Carbon Trust Labelling Scheme rolls out across the country

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26 July 2007

Carbon reduction labels will appear on point of sales materials in Boots stores nationwide and across the full range of Walkers crisps this month, as the Carbon Trust’s carbon reduction label trial moves into its next phase.

The Carbon Trust launched the initial phase of the pilot in March 2007 with commitments from Walkers, Boots and innocent to trial the label. Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps were the first product to be labelled and all 13 flavours of Walkers crisps will now carry the label displaying their individual carbon footprints. Point of sale material showing the carbon footprint of a range of Botanics shampoos will also be displayed in more than 250 Boots stores nationwide.


Euan Murray, Carbon Footprinting General Manager of the Carbon Trust said:
"The roll out of the Carbon Trust label across the entire Walkers range, and in over 250 Boots stores, is a significant step forward in our pilot scheme. Having the carbon reduction label in the market enables us to test consumer understanding and refine how this information is communicated. The carbon footprinting of products and its communication via the label offers companies the opportunity tackle the indirect carbon emissions from products and help consumers understand the climate impacts of the purchasing decisions they make."

Neil Campbell, Chief Executive of Walkers, said:
“All companies have a responsibility to the environment and should look for ways to improve their performance. Rolling the Carbon Trust label out across the full range of standard packs of Walkers crisps sends a clear signal to our customers that we are serious in our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of our products.”

Tamara Sharpe - Botanics Brand Manager.
"Working with the Carbon Trust has meant that we can measure and verify the carbon footprint of Botanics shampoos. As a result of this work and other Boots initiatives we've been able to reduce the carbon footprint of our Botanics shampoos by 20%. We're highlighting this to customers in store and giving them advice to help them reduce their carbon footprint further - showing how businesses and customers can work together to combat climate change."

Since its launch, more than 150 companies have registered their interest in the Carbon Trust scheme across a wide variety of industries. The label displays a measure of a product’s carbon impact as well as demonstrating a commitment from the manufacturer to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.

innocent drinks currently display the label for their mango and passionfruit smoothie on their website and are working with the Carbon Trust to provide information across their entire smoothie range.

The label is based on an experimental methodology developed by the Carbon Trust over the past 18 months. This methodology forms the starting point for work currently being undertaken by the Carbon Trust, Defra and the BSI British Standards to develop a standard method for measuring the embodied greenhouse gases in products and services.
The methodology development will be overseen by a Steering Group chaired by Jim Skea, Director of the Energy Research Centre and consisting of members from business, NGOs, government and academia. A broad two stage consultation will form part of the methodology development.

 
 
Footnotes
 

Editor’s Notes

Spokespeople from the Carbon Trust are available for interviews. Please contact the Carbon Trust Press Office on 020 7544 3100 or carbontrust@fishburn-hedges.co.uk

The Carbon Trust label will appear on all 13 flavours of 34.5g standard packs and 50g Big Eat packs of Walkers crisps.

Boots are introducing point of sale material in over 250 stores showing the carbon reduction label of a range of Botanics shampoos

Available media materials include images of the Carbon Trust label and photography of Walkers packets and Boots ‘on shelf’ photography.

For more information about the carbon reduction label see www.carbon-label.co.uk

About the Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust is a private company set up by government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector to create practical business-focused solutions through its external work in five complementary areas: Insights, Solutions, Innovations, Enterprises and Investments. Together these help to explain, deliver, develop, create and finance low carbon enterprise.

The Carbon Trust's annual funding is in excess of £100m in grants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland.