News article, 30. May 2023

New climate label to support the green transition

A new climate label will enable consumers to make climate-friendly choices when filling their shopping trolleys.

Photo: Danish Agriculture & Food Council

How do we support consumers who want to shop with care for the climate? Intentions are often good, but it’s not always easy for shoppers to see what impact a specific product has on the climate. This is precisely what the new label will offer consumers and will thus contribute to a reduction in the carbon footprint of food consumption.

Although the Danish Agriculture & Food Council has been involved in the negotiations for the new climate label, they are of the opinion that there is a lack of focus on the potential of climate labels for driving companies’ green product development. In this respect, therefore, it is important to ensure that climate labels serve as a motivating factor for companies in their green transition.

"We would like to have seen the report have more focus on the other part of the objective. There has been a great deal of emphasis on the consumer aspect, but now we must ensure that the label becomes a driver for companies in their green transition,” says Niels Peter Nørring, Climate Director, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.

Moreover, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council believes that focus on health and nutrition is also required. The concern is that a climate label alone will lead to unhealthier choices.

“It is therefore important that our ongoing work with the climate label leads to greater attention on the nutritional aspect. These are important elements that we still need to address,” says Niels Peter Nørring.

The climate label consists of a scale that divides food products into five different levels. The Danish Agriculture & Food Council would like to see the climate label consist of several steps as this would create a more nuanced overview which would help consumers in their choice. This would also support companies in their communication about climate improvement.

The climate label is expected to be in use by 2025.