Labels extolling a product’s ethical virtues are nothing new. Fairtrade goods are now as familiar to shoppers as free-range eggs, while organic food labels reassure consumers that their vegetables have been treated with nothing harsher than compost.

A logo explaining climate change, then, is a logical next step for brands that are cutting their carbon dioxide emissions. The UK Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label was launched last year with high street retailer Boots, Walkers and Innocent Drinks agreeing to pilot the scheme.

Carbon labels show consumers the “carbon content” of an individual product. An item’s carbon content is the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted from every stage of its production and distribution, from source to store. This is also known as “embedded carbon”, or a carbon footprint. The Carbon Trust scheme stipulates that if an item’s carbon footprint is not cut within two years, brands lose the right to use the carbon reduction label.

Click here if you would like to hear from Neil Campbell, the CEO of Walkers, about the company's experience with carbon labelling - what works, what doesn't
Source: Ethical Corp  (Half price subscriptions to Ethical Corporation magazine)