SGS launches Global Product Carbon Footprint Mark

13 Jan '12

2 min read

As a leading provider of sustainability solutions, SGS Consumer Testing Services announced the first Product Carbon Footprint program offering marks that can be applied to products manufactured and sold on international markets. Designed to provide a competitive marketing edge by displaying validated environmental claims, the program is also the first to offer a comprehensive progressive three-label scheme demonstrating continuous improvement in reducing and offsetting a given product's environmental impact.

Three Carbon Levels
Unlike carbon footprint mark schemes that are limited to a state, a country or a single phase in a product's carbon journey, SGS's program offers a comprehensive global approach that covers all geographies with a single label as well as recognizing multiple levels of environmental achievement. Products can “earn” three different marks successively:

• SGS Carbon Footprint, conveying a brand's environmental commitment by attesting that SGS has calculated the total greenhouse gas emissions over the product's lifecycle, using internationally accepted standards and listing the results on the label.
• SGS Carbon Reduction, signifying that the product's carbon footprint has been reduced in a 12-month continuous improvement scheme established after the initial carbon footprint calculation.
• SGS Carbon Neutral, indicating a significant reduction has been achieved and that remaining emissions have been offset through programs such as renewable energy credit purchase systems run by certified third-party organizations.

In-house SGS sustainability experts around the globe can support companies to set up a carbon reduction strategy and help define an attainable reduction target in order to pave the way for achieving the SGS Carbon Reduction and SGS Carbon Neutral marks. That strategy, based on the product lifecycle analysis, can include steps such as raw material reductions, energy management, implementation of best available technologies and supply chain optimization. These techniques can also help drive savings in production costs.

SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 67,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,250 offices and laboratories around the world.

SGS

More Textiles News - Global...