The Carbon Reduction Label explained

A public display of the carbon footprint of a product or service

The Carbon Reduction Label shows the total greenhouse gas emissions from every stage of the product's lifecycle, including production, transportation, preparation, use and disposal*. While it is essential that the footprint calculations take every greenhouse gas into account, the figure is given as their total CO2 equivalent as is consistent with other recognised GHG reporting.
*In the case of a Business to Business (B2B) product (one that is manufactured for use in another product's manufacture), the carbon footprint measurement is up to the factory gates.

Effective across multiple media

While most people assume that carbon labelling refers to on-pack labelling, there are many other effective channels that providers of products and services can exploit, including:

1. Point of Sale material
2. Websites belonging to the product manufacturer or service provider
3. Online reseller product catalogues (products) and online directories (services)
4. Advertising, mailpacks, product brochures, catalogues, business cards, local directories and other sales materials
5. Product manuals – where carbon-reducing usage advice can be explained.

A tool for comparing different products within any category

The Carbon Reduction Label is underpinned by the PAS 2050, a standard developed in partnership with Defra and BSI, and receiving input from stakeholders around the world. By then applying its own set of proprietary data and comparability rules, the Carbon Trust Footprinting Company can ensure that measurement is comparable across different products within any particular category, enabling manufacturers and consumers to make quick and valid comparisons.

A "reduce or lose" commitment

The Label includes a reduction element whereby the company is committed to further reduce the carbon footprint over the following two years. If the commitment is not met, the company will no longer be able to use the label.

Effective brand enhancement

Recent research studies carried out for the Carbon Trust and other organisations conclude that companies believe that climate change is one of the factors most likely to affect their corporate reputation. We also have evidence to show that the Carbon Reduction Label could be a deciding factor in customer choice. Carbon Labelling is thus a valuable way for companies to demonstrate their carbon commitments to their consumers.