UK shoppers call for carbon footprint data
More than 70 per cent of UK consumers want businesses to share data regarding the carbon footprint created in the making of their products so they can make more ethical purchasing decisions.
According to a new poll commissioned by En+ Group, the world’s largest producer of low carbon aluminium, 68 per cent of the UK public want to check the carbon content of the products they buy but are not satisfied with the availability of information.
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The data also showed that transparency can have a positive commercial impact for companies.
For example, 63 per cent of those polled said that they would be likely or very likely to choose a car with a lower carbon footprint over alternatives with up to 28 per cent willing to pay a premium.
The YouGov-run poll also shows that UK consumers care more than those in the US and Germany about the carbon footprint of the products they buy.
In Britain, 67 per cent claim that if they had access to accurate data, they would be more likely to purchase lower carbon products, compared with 61 per cent of Germans and 57 per cent of US consumers.
The difference is especially pronounced in terms of building regulations, with 70 per cent of UK residents said the government should deny requests for buildings constructed with higher carbon footprints.
A mere 41 per cent of US residents thought the same.
Lord Barker, Executive Chairman of En+ Group, said: “Consumers understand that the purchasing decisions they make can have a real impact on climate change and are demanding the information they need to make smart choices.”
En+ commissioned the research to understand consumer attitudes as part of its campaign to increase transparency of the carbon content of aluminium.
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The metals company is calling on the London Metals Exchange join the transition to a low carbon economy by creating a low-carbon aluminium asset class.
Although the aluminium industry is currently responsible for four per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, low-carbon aluminium has a carbon footprint that is 20 times smaller than other aluminium.
Main image credit: Getty