Sapporo beer joins carbon-labelling revolution

Japanese brewery Sapporo is to become the latest firm to trail carbon labelling, announcing plans to carry carbon footprinting data on cans of its Black Label beer.

According to Japanese press reports, the label will be introduced from March following the launch of new guidelines from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry on how to measure the carbon footprint of various products and display the data.

The company said that the carbon data would feature on its 330ml cans and cover all emissions arising from the can from the time the ingredients are planted through to its disposal.

The move is the latest in a series of initiatives around the globe designed to provide consumers with clearer information on the environmental impact of the products they buy.

UK supermarket Tesco recently unveiled carbon labels for 20 products as part of a major pilot project undertaken with The Carbon Trust. The pilot is also being supported by Boots, Walkers Snacks and Innocent Drinks with the view to establishing a standardised metric and labelling scheme for reporting the emissions arising from a wide range of consumer products.