A new traffic light system on food and drinks packaging is being launched to allow consumers to make more environmentally friendly choices.
The scheme has been put together by Foundation Earth, a new non-profit organisation backed by the government, global food giant Nestlé and British brands including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op and Costa Coffee.
A pilot run in the autumn will see a range of food and drink carrying front-of-packaging “eco scores” for the first time, ranking the environmental impact of each item and allowing customers to easily assess whether they are buying goods that have a low-carbon footprint from suppliers focused on sustainability.
Food production is a major contributor to carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the industry is responsible for up to 37% of greenhouse gases, and that without intervention this is likely to increase by 30% by 2050 due to population growth.
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