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The Carbon Trust today launches a carbon reduction label that demonstrates a commitment from companies to reduce the carbon footprint of their products.
In this initial phase of the scheme’s development, the label and methodology will be trialled by a number of major brands including Walkers, Boots and innocent, in order to test and build consumer understanding. Over time it is hoped that the new label will help consumers make purchasing decisions by displaying a measure of a product’s carbon content from source to store.
The first product to appear on shelves with the new logo will be Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps - the company’s best selling flavour. The new packs will appear in major supermarkets and independent retailers from mid-April and people will also be able to read more about the initiative on a new website.
Boots will be introducing point of sale material with the label to accompany the launch of Botanics and Ingredients range shampoos with a reduced carbon footprint. They will also be giving advice to consumers on how they can reduce their personal carbon footprints. This material is expected to be in more than 250 stores from July.
innocent will be displaying the label for all smoothie recipes on the company website, starting with the mango and passionfruit smoothie today.
The label is based on an experimental methodology developed by the Carbon Trust during the past 18 months for measuring embodied carbon and will be applicable to a wide range of products. As part of the initial phase of the scheme, the methodology will be reviewed by a specially-created Technical Advisory Group chaired by Jim Skea, research director of the UK Energy Resource Centre, with members from across Government, business, environment and consumer groups. The review will include a detailed consultation with industry and stakeholders.
Companies displaying the label will sign up to a ‘reduce it or lose it’ clause whereby if they fail to reduce the carbon footprint of the product over a two year period they will have the label withdrawn by the Carbon Trust.
Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, commented:
“Everything we do or buy has a carbon impact and it is clear that consumers and business want to take action to help tackle climate change. We believe this label, with its built-in commitment to reduce the product’s carbon footprint, will act as a powerful bridge connecting carbon-conscious companies and their customers.
“This is the start of an exciting journey; we do not have all the answers yet but it is time to take action. We are confident that companies will want to demonstrate their commitment to act on climate change by working with us to develop this scheme. Establishing one standard, credible way of measuring a product’s carbon content will empower consumers to make informed decisions as well as driving businesses to invest in lowering the carbon content of their products.”
Neil Campbell, Chief Executive of Walkers, said:
"We think that raising awareness of carbon emissions is the right thing to do. Walkers Crisps has already reduced its energy use per pack by a third since 2000 and we are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of our products even further. We hope this label will empower people to make more informed choices about the products they buy."
Andrew Jenkins, Sustainable Development Manager, Boots the Chemists, said:
"Working with the Carbon Trust has enabled Boots to measure and subsequently reduce the carbon footprint of everyday products such as shampoo by as much as 20 per cent. With Boots as the most trusted brand in the UK, providing this information and advice to customers on reducing personal carbon footprints will raise public awareness about the part we can all play in combating climate change and protecting the environment.”
Richard Reed, Co-Founder of innocent, added:
"innocent wanted to know where every last gram of CO2 was being generated across our entire business system. Now we can make sure that we reduce our footprint down to the absolute minimum. We’re determined to concentrate on positively influencing the future, and telling our consumers how we are doing as we go.”
Research undertaken by the Carbon Trust [1] shows that 66 per cent of consumers say they want to know the carbon footprint of the products they buy.
For products to carry the carbon label, companies will need to have completed a rigorous carbon analysis of their product supply chains following the agreed methodology, and commit to reducing the carbon level of their product over the next two years.
The initiative has been supported by a wide range of businesses and stakeholders including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Cadbury Schweppes, Duchy Originals, the Co-operative Group, The Climate Group, the British Retail Consortium, WWF, Green Alliance, Food and Drink Federation and Forum for the Future.
Quotes from companies and organisations on Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label. For further information please contact the Carbon Trust press office on 020 7544 3100.
Mark Kenber, Policy Director, The Climate Group:
"I would like to congratulate The Carbon Trust for their role in developing an approach to measuring carbon emissions across a product's life cycle. There is a large demand from business for guidance on this issue and I am delighted they have kick-started the development of standards in this area."
