Asahi Kasei joins blockchain project for sustainability certification

Dusseldorf, Germany – Asahi Kasei Europe has become a member of a pioneering joint project on blockchain technology for the sustainability-focused ISCC Plus certification.

Led by the Dutch software provider Circularise and the Japanese trading company Marubeni, the project aims at enhancing the efficiency of the certification process and the integrity of the certified data, said Asahi Kasei in a statement 11 Oct.

The Japanese materials group said the move was in line with its strategic target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

As part of the strategy, the Tokyo-based group said it is currently enhancing activities around the utilisation of bio-based and recyclable materials, as well as renewable energy sources.

“To ensure full reliability and transparency, the company is accelerating the certification of its more sustainable materials,” it added.

The ISCC Plus certification is a global certification scheme that links the supply chain from raw materials such as biomass feedstock and recycled materials to finished products through mass balance management.

The certification offers further transparency about the sustainability of the final products to the end user.

“As a supplier of plastics, fibres, and synthetic rubber, the ISCC Plus mass balance certification is becoming more important for us to advance this [sustainability] strategy,” said Akira Nishizawa, managing director of Asahi Kasei Europe.

According to Asahi Kasei, test results have confirmed “confidentiality and reliability” of blockchain technology.

In addition to the project leader Circularise, 10 companies across the entire supply chain - including chemical suppliers, trading companies, and consumer electronics manufacturers - participated in the project.

The mass balance management of ISCC Plust certification was operated on Circularise’s software system.

The 10 companies conducted trial runs, testing the effectiveness of the system, as well as the material traceability and data verification.