DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release issued by The
Government News Network on 30 May 2007
EMBARGO TO 0001
WEDNESDAY 30 MAY
Carbon Trust and Defra join with BSI British Standards to develop
a standard method for measuring the embodied GHG emissions in
products and services
Today the Carbon Trust and Defra announced that they will be
working with BSI British Standards to co-sponsor the development
of a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for the measurement of
the embodied greenhouse gases (GHGs) in products and services.
The aim of the work is to develop an agreed method for measuring
embodied GHG emissions which can be applied across a wide range of
product and service categories and their supply chains to enable
companies to measure the GHG related impacts of their products and
reduce them.
Once completed the single standard will ensure a consistent and
comparable approach to supply chain measurement of embodied GHGs
across markets, it will help companies understand the life-cycle
climate change impacts of their products and highlight significant
emissions reduction opportunities. The intention is that this is
the first step in moving towards an internationally agreed
standard for measuring embodied GHG emissions.
The announcement comes the day after the inaugural meeting of the
project's Technical Advisory Group (TAG), an independent body
chaired by Jim Skea, Director of the Energy Research Centre and
consisting of members from NGOs, government and academia.
BSI British Standards will oversee the development of the PAS
using the Carbon Trust pilot methodology as a starting point.
Through the work of the TAG and a broad 2 stage stakeholder
consultation beginning this summer, new and existing best practice
work in this area will also be considered in the PAS development.
This process is designed to develop a credible, usable method
through an open and consultative forum.
Climate Change and Environment Minister Ian Pearson said:
"The products that businesses make, buy and sell have an
impact, both on climate change and the wider environment, at all
stages from raw material to when the product is no longer
required. These are created by the energy and other resources
used, and the resulting emissions, in areas like production,
transport and use of products as well as waste from packaging and
discarded products.
"More and more, businesses are looking for ways to reduce
their impact on the environment. To help them achieve that we need
a reliable, consistent way to measure these impacts that
businesses recognise, trust and understand. This is important
work and will be fundamental in our efforts to move Britain
towards a low-carbon economy in the decades ahead."
Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust said:
"Our work to date on carbon footprinting shows that there is
real appetite amongst business to tackle the indirect emissions
from their supply chains and to offer clear information to
consumers on the carbon impact of their products and services. In
order for even more businesses to use this approach it is
essential that we develop one universally accepted methodology.
We believe today's announcement will provide confidence to
business that this is an achievable and realistic goal."
Mike Low, Director of BSI British Standards said:
"BSI British Standards is delighted to be working with the
Carbon Trust and Defra to bring clarity and consensus to this
important area of work. BSI believes that this is an important
first step towards a framework that will enable businesses and
consumers to reduce their carbon impact."
Jim Skea, Chair of the TAG adds:
"All the members of the Technical Advisory Group are excited
to be working with this initiative. For the standard to be
credible and make a difference, the methods behind the measurement
have to be robust. Our job is to make sure that consumers and
suppliers can place their trust in the information they are
presented with."
ENDS
Spokespeople from the Carbon Trust and BSI British Standards are
also available for interview. Please contact the Carbon Trust
Press Office on 020 7544 3100 or carbontrust@fishburn-hedges.co.uk
The TAG members are as follows:
* Jim Skea, Director, UK Energy Research Centre
* Dr. Paul
Jefferiss - Director of Environmental Policy, BP & Carbon
Trust Board member
* Philip Sellwood - Chief Executive,
EST
* Prof. Jacquie Burgess - Professor of Environmental Risk,
UEA
* Mark Kenber - Policy Director, The Climate Group
*
Prof. Tim Jackson - Professor of Sustainable Development,
University of Surrey
* Dr. Sally Uren - Director, Business
Programme, Forum for the Future
* Keith Allott - Head of
Climate Change WWF
* Prof. Roland Clift - Professor of
Environmental Technology, University of Surrey
* Terence Ilott
- Defra
The Carbon Trust
* The Carbon Trust is a private company set up by government in
response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the
transition to a low carbon economy. The Carbon Trust works with
UK business and the public sector to create practical
business-focused solutions through its external work in five
complementary areas: insights, solutions, innovations, enterprises
and investments. Together these help to explain, deliver, develop,
create and finance low carbon enterprise.
* The Carbon Trust is funded by the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly
Government and Invest NI.
* For more information on the Carbon Trust visit http://www.carbontrust.co.uk
or call the Carbon Trust Advice Line on 0800 085 2005.
BSI British Standards
* BSI British Standards is the UK's national standards
organisation, working with businesses, consumers and government to
represent UK interests and facilitate the production of British,
European and international standards to meet economic and social
needs. For further information please go to http://www.bsiglobal.com/british_standards
* A Publicly Available Specification (PAS) is a sponsored
fast-track standard driven by the needs of the client
organization/s and developed according to guidelines set out by
BSI. Key stakeholders are brought together to collaboratively
produce a BSI-endorsed PAS that has all the functionality of a
British Standard for the purposes of creating management systems,
product benchmarks and codes of practice. After two years the PAS
is reviewed and a decision is made as to whether it should be
taken forward to become a formal British Standard.