Low Carbon Tags For Products

(Global Times)

The National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC), and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) on Thursday stated to make out a framework on labeling products as low carbon, according to reports.

Future products marked with the low-carbon symbol will bring positive effect on environmental protection and carbon emission reduction. They can guide consumers to consciously purchase eco-friendly stuff.

Low carbon product authentications have been used in many countries like Japan, Germany, and the UK, but different countries adopt various evaluation methods, so China needs to find one that suits its own needs, said Chen Wei, a senior official from the China Quality Certification Center (CQC).

The Ministry of Information and Industry (MIIT), CQC and the Ministry of Environment (MOE) also joined in the project.

Trucking’s Carbon Footprint Goes Beyond On-Road Vehicles

(Trucking Info)

A trucking company’s carbon footprint goes beyond its on-road vehicle fleet to include other direct emissions, indirect emissions and the optional “life-cycle” emissions, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.

ATRI released the findings of its analysis of greenhouse gas reporting tools and emissions models, with the goal of helping carriers quantify potential sources of greenhouse gases within their operations.

“ATRI’s study also highlights the need for industry involvement in standardizing approaches for carbon accounting,” said Mike Naatz, president of the customer care division and chief customer officer for YRC Worldwide. Naatz is a member of the ATRI Research Advisory Committee, which identified this research priority.

ATRI’s research identified both U.S. and international reporting tools and methodologies. Among the key findings were differences in the weighting of model inputs, which in turn impact the reported level of emissions. Read more here.

Wal-Mart Sets New Sustainability Mandates

(Journal of Commerce)

Retailer wants suppliers to cut emissions by 20 million metric tons by 2015

Wal-Mart announced an “aggressive” new environmental initiative across its supply chain Thursday, saying it will call on suppliers of its products to eliminate a total of 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years.

Wal-Mart said the effort would run from sourcing of goods to transportation and packaging, adding new mandates to sustainability plans the world’s largest retailer has already launched across its sprawling distribution channels.

“Our analysis has shown that we have opportunities in many of our private label products and with our supply chain,” Mike Duke, Wal-Mart’s president and CEO said in prepared remarks.

“We will work closely and in cooperation with our suppliers throughout this effort,” he said.Read more here.

World Economic Forum Releases Logistics Carbon Emissions Guidelines

(Logistics Today)

The World Economic Forum’s Logistics & Transport Industry Group, supported by global consulting firm Accenture, has agreed to standard guidelines for calculating consignment-level carbon emissions from logistics and shipping operations.

The Consignment-Level Carbon Reporting Guidelines developed with Accenture, were created to help the industry inform consumers and businesses about the carbon impact of product transport.

A recent Accenture survey found that 90% of consumers would be willing to switch to a new product if it was certified as minimizing its impact on climate change, while another Accenture survey found that 98% of Chinese consumers would pay a premium for consumer electronics products that are marketed as environmentally friendly.

“Logistics and transportation providers face growing demand from their retail and manufacturing customers to report the carbon emissions generated by the shipping and handling of their products,” says Jonathan Wright, senior executive in Accenture’s Supply Chain Management practice. “These guidelines will help them work toward providing consumers with carbon footprint information for individual products.” Read more here.

U.S. Bias Against Oilsands Could Break WTO Rules: Expert

(Calgary Herald – Shaun Polczer)

Attempts by U.S. politicians to curb imports of oilsands and “dirty” energy from Canada could face a challenge under World Trade Organization rules, the author of a survey into U.S. protectionism said Monday. According to Helmut Mach, director of the Western Centre for Economic Research at the University of Alberta School of Business, American attempts to restrict imports of higher-carbon fuels such as oilsands could be illegal under international trade rules because it would discriminate against how a particular product – in this case oil – is manufactured.

In that sense, climate bills before the U.S. Senate and Congress could be construed as protectionist measures, Mach said in an interview. “Normally, under international trade rules, how a product is produced is irrelevant,” he said. “PPM’s (process and production methods) are not supposed to be a determining factor in purchasing decisions. It has the potential to become very controversial and complicated factor in the climate-change debate.” Read more here.

Japan to Mandate Carbon Labelling

(The Age, Melbourne)

Japan is to enforce carbon footprint labelling on food packaging and other products in an ambitious scheme to persuade companies and consumers to do more to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The labels will appear on food, drink, detergents and electrical appliances from next year, providing detailed breakdowns of each product’s carbon footprint under a calculation and labelling system being formulated by the Trade Ministry.The ministry said the labels would show emissions produced by the manufacture, distribution and disposal of each product.

To promote the scheme, the ministry released details of the carbon footprint of a packet of chips. One bag produces 75 grams of carbon dioxide: 44% from growing potatoes, 30% in production, 15% from the packaging, 9% during delivery and 2% from disposal.

Last month, the Government vowed to reduce total carbon emissions by up to 80% by 2050.