An ontology for anthropogenic impact accounting

"Anything perceivable or conceivable." ("object" - ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[A] person or thing that takes an active role or produces a specified effect." (OED, Google)

"[The] doer of an action, typically expressed as the subject of an active verb or in a by phrase with a passive verb." (OED, Google)

"[A] thing that a person or group does or has done." (OED, Google)

"Smallest identified object of work in a project." (ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[A]scertain the size, amount, or degree of (something) by using an instrument or device marked in standard units." (OED, Google)

"[A]ssess the importance, effect, or value of (something)." (OED, Google)

"[S]tate or assert that something is the case..." (OED, Google)

"[A]ssert that one has gained or achieved (something)." (OED, Google)

"[C]onduct a systematic review of." (OED, Google)

"[C]onfirm[], through the provision of objective evidence, that specified requirements have been fulfilled." ("verification" - ISO 9000:2015(E))

Conduct a systematic review or assessment of something.

verify

validate

ISO 9000 defines 'verification' and 'validation' indistinguishably.

"systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining objective evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled" ("audit" - ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[T]he surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates." (OED, Google)

"[T]he setting or conditions in which a particular activity is carried on. (OED, Google)

"[A] specified sphere of activity or knowledge." ("domain" - OED, Google)

"[A] numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation." (OED, Google)

"[A] numerical characteristic of a population, as distinct from a statistic of a sample." (OED, Google)

"[A] limit or boundary which defines the scope of a particular process or activity." (OED, Google)

"[A] thing that happens or takes place,..." (OED, Google)

"[A] single occurrence of a process, e.g. the ionization of one atom." (OED, Google)

"[T]he function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation." (OED, Google)

"[A] role is particular behaviour which a material entity may exhibit."

CHEBI:50906

Roles are context-specific.
A role restricts the set of activities that an agent can perform in the context within which they enact the role.
Roles are sometimes mutually exclusive.
Some roles require the enacting agent to have met certain requirements to be allowed to enact the role in that context.

An agent who owns a thing.

"[A] person who owns something." (OED, Google)

"[A] person who operates equipment or a machine." (OED, Google)

"[A] person or company that runs a business." (OED, Google)

"[A] person who conducts an audit." (OED, Google)

"[S]omeone who vouches for another or for the correctness of a statement." ("verifier")

"[P]erson who conducts an audit." (ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[T]he restriction of an activity, tendency, or phenomenon." (OED, Google)

"[A] means of limiting or regulating something." (OED, Google)

"[A]n established or official way of doing something." (OED, Google)

"[A] series of actions conducted in a certain order or manner." (OED, Google)

"[S]pecified way to carry out an activity or process." (ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[A] tool or implement, especially one for precision work." (OED, Google)

"[A] means of pursuing an aim." (OED, Google)

"[A] measuring device used to gauge the level, position, speed, etc. of something,..." (OED, Google)

"[A] thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment." ("device" - OED, Google)

"[A] plan, method, or trick with a particular aim." ("device" - OED, Google)

"[A] device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function." ("tool" - OED, Google)

"[A] thing used to help perform a job." ("tool" - OED, Google)

device (?)

tool (?)

"[A] level of quality or attainment." (OED, Google)

"[A] required or agreed level of quality or attainment." (OED, Google)

"[S]omething used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations." (OED, Google)

"[P]rinciples of conduct informed by notions of honour and decency." (OED, Google)

"[A] series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end." (OED, Google)

"[A] natural series of changes." (OED, Google)

"[A] systematic series of mechanized or chemical operations that are performed in order to produce something." (OED, Google)

"[S]et of interrelated or interacting activities that uses or transforms inputs to deliver a(n) (intended) result." (ISO Annex SL Appendix 2; ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[A]n individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim." (OED, Google)

"[A] proposed or planned undertaking." (OED, Google)

"[U]nique process, consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an objective conforming to specific requirements, including the constraints of time, cost and resources." (ISO 9000:2015(E))

"[A] thing that is needed or wanted." (OED, Google)

"[A] thing that is compulsory; a necessary condition." (OED, Google)

"[N]eed or expectation that is stated, generally implied or obligatory." (ISO Annex SL Appendix 2)

"[A] stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively." (OED, Google)

"[A] source of help or information." (OED, Google)

"[A]vailable assets." (OED, Google)

"[T]he beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something." (OED, Google)

"[A] widespread belief that someone or something has a particular characteristic." (OED, Google)

Agents

• unique identifier (identity)
• type (individual or group; if group, what type of group, e.g. organisation, company or movement; auditor)
  • Develop or source a schema describing a minimum set of properties by agents type

An agent asserts their identity though digital signatures

Agents provide proofs of their properties through verified credentials 

Other parties can verify agent properties and make claims about their methods and results

Digital signature

Verified credentials 

Validation claim by third party

See: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CHEBI_50906

Definition "A role is particular behaviour which a material entity may exhibit."^^xsd:string

Activities

• activity class (e.g. IPCC categories)
• activity description including objective(s) 
• location
• start time
• end time (possibly)
• agent
• input(s) (e.g. materials and energy; consumables and non-consumables)
• process(es): a process links inputs to products and waste
• output(s) product + waste

• objective (experience, create, reduce, destroy, avoid, verify) (optional / not required in all instances)

* An audit is a special type of activity where the input is a claim and the output is an evaluation of that claim.

Ex ante: An agent asserts their intentions to act in a Projet Design Document (PDD) 

Ex post: An agent describe their actions in a Projet Design Document (PDD) 

The activity and its results and impacts are documented by the agent at intervals in a monitoring report (MR)

• unique identifier

Consider a token for an activity that contains all the essential elements in column 1. Such a token must have a time limit and proof of life requirements (e.g. minimum process data feed to confirm it is ongoing)

NACE activity codes

IPCC

NAICS

ISIC

• location and temportal extent (either objective or referential)
• definition (in terms of parameters of interest)

States

• metrics referring to parameters
• type (actual [measured] or baseline [counterfactual])

*State as in environmental state (not political state)

Parameters/indicators for states

Parameters/indicators delivered by agents via PDDs and MRs

• unique identifier
• impact claim per state

• name
• definition
• unit of measure
• rationale
• calculation
• credibility

(Emission factors are parameters, for example.)

• unique identifier

• name
• author(s)
• applicability - type of agent, type of activity, state
• requirements (e.g. reporting requirements, calculation requirements)
• version
• method(s)
• precision
• accuracy / std error
• emission factors (defaults)

• unique identifier

• agent 
• activity
• "before" state for every every environment and aspect of the state under consideration
• "after" state for every every environment and aspect of the state under consideration
• causal connection between activity and the resultant state (e.g. scope 1 (primary/secondary), scope 2 or scope 3)
• standard followed