Formulating CO2 Emission Calculation Rules for the Entire Software Lifecycle to Promote the Creation of Low-Carbon Software-Related Businesses
NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (NTT-AT) has formulated CO2 emission calculation rules for the entire lifecycle of software products as part of its decarbonization initiatives, enabling calculation of emissions from procurement to disposal and promoting green procurement.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 26, 2026 at 23:54
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (46h 5m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 00:12 (410h 12m after Collected)
NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (hereinafter: NTT-AT, Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Tadashi Ito), as part of its initiatives toward decarbonization in the software sector, participated in and discussed with the Japan Environment Club *1 Software Sector Decarbonization Study Group, formulating CO2 emission calculation rules targeting the entire lifecycle of software products *2. With these calculation rules, it has become possible to calculate CO2 emissions related to the procurement, development, operation, and disposal of software products based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Carbon Footprint Guideline" *3. This achievement expands the calculation of CO2 emissions for software products, which was previously limited to the procurement and development stages, to the entire lifecycle including operation and disposal, thereby promoting green procurement and utilizing it for Scope 3 calculation and reporting, fostering an increase in corporate value for software development companies, operators, and procurers.
NTT-AT, leveraging its 30 years of expertise and achievements in LCA *4 consulting, promoted proposals and consensus building among all study group members for the formulation of these calculation rules. Moving forward, we will further develop these calculation rules and continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
1. Background
Amidst the advancement of AI development and utilization, there are concerns about the increasing environmental burden from the ICT industry *5*6, and sustainability of AI technologies, data centers, etc., composed of software is drawing attention. While software itself does not consume physical resources, it indirectly increases energy consumption through the use of cloud, data centers, networks, and user terminals, impacting the environmental load of the entire ICT sector. Furthermore, in recent years, social demands for corporate Scope 3 emission disclosures have strengthened, and the disclosure of CO2 emissions originating from software products is becoming increasingly important as a factor in procurement evaluation and transaction decisions.
In March 2024, within the "Support Project for Establishing Product-Specific Calculation Rules for Carbon Footprints for Promoting GX Acceleration (FY2023)" solicited by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Cradle-to-Gate *7 calculation rules (v1.0) were formulated, enabling the evaluation of CO2 emissions during the development phase. However, since software products are generally used for long periods after development, evaluating CO2 emissions over the entire lifecycle, including operation and disposal, has been a challenge.
2. Achievements of This Initiative
The Japan Environment Club's Software Sector Decarbonization Study Group has formulated Cradle-to-Grave *8 version calculation rules, expanding the scope of traditional calculation rules, which were limited to the procurement and development stages, to the entire lifecycle. With these calculation rules, it has become possible to calculate CO2 emissions from procurement, development, operation, and disposal based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Carbon Footprint Guideline," establishing a foundation for formulating strategies to reduce CO2 emissions attributable to software and for considering and promoting greening of the entire supply chain.
NTT-AT, leveraging its 30 years of expertise and achievements in LCA *4 consulting, promoted proposals and consensus building among all study group members for the formulation of these calculation rules. Moving forward, we will further develop these calculation rules and continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
1. Background
Amidst the advancement of AI development and utilization, there are concerns about the increasing environmental burden from the ICT industry *5*6, and sustainability of AI technologies, data centers, etc., composed of software is drawing attention. While software itself does not consume physical resources, it indirectly increases energy consumption through the use of cloud, data centers, networks, and user terminals, impacting the environmental load of the entire ICT sector. Furthermore, in recent years, social demands for corporate Scope 3 emission disclosures have strengthened, and the disclosure of CO2 emissions originating from software products is becoming increasingly important as a factor in procurement evaluation and transaction decisions.
In March 2024, within the "Support Project for Establishing Product-Specific Calculation Rules for Carbon Footprints for Promoting GX Acceleration (FY2023)" solicited by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Cradle-to-Gate *7 calculation rules (v1.0) were formulated, enabling the evaluation of CO2 emissions during the development phase. However, since software products are generally used for long periods after development, evaluating CO2 emissions over the entire lifecycle, including operation and disposal, has been a challenge.
2. Achievements of This Initiative
The Japan Environment Club's Software Sector Decarbonization Study Group has formulated Cradle-to-Grave *8 version calculation rules, expanding the scope of traditional calculation rules, which were limited to the procurement and development stages, to the entire lifecycle. With these calculation rules, it has become possible to calculate CO2 emissions from procurement, development, operation, and disposal based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Carbon Footprint Guideline," establishing a foundation for formulating strategies to reduce CO2 emissions attributable to software and for considering and promoting greening of the entire supply chain.