Decathlon Group – Ronghan Yu – 2025
Summary
This project established a renewable energy policy and risk database covering key provinces in China, with emphasis on green electricity, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and biomass fuels. It integrated policy collection, data analysis, and cost modeling to support Decathlon’s supply chain decarbonization. By compiling biomass categories, characteristics, and distribution, and by building a CAPEX/OPEX framework, the project enabled quantitative evaluation of biomass energy. It also explored AI tools for automated policy data acquisition to improve efficiency and scalability.
Goals
The project aimed to advance Decathlon’s sustainability strategy by integrating policy, technical, and economic analysis. The specific goals were: (1) construct a comprehensive policy and risk database on renewable energy and RECs across provinces; (2) collect and organize biomass data on categories, features, and spatial distribution; (3) establish a CAPEX and OPEX framework for assessing biomass feasibility and costs; and (4) test AI-enabled methods for crawling, classification, and risk monitoring of policy documents, improving both efficiency and accuracy.
Solutions
To achieve these objectives, Ronghan Yu developed a structured methodology combining qualitative research with quantitative modeling. He reviewed and systematized provincial renewable energy and REC policy documents, building a searchable database with key metadata and risk indicators. For biomass, he consolidated data on types, characteristics, and distribution, and created a CAPEX and OPEX framework that quantifies investment requirements and operational costs, offering insight into feasibility. Additionally, he tested AI tools for automated policy crawling, classification, and risk alerts, improving the timeliness and reliability of information. Together, these efforts provided a standardized, transparent foundation to support Decathlon’s renewable energy strategy and supplier engagement.
Potential Impact
This project delivered both strategic and practical value for Decathlon. The renewable energy policy database allows systematic tracking of evolving provincial policies, while the biomass CAPEX/OPEX framework offers a robust tool for assessing costs and resource feasibility. By linking policy research with economic modeling, the project provided clear guidance for supply chain decarbonization decisions. The use of AI tools for automated data processing also enhanced scalability and efficiency, laying the groundwork for future expansion. Overall, the outcomes strengthened Decathlon’s capacity to pursue low-carbon strategies and accelerate progress toward its sustainability goals.
