Pasta becomes latest weapon in the fight against climate change

£2 billion worth of consumer goods now feature the Carbon Reduction Label.

13 October 2010, London: Consumers are set to spend over £2 billion (*1) a year on products bearing the Carbon Reduction Label, the Carbon Trust announced today, as new research shows that 9 out of 10 households in the UK bought a carbon labelled product in the last year.(*2)

The milestone figure has been reached after Tesco confirmed it is to put the Carbon Reduction Label, with its distinctive footprint logo, on its own brand dried egg and dried Finest pasta – available in stores nationwide from as early next month. It means that the average UK household spends £77 on carbon labelled products per year. (*3 )
 
The Label shows shoppers at a glance that a manufacturer has worked with the Carbon Trust to measure the carbon footprint of a product and is committed to reducing its footprint over two years.

The Carbon Reduction Label has reached this landmark figure of £2 billion in just three years since it was launched by the Carbon Trust, with both Quaker Oats and Morphy Richards signing up over the past year. The latest products – Tesco’s own brand dried egg and dried Finest pasta – join other key essentials from Tesco that all feature the Label, including its own brand milk, orange juice, washing detergent and toilet roll, along with other everyday brands such as Walkers crisps, Kingsmill bread and Tate and Lyle sugar.

This figure rises to approximately £3 billion if business products featuring the Carbon Reduction Label are included, with additional sales value from brands such as Continental Clothing and CEMEX.

Euan Murray, Head of Footprinting at The Carbon Trust, said: “With big brands such as Tesco taking action to reduce the carbon footprint of many of the products we buy everyday, there’s been a quiet kitchen revolution over the last three years.

“It’s amazing to think that if the carbon footprint of our groceries was reduced by just 1%, over 1 million tonnes of carbon would be saved – that’s the equivalent of taking about 350,000 cars off the road. If that reduction can be made every year then very quickly we can make a real difference. That’s why the Carbon Reduction Label is so important and why we’re pleased that in just three years household brands like Kingsmill, Tesco, Tate and Lyle and Silver Spoon are already onboard, and in the next three years we'd like shoppers to find carbon labelled products wherever they go on the high street.”

To help shoppers become familiar with the Label and what it means, and in recognition of the £2 billion milestone, the Carbon Trust is today launching its campaign urging consumers to ‘Look for the Label’ when they are shopping. Looking for the Carbon Reduction Label in shops and supermarkets is the easy way for shoppers to make a difference in the fight against climate change. And with no price premium on these everyday products, being green is something everyone can do.

David North, Community and Government Director, Tesco said: “Carbon is an unfamiliar subject for many people.  So we're providing clear information to help our customers understand the impact of what they buy and do. We have pioneered an innovative, universal carbon footprint label with the Carbon Trust, and have already put the label on over 100 own-brand products.  And we'll expand this to include more products this year.” 

The first products to carry the Carbon Reduction Label were Walkers crisps in 2007. Richard Evans, CEO PepsiCo UK & Ireland, parent company of Walkers, said: "The carbon reduction logo is a public commitment to reducing our carbon footprint year on year and ensures that we work hard to find innovative ways of making efficiencies at every step of our supply chain. We are proud to be leading the way on sustainability, which began by working with the Carbon Trust to understand the carbon footprint of our products, and led to Walkers crisps being the first product worldwide to feature the carbon label on pack.”

Dax Lovegrove, head of business and industry at WWF-UK, said: "Action from businesses and consumers will take us closer to a climate-safe future. Consumers can add pressure on businesses to change, but businesses also need to engage them in smart ways that connect them to the key issues. There are myriad benefits to be gained by pushing solutions rather than awaiting consumer pull - benefits that are already being reaped by the more innovative businesses. One of these is to tell the story of sustainable products. The Carbon Reduction Label, along with a range of other accredited eco labels, has a role to play in this agenda, both through improving choice and driving change."

Ten of the UK’s favourite celebrities recently pledged their support for the Carbon Reduction Label. Award-winning portrait photographer, Trevor Leighton, captured the stars in a series of striking images to dramatise the products that carry the Carbon Reduction Label, and encourage shoppers to consider their carbon footprint when they do their next weekly shop.

Former Olympic swimmer, Sharron Davies, was one of those photographed. She explains, “Although I try to be as green as I can, like many mums out there with a busy schedule, it’s not always easy to find the time to make green choices. That’s why for me, looking out for the Carbon Reduction Label when I’m shopping is the obvious choice – I can make a difference whilst doing the weekly shop, and without spending any extra money.”

TV presenter and former supermodel, Lisa Butcher, is another celebrity supporter of the Carbon Reduction Label. Already an environmentally-conscious shopper and an ambassador for Fairtrade, she sees the Label as a further step in the right direction: “Making the right choices when it comes to which product to buy in the supermarket can be a minefield for shoppers – that’s why I’m a big supporter of brands that carry the Carbon Reduction Label. Looking for the Label is something everyone can do – and although it’s a small step, it really can make a big difference to the environment.”

Notes to Editors

*1 Centre for Retail Research, October 2010
*2 The Carbon Trust calculation based in part on data reported by Nielsen through its Homescan Service for defined products carrying The Carbon Reduction Label, (The Carbon Trust -defined) for the 52-week period ending 4th September 2010  for the Great Britain total grocery market. (Copyright © 2010, The Nielsen Company.)
*3 Calculated by dividing £2bn annual sales by total number of UK households    

Press contacts
Amy Watt/Karla Winch, Brands2Life, ctfc@brands2life.com, 020 7592 1200

About the £2 billion figure
•    The Centre for Retail Research examined the scale and significance in the UK retail sector of The Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label. This audit project was led by Professor Joshua Bamfield, Director of the Centre for Retail Research.  It corroborated that sales of consumer products that are part of the Carbon Reduction Label process are £2 billion, and B2B products approximately £3 billion.  A full report is available on request.
 
About the Centre for Retail Research
•    The Centre for Retail Research carries out authoritative research focusing upon the impact of economic change, technology and new retail systems in Britain and Europe. Its largest research report covers 42 countries including Russia, China, the US and Japan. Established in 1997, it carries out assessments of market growth for a large number of clients including Dixons, Sainsbury’s, Visa Europe, Kelkoo, Checkpoint Systems, Carrefour, Oasis, Wilkinsons, El Corte Ingles, Metro, The Co-operative and the fiscal authorities of three countries.