Carbon Trust scheme has incentives for reduction

Regarding the Carbon Trust’s carbon reduction label, I would like to clarify a couple of points.

We believe this label to be the first of its kind. The scheme is intended to drive companies to invest in lowering the carbon content of their products.

The key point about the label is that it not only measures a product’s carbon impact but also has an in-built incentive for the manufacturer to reduce the ‘footprint’ of that product. Companies that use the label sign up to a ‘reduce it or lose it’ clause whereby the label will be withdrawn if carbon reduction is not achieved. We agree that, if carbon labelling is to encourage companies to tackle supply chain emissions and empower consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions, a single universal standard is essential.

The label is based on an experimental methodology developed by the CT 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 technical advisory group. The review will include a detailed consultation with industry and stakeholders.

Joanna Bacon, Trainee consultant, Fishburn Hedges, London WC2