German retail group Rewe has joined the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) pilot project, a scheme for determining CO2 emissions by testing selected products, in a bid to cut its CO2 output.

The project has a long-term aim of finding an internationally recognised method for measuring greenhouse gases, as well as looking ito the viability of labeling products' carbon footprint.

'Rewe Group has joined the pilot project Product Carbon Footprint in order to help devise a CO2 accounting procedure that will be widely accepted amongst researchers, policy-makers and NGOs,' said Guido Siebenmorgen, director of strategic food purchasing at Rewe, in a statement. 'In future, we aim to co-operate with our pre-suppliers to reduce CO2 emissions – we already actively pursue environmental protection in the framework of our company-wide sustainability strategy both in the way we choose production sites and in how we define production methods.'

The pilot project is directed by the WWF, the öko Institute, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research and Therma1. Participating companies include Henkel, Tetra-Pak and Tchibo.

The first set of results from the scheme will be announced in November, covering methodology, labelling and communication.

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