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32 min ago 2 min read
The UK government will publish guidance on low-carbon industrial products for buyers and producers.
The separate documents will include best practice, voluntary guidance on an embodied emissions reporting framework, product classifications and product-level green procurement.
A 14-week consultation last year explored longer-term policy options such as product ecolabelling, which would aim to communicate emissions information to buyers, and mandatory product standards, a form of product regulation that prohibits the highest carbon versions of products from the market.
In an update, it said it has decided to prioritise development of the initial, voluntary policy framework, and in future may continue to explore longer-term policies.
The framework aims to simplify carbon accounting and standardise how embodied emissions are monitored, reported, and verified.
Product classifications (formerly referred to as voluntary product standards) aim to provide a definition of low carbon steel, cement, and concrete for the UK industry, by providing a structure for differentiating between lower and higher emission products.
“This would help reduce greenwashing,” it notes. “This is achieved by setting thresholds and bandings (such as A to G) for products based on their embodied emissions, helping buyers compare and understand the climate impact of their purchases on a ‘like-for-like’ basis.”
The government intends to proceed with using existing, sector-specific product classifications developed by industry and international organisations, rather than developing its own bespoke model(s), and it will not pursue a cement product classification.
The guidance will provide instructions for setting commitments, collecting embodied emissions data, engaging suppliers and encouraging buyers to adopt best practice(s) for product-level carbon accounting.
