Seeing carbon footprints on products labels is becoming more widespread in the UK

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our or .

Sourced From The Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label is fast gaining traction. In France, Casino, Leclerc and other distributors have taken, or are planning to take, the first steps towards labelling their products. In Britain, big retailers are already engaged in using the Label and consumers are beginning to respond to its presence.

The Carbon Trust - an independent company set up by the UK government in response to the threat of climate change - has developed a robust and consistent method for assessing the carbon emissions embedded within products and services across their life cycle.

Once a product’s carbon footprint is known through using this method it can then be communicated to customers using a Carbon Trust Carbon Reduction Label on the product itself. This allows the consumer to compare greenhouse gas emissions of products in the same way they compare, for example, the calories in a food product. Eventually, the Carbon Reduction Label could allow consumers to make like-for-like comparisons between products, thus guiding consumer choice from an environmental point of view.

The Carbon Trust method for calculating emissions of greenhouse gases products and their packaging

The Carbon Trust has developed a method to quantify the total emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogenous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbure, sulfuric hexafluoride) of a product and its packaging through their life cycle. The method takes into account the procurement of raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal of products.

During these various steps, only primary emissions (those directly related to the product) are recorded. That means calculating at every step of the chain, emissions through energy consumption, use and disposal. To calculate the consumption, the Carbon Trust has set emission indicators, which are then converted to carbon. Secondary issues (for example, those generated by the work of employees or emissions related to transport in store) are not taken into account.