1. Carbon Labelling: Theory and Practice R ebecca White Food and Drink Innovation Network Seminar 18 April 2007

2. Presentation outline The context: What is ‘carbon’ and where is it emitted? Carbon counting & use of this information What can we learn from other labels: options and issues Key lessons ECI & Tesco

3. Why carbon label food?....huge potential Source: UK Carbon Attribution model, Centre for Environmental Strategy, Surrey University, 2005

4. EmissionSource GWP 100 yrs % of UK’s food emissions Carbon Dioxide CO 2 Fossil energy use in the production, preparation & recycling of all goods 1 92% Methane CH 4 Rice production Ruminant animals Food and animal waste decomposition 23 7% Nitrous Oxides N 2 O Animal waste Fertiliser application and break down 296 HFCs and PFCs Refrigerant Aluminium production 120-12,000 5,700-11,9001% Source: IPCC Working Group 1: The Scientific Basis (2001), HM Government (2006) & Tara Garnett (2006)

5. Where is carbon emitted? 0.98 kg CO 2 eq/kg5 kg CO 2 eq/kg Source: Anderson & Ohlsson (1999) and Cederberg (2003) In: Foster et al 2006

6. Key Questions What gases should be included in the ‘carbon’ label? Should it be called a ‘carbon’ label…is this confusing? Should we try to do all foods at once, or start with the easiest or most carbon intense?

7. How can life cycle impacts be measured? Life Cycle Analysis 1. Boundaries & detail setting 2. Measuring, allocation 3. Impact assessment 4. Interpretation of results

8. W W W W W PP W 1. Boundaries and detail setting Map the production/consumption chain

9. W W W W W PP W 1. Boundaries and detail setting Map the production/consumption chain Determine system boundary

10. W W W W W PP W 2. Measuring & allocation Map the production/consumption chain Determine system boundary Measure energy/ fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions and throughputs at each stage within system (‘what goes in must come out’) Energy/fuel use, kg GHG emissions, throughput

11. W W W W W PP W 3. Impact assessment Map the production/consumption chain Determine system boundary Measure energy/ fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions and throughputs at each stage within system Units of fuel or energy use/kg produced X emission coefficient (kg CO 2 /unit energy or fuel) Energy/fuel use, kg GHG emissions, throughput Kg CO 2 /kg produced

12. Who should collect, collate and interpret the data? How should results be interpreted? Where should the system boundary lie – waste and home energy use included? What information sources can be used – proportion empirical and secondary? Key Questions

13. Use of this information in the supply chain… Will it be used for procurement purposes by retailers? Will there be sufficient incentives to make potentially big changes across supply chains? Auditing and verification processes Designing a system which respects confidentiality but works

14. What can we learn from other labels? Mandatory labelling scheme Used by 1/3 rd of consumers unaided Overall impact = % of users of label to buy greener product x degree of efficiency improvement possible Minimum standards + increasing consumer awareness = incentive for manufacturer

15. Efficiency of cold appliance bought, by profile group

16. Mandatory? Trust & consistency? Framework? Incentive structures? What constitutes label success? Key Questions

17. Conclusions: Aim of the label must be determined first  this affects methods, label form, function and framework Label needs to be part of a wider framework Label is a pre-requisite for many other initiatives to build on

18. Expert roundtable on objectives & research priorities with UKERC Meeting Place - Early May Dissemination symposium to explain workshop results - Mid May (UKERC) Tesco to fund an independent Sustainable Consumption Institute to take research forward What next?

19. Thank you rebecca.white@ouce.ox.ac.uk