David North, Community & Government Director, Tesco:
"As part of its response to the challenge of climate change, Tesco is committed to developing a universally accepted and commonly understood measure of the carbon footprint of every product. Customers can then compare products as an aid to the reduction of their own carbon footprints. It is a complex area which requires both research and collaboration. We welcome the progress made by the Carbon Trust on methodology and look forward to working closely with them and others on this important agenda."
Rowland Hill, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Marks & Spencer:
“Arguably the greatest good that retailers can perform over the next few years is in engaging their customers in combating climate change. To achieve this we'll need to collaborate, use the same approach and communicate a consistent message. We are strong supporters of the start made by the Carbon Trust.”
Alison Austin, Head of Brand Policy & Sustainability for Sainsbury’s:
"At Sainsbury's we believe that our role is to help guide our customers through the complex and evolving agenda surrounding climate change. We welcome this (Carbon Trust) initiative as a significant step in working towards a common language that will help customers make positive informed choices."
Alex Cole, Corporate Responsibility Director at Cadbury Schweppes:
"Cadbury Schweppes is taking a very active interest in the emerging field of carbon footprinting. We welcome today’s announcement and we are working closely with the Carbon Trust and others to see how it might work for our products, not just in the UK but world-wide. We believe this approach can help us deliver against our environmental goals, as well as building consumer understanding of environmental issues.”
Paul Monaghan , Head of Ethics and Sustainability, the Co-operative Group:
"There is a real need for a robust carbon labelling scheme for products and services, and its great to know that a tried and tested organisation like the Carbon Trust have made so much progress already. The Co-operative will be sitting down and looking to see whether this fits our needs and, if so, what we can do to help move things forward."
Belinda Gooding, CEO, Duchy Originals:
Duchy Originals would like to congratulate the Carbon Trust for the work they are doing in developing an approach to the measurement of a product’s carbon content from source to store. The development of a single transparent methodology which we can all embrace, and which is easily understood by the consumer, is essential to reducing carbon emissions and achieving our environmental goals. We look forward to continuing to work with the Carbon Trust on this important issue.
Nigel Smith, British Retail Consortium Environment Policy Director:
“The BRC supports the principle of carbon labeling. Measuring products’ carbon impact is a major challenge. Any system needs to be reliable and authoritative so customers can make meaningful comparisons. The Carbon Trust’s work is a valuable starting point in developing a methodology. Retailers stand ready to work with the Trust to achieve a credible system.”
Sally Uren, Director of Forum for the Future’s Business Programme:
“We strongly support the work of the Carbon Trust and the pilot companies in establishing a methodology to allow measurement of carbon in the products we all buy. One of they key ways in which we will tackle climate change is to bring low carbon goods and services to market. This methodology should help make this a reality. It is equally critical to communicate carbon to the consumer. This isn't going to be straightforward and we're delighted to see that a full consultation process is being launched. No-one is quite sure of the best way of helping consumers make choices on the basis of the carbon contained within the products they buy, this consultation process will hopefully provide some answers.”
Keith Allott WWF:
“It is fantastic that there is so much interest from the business community in carbon labelling and the climate change impacts across the full supply chain. There is a risk of numerous competing and confusing methodologies, WWF hopes that this interest and the work of the Carbon Trust will be a good step forward in channelling this interest into a single coherent approach.”
Stephen Hale, Green Alliance:
"Consumers need labels they can trust and consistency across different brands and retailers. The Carbon Trust's initiative could provide a real breakthrough for companies and consumers committed to act on cutting carbon."
Fiona Dawson, Chair of Food and Drink Federation’s Sustainability and Competitiveness Steering Group:
“FDF congratulates the Carbon Trust on taking a lead in the carbon labelling debate. The consultation and pilot of the Trust’s proposals is an important first step to ensuring widespread stakeholder engagement. A single methodology for industry as a whole is essential. This is a complex issue. To be effective, the methodology must be practicable, based upon sound science and easily understood by consumers.”
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