transformation, followed human-centered computing design of network visualization, and considered the standard requirements of China’s “Dual-Carbon Management Digital Platform” and platform business models.

This prototype demonstrates one viable systematic approach in incorporating carbon emission and industrial input-output data at various junctures of operations and management across all industrial sectors, ranging from production to consumption. It embodies the potential of integration of system engineering and system innovations. With the purpose to encourage scientific and value-added emission reduction efforts, such innovations highlight the science-based on one hand, and the value-added (and thus market-relevant) approach on the other, integrated approach to combine carbon emission and industrial input-output data. This integrated approach benefits individuals and industries with reasonable carbon emission accounting and reduction regimes that reward values to emission reduction based on data.

Since the founding of the company in early 2023, Oxford Roadmapping has produced the first Prototype A for the visCEADs during July to December of 2023.

The prototype of the visCEADs project showcases one way to extract insights from both the CO2 emission inventory and the input-output table data of 42 industrial sectors and 31 provinces and cities in China. Conceptually, it combines social network analysis and the 3B framework (backbone, baselines, and benchmarks) to build the core visualization module for “dual-carbon management digital platforms” or other similar smart digital platforms using similar datasets.

As shown below, the visualization outcomes are interactive! You can also click on this for full-screen experience.

Progress and Timeline

• 2023/04：Preparation: Brief research report “Smart digital platforms for carbon neutral management and services” was accepted and indexed after peer-review. It visualized key elements of digital platforms of / for GHG emission reduction and their enabling mechanisms, which support various platform business model opportunities.

• 2023/05：Launch: Science-mapping and market research was conducted to explore data sources and market demands, including Chinese examples of Software as a Service (SaaS) for enterprise carbon inventory management , [GHG emission auditing standard database](https://www.skyco2.com/）, etc.

• 2023/07：Project Requirements Document: Successful identification of key data, standard, and market demand resources, including China’s “Dual-Carbon Management Digital Platform” industry standard led by the Internet Society of China, and various international patent applications and scientific findings provide basis for technology roadmapping. Such technology roadmapping led to the establishment of “3B” frameworks: backbone, baseline, and benchmark, which describes the approach that integrates data science and industrial ecology knowledge for producing decarbonization intelligence：

  • Backbone (of the core network of industrial input-output relationships ):

Based on the historical and latest input-output table data, the network visualization can help industrial and local government organizations to manage the risks of industrial reconstruction for decarbonization. Data-driven transformation strategies can be made based on the backbone of industrial structure, preventing major risks such as “out-of-touch” actions that are unviable, misguided pathways that do not face the reality, and misidentified foci for decarbonization efforts.

* Baseline (of the regional and sectorial contexts and comparisons for situtaional awareness):

Based on the CEADs insight, especially the CO2 emission data and various derived carbon intensity indicators, baseline data can be produced across provinces and sectors as a whole or as a group. Such data processing outcomes provide baseline indicators for viable journey roadmapping for “precision decarbonization” based on the situational intelligence of the province and/or the sector in question, thereby providing the design of both generalized and custom-made Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Altogether, these baseline indicators and their designs and methods, provide the evaluative framework of dual carbon (carbon peak and carbon neutral) smart digital platforms that consider industrial and regional differences and characteristics based on data science. The evaluative framework can be then used to produce product requirement and standardization documents.

* Benchmark (of Science-Based Targets Initiative reduction performance for precision deacarbonization):

Based on the baseline framework above (comparable framework across provinces and industrial sectors), along with the data insights of historical changes gathered from the CEADs, benchmarking measurement and calculation methods can be developed, following the similar work by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Benchmarking outcomes can scientifically produce best practices, model companies, and model government agencies and/or local governments, thereby rewarding their innovative solutions and practices based on SBTi.

• 2023/12：Successful delivery of prototype A– A set of 31-province interactive infographics over the snapshots of three years is delivered, revealing the backbone of industrial structural networks for each provinces, along with their sectoral carbon emission impact.

• Liao, Han-Teng

The visCEADs project is seeking the following collaboration opportunities in 2023-4:

• Digital platform operators and platform developers: Facing the demand of enterprises and government agencies for carbon information and management services, opportunities can be explored and exploited focusing on the interoperability of carbon accounting, analytics and decision engines. The VisCEADs project can provide evidence-based information platform design and technology roadmapping services.
• Standard setting organizations and participants: Drafting international, national and industry standards and participating in the standardization processes, collaborative opportunities can be explored focusing on the standards of carbon accounting, analytics and decision platforms. The VisCEADs project can provide evidence-based science-mapping and technology roadmapping services.*
• Researchers and think tanks: Researchers and experts of input-output table analysis, data science, or sectoral domain experts such asFinTech, digital agriculture, etc., collaborative opportunities can be discussed, focusing on the mechanisms and market demands for supporting carbon accounting, analytics and decision platforms. For collaborative research projects, journal paper publications, grant proposals, patents, etc., the VisCEADs project can provide analytics services based on science-mapping (of patents, publications and/or research grants) and technology roadmapping.
• Graduate students and interns: Opportunities surrounding interactive infographic products are: (1)technology developer, (2)user research and product design, and (3)operations and services. The VisCEADs project provide guidance and training.

The visCEADs project thanks and acknowledges the work by the following institutions, projects and individual profesionals behind them.

• ITU Green Digital Action，including its green digital transformation standardsL.1470 L.1480
• Internet Society of China’s Industry Standard on Carbon peak and carbon neutrality management and service platform
• CEADs Mainland China Provincial MRIO Table for 31 Provinces(42 sector) v.3.5）, with specific reference below
  • 【Input-Output tables】 Zheng, H., Bai, Y., Wei, W. et al. (2021). Chinese provincial multi-regional input-output database for 2012, 2015, and 2017. Sci Data 8, 244.
    
  • 【CO2 inventory】 Shan, Y., Huang, Q., Guan, D. et al. (2020). China CO2 emission accounts 2016–2017. Sci Data 7, 54.
    

About Oxford Roadmapping (Oxon8)

Oxford Roadmapping Inc. (Chinese name：澳恪森数智科技，aka Oxon8) dedicates to the development of smart digital platforms and Green FinTech. Leveraging the power of digital ecosystem innovations, Oxford Roadmapping helps organizations and individuals with their green and digital transformation, including precision decarbonization.

Providing science-mapping, scientometric analysis, patent analysis that offer critical strategic foresight connecting the local and global networks, Oxford Roadmapping work with industries, thinktanks and other organizations in innovation public and business services, including technology development, technology services, technology transfer, etc.