Big brands failing on emissions

Two thirds of the UK’s 600 biggest brands have either increased their carbon emissions over the past year, failed to report on emissions levels, or set targets below the government’s Copenhagen carbon-cutting goal.

These are the initial findings of a report called Brand Emissions, which was released today, based on information taken from the Carbon Disclosure Project database.

A huge 320 brands, which included McDonald's, Harvey Nichols and Porsche, had no public emission-reduction targets in place, and a further 250 brands such as Google, McKinsey and Amazon failed to report any carbon emissions information at all.

The study was commissioned by Marketing magazine and its sister title Brand Republic which want company ratings to be published annually.

Rachel Stilwell, publishing director at Haymarket Brand Media, said: "For brands in the UK, it is no longer enough to have a statement of intent on carbon reduction. Year on year, the Brand Emissions survey will track progress against the government’s goals."

The report also found that 122 UK-based organisations, including Barclays, Sky and eBay, had increased their carbon emissions during 2008.

This left only one in five demonstrating cuts in emissions and devising targets in line with the UK government’s aims of lowering such emissions by 34 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020.

Leaders in this area included British Airways, Marks & Spencer and the top four supermarket brands Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons.

Overall performance tables were published today and are available at www.brandemissions.com.

A detailed analysis of the results will be published on 9 December.

Analysis of the data was undertaken by the Edinburgh University Business School and carbon performance benchmarking and ratings organisation, the ENDS Carbon team.