Stores draw up official carbon footprint guide to every item we buy

Everything we buy could have “carbon footprint” labels to tell us how green the product is under a government plan unveiled today. Just as food carries warnings on salt, sugar and fat, the new labels would carry a sign or figure to alert shoppers to the CO2 emissions used. The label could be based on a “traffic light” system that would show red for highly wasteful products and green for those with lowest impact on the planet. The scheme, which will be the first in the world, was unveiled by climate change minister Ian Pearson. Tesco, B&Q, Marks & Spencer and BT will work with green experts and academics to decide how to measure emissions in the “whole life cycle” of a product from its manufacture to packaging, distribution and disposal. The Carbon Trust, a company which advises business on how to cut emissions, and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will devise the new labelling system with BSI British Standards. Image source: thisislondon.co.uk

News selected by Covalence | Country: Global | Company: Tesco, B&Q, Marks & Spencer, BT | Source: This is London