New standard for carbon footprint reduction

A NEW environmental standard has been launched to help firms officially assess the carbon footprint of goods and services.

The PAS 2050 standard has been developed by BSI British Standards, the Carbon Trust and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), with the aim of helping firms move beyond managing emissions in their own processes and looking for opportunities in reducing CO2 throughout the supply chain.

The Carbon Trust has already piloted PAS 2050 with 75 product ranges across a wide range of companies including Boots, Innocent, Marshalls, Cadbury, Halifax, Kimberly Clark, The Co-operative Group, Scottish & Newcastle, Coors Brewers, British Sugar, ABAgri, Sainsbury’s, Danone, Continental Clothing Company, Colors Fruit, Morphy Richards, Mey Selections and Aggregate Industries.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said:”Companies have said they want to be able to count their carbon emissions in a better way, so we have responded. By looking at where the emissions are being created and reducing them, businesses can also save themselves money.

“You can’t see or count emissions when you buy a product. But consumers want to know that emissions are being cut by businesses and this standard will help businesses to do that.

Tom Delay, the Carbon Trust’s chief executive said that for the first time firms will have a “robust, consistent standard” for measuring their carbon footprint.

“This exciting development will help businesses to really understand the carbon impact of their products and to follow this up with tangible ways to cut carbon emissions across the supply chain,” he added.

“The Carbon Trust has been part of this work from the outset and we are delighted that PAS 2050 is now publicly available for any company to use.”