SGS Unveils Comprehensive Global Product Carbon Footprint Mark Program

GENEVA, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/-- As a leading provider of sustainability solutions, SGS Consumer Testing Services today 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.

"Consumers today are increasingly interested in buying eco-friendly products. In one 2010 survey, for example, 74% said they would like products to display environmental impact information to assist in their buying decisions," said Charles Ly Wa Hoi, Global Sustainability Services Vice President. "Our Product Carbon Footprint program enables companies to instantly communicate that information using a universally recognized tool – a symbol indicating that a product's credentials have been verified by a trusted independent organization – while also providing a continuous carbon reduction framework that can both reduce costs and enhance brand reputation."

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.

Major Strategic Benefits

The unique global, three-mark structure of the SGS Product Carbon Footprint program offers critical advantages for brands that want to advance their sustainability initiatives to increase sales, differentiate their products on store shelves, and help conserve the resources of the planet. Benefits of the SGS service include:

• The trust of SGS mark as the world's leading verification, testing and certification company
• A global and unique visibility of an organization's environmental commitment to address climate change challenges.
• The ability to use a single mark internationally, eliminating the time and expense of securing different labels in different markets.
• Incentives for continuous improvement, given the opportunity to display increasing achievement in minimizing environmental impact as products move from the SGS Carbon Footprint mark to SGS Carbon Reduction and SGS Carbon Neutral labels.
• A roadmap for carbon reduction, driven by the company and supported by SGS sustainability consultants upon completion of the product lifecycle analysis.
• A network of global laboratories that facilitates primary data collection from factories as well as analysis of raw materials not yet represented in existing databases. 

For more information on the SGS Product Carbon Footprint Program, visit http://www.sustainability.sgs.com/en or contact [email protected].

About SGS Consumer Testing Services

SGS Consumer Testing Services is a division of the SGS Group, the world's leading verification, testing and certification company. SGS' comprehensive testing, product inspection, process assessment and sustainability services cover the entire supply chain from product development to retailing for electrical, wireless, soft line, hard line and food products. SGS' global network and expertise provide a single consolidated source that can help manufacturers, suppliers and retailers reduce risk, improve efficiency and product quality, and ensure compliance to both national and international standards. Parent company SGS Group has more than 67,000 employees and over 1,250 offices and laboratories in 140 countries. For more information about Consumer Testing Services, visit http://www.consumer-goods-retail.sgs.com/en

SOURCE SGS Consumer Testing Services

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED