SGS Consumer Testing Services announced the launch of what it says is the first carbon footprint labeling program for individual products manufactured and sold on international markets.
SGS Consumer Testing Services announced the launch of what it says is the first carbon footprint labeling program for individual products manufactured and sold on international markets.
Unlike labels limited to a state, a country or a single phase in a product’s carbon journey, SGS’s program offers a global approach that covers all geographies with a single label as well as recognizing multiple levels of environmental achievement.
The program consists of a three-label scheme that places a product along a progression towards greater carbon sustainability.
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SGS Carbon Footprint applies to products for which SGS has calculated the total greenhouse gas emissions over the product’s lifecycle, using internationally accepted standards and listing the results on the label.
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SGS Carbon Reduction signifies that a product’s carbon footprint has been reduced in a 12-month continuous improvement scheme established after the initial carbon footprint calculation.
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SGS Carbon Neutral indicates a significant reduction has been achieved and that remaining emissions have been offset through programs such as renewable energy credit purchase systems run by certified third-party organizations.
SGS says its sustainability experts around the globe can support companies to set up a carbon reduction strategy and help define an attainable reduction target in order to pave the way for achieving the SGS Carbon Reduction and SGS Carbon Neutral marks. That strategy, based on the product lifecycle analysis, can include steps such as raw material reductions, energy management, implementation of best available technologies and supply chain optimization. These techniques can also help drive savings in production costs, SGS says.
Bart King is a PR consultant and principal of Cleantech Communications.
Published Jan 12, 2012 2pm EST / 11am PST / 7pm GMT / 8pm CET
Bart King is the founder and principal at New Growth Communications. He specializes in helping sustainability leaders develop thought leadership content and strategy