Japan preps carbon footprint labelling scheme

The global march of carbon-labelling schemes continued yesterday with the news the Japanese government is planning to mark consumer goods with information on their carbon footprint.

According to AFP reports, the trade ministry is planning to launch a trial scheme at some point during the next financial year, beginning in April 2009, that will see a range of products from beverages to detergents carry labels detailing their carbon footprint.

Trade ministry official Shintaro Ishihara told the news agency that the government hoped "that displaying carbon footprints will raise awareness among consumers as well as companies of their emissions and motivate them to emit less C02".

Precise details of the scheme remain sketchy, with the government yet to decide the exact number of products that will carry the labels.

However, the scheme appears to have significant support with more than 20 companies, including retail giant Aeon and drinks company Sapporo Breweries, having joined a panel set up by the ministry earlier this year to investigate the issue.

Work on the necessary carbon footprint labels also appears to be fairly advanced and the ministry claims to have already completed research that shows that a bag of crisps emits 75 grams (2.63 ounces) of carbon dioxide throughout its lifecyle. It calculated that 44 per cent of emissions arising from the product comes from growing potatoes, 30 per cent from production and processing, 15 per cent from the packaging, nine per cent from delivery and two per cent from disposal of the bag.

The scheme is the latest in a number of high-profile initiatives designed to allow firms to measure the full cradle-to-grave carbon impact of their products. The UK's Carbon Trust is undertaking a major labelling trial alongside companies such as Tesco and Boots, while the French government is also working on a similar initiative.