Carbon label initiatives in the EU

1. Carbon label initiatives in the EU Brad Warren, SFP

2. Overview • Carbon labeling gathering momentum for years in EU. • Variety of agendas at play. Protectionist agenda (Cadec) may be stillborn. • Since 2009 several serious EU initiatives introduced • EU is funding trial programs to prepare developing-world producers for carbon labeling. • Food industry has shifted from resisting to pro-actively shaping policies.

4. EU carbon label for seafood coming in 2011? • Alex picked up rumors of a seafood-specific carbon label scheme coming in 2011 (not yet confirmed). • The EC-supported SCP Roundtable, launched May 2009, aims to develop methodology for assessing environmental footprint of retail & food chain by 2011. (From EurActiv July 6, 2009, citing EurActiv 7/05/09) • “In parallel, a European Retail Forum and Retailers Environmental Action Plan (REAP), launched (in 2009), seeks to promote voluntary action to reduce the environmental footprint of the retail sector and its supply chain, promote more sustainable products, and help consumers to buy green. (EurActiv July 6, 2009, citing EurActiv 03/03/09)

5. Four initiatives • 1) A broad push toward ecolabels in the EU to address "product lifecycle," a term that is now applied primarily to carbon, energy, and water.  A 2010 contract spec for a feasibility study on an EU ecolabel for food and feed products, published jointly by the DGs for Environment and Climate Action, named three objectives. The first explicitly calls for "including the products of fishing and aquaculture."  The contract was awarded by DG Environment  in November to Oakdene Hollins in the UK. • 2) In June 2009, an MEP from France named Alain Cadec came out swinging for an ecolabel standard on imported seafood, which appeared to be largely driven by protectionist concerns. He got a resolution on this passed by the Euro Parliament. He made some headlines but it's unclear what can come of this. AIPCE-CEP countered with a press release saying his ideas were outmoded and unhelpful, especially in a time when the EU depends heavily on imported seafood. I could be wrong but I doubt this is the horse to watch.

6. Four initiatives, cont’d • 3) In May 2010 the Parliament's Committee on Fisheries issued a "Report on a new impetus for the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of European Aquaculture", approved by unanimous vote (42-0). This document, while favorable in tone toward aquaculture, also advocates standards for various issues, including the "increase in the concentrations of natural substances and in the concentrations of substances produced by humans, such as non-degradable chemicals and carbon dioxide..."   Again, unclear where this will end up but a unanimous vote might mean something. 4) A process unfolding via Europe's Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) has concentrated minds at CIAA and other food industry groups. This seems to be a broad food ecolabeling initiative that incorporates carbon along with everything else. The scope at times seems to extend to labor practices as well as environment. I haven't finished digesting the material I have on this, but will try to get you some info later this week.

7. 2007: rough start Food industry rejects ‘carbon label’ idea “The food and drink industry is urging the EU executive not to propose ‘misleading’ labels, such as those which focus only on the CO2 ‘impact’ of products” —Euroactiv, 29 Oct 2007 • OPPOSED OR SERIOUSLY CONCERNED: CIAA (European Food and Drink Industry Association); Nestle; Business Europe (The Confederation of European Business); ORGALIME (European Engineering Industries Assoc). • SKEPTICAL: Friends of the Earth Europe (fears big retailers might get “good” label, trump SMEs)

8. Broadline ecolabel • EU seeks to put its ecolabel on more products

9. EC study on carbon impact of fisheries Pacific Islands

10. Thai Union carbon footprint study funded by EU