UK-based fresh produce trade association the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has announced the launch of a new tailor-made carbon footprint calculator, designed to aid fresh produce companies in assessing their emissions and identifying areas for improvement.
The tool, which has been designed in conjunction with environmental consultant Brown & Co., has a 'wide range' of advantages for businesses according to the FPC, including helping to lower costs and allowing groups to market their produce as having a low carbon footprint.
'By having a clear understanding of where carbon emissions are found within the industry, and the extent of the emissions, the fresh produce sector can target environmentally-friendly initaitives where they are needed most,' said Nigel Jenney, chief executive officer of the FPC. 'Increasing focus on the concept of food miles means that it is important for the fresh produce industry to have these facts to hand.'
The calculator will allow fresh produce companies to promote themselves and reject misleading data or incomplete interpretations, he added.
Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) in London, UK helped Brown & Co. test the parameters required to gather data and calculate a carbon footprint, and CGMA CEO Jan Lloyd has been impressed with the results.
'To gather the information required to provide as accurate as possible a carbon footprint calculation across a business the size of Covent Garden MArket and over 260 individual businesses looked to be arduous and sometimes a little daunting,' she said. 'However, working closely with Tony Hargreaves of Brown & Co we were able to set appropriate boundaries for our footprint and devise a way to gather suffcient information to conduct the calculation.
'The calculator itself is very simple to use and provides a report that presents your carbon footprint calculation, along with opportunites on how to make reductions in your emissions,' she added.
And Mr Jenney felt that the calculator could become a crucial tool for the industry to give businesses a competitive edge.
'Until there is a legal requirement to assess the carbon footprint of an organisation or its products, many businesses may consider it wise to get ahead of the game, he said.
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