Everyday we use products that have a carbon footprint – from the energy it takes to make a product to the energy it takes maintain or dispose of a product -- the lifecycle has a number, the amount of carbon emissions it takes to allow you to use a product.
Increasingly, consumers are taking into account the carbon footprint of a product in their purchasing decisions. A comprehensive report out of Yale last year shows that 58% of Americans intend to engage in consumer activism next year — 134 million people.
Understandably, businesses seem to be responding. Last week, green business research firm, BSR, published 10 Climate Trends That Will Shape Business in 2010. Carbon footprinting of products came in at #2, well above engaging in political action or developing adaptation plans. Anecdotally, it’s hard not to notice all the new products lining the shelves that are touting their “green” credentials—from t-shirts to cars.
Standards are being developed to help consumers decide whom to trust, including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which will issue guidance on footprinting for products and supply chains this year, and industry groups like the Outdoor Industry Association and the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition.
Do you think buying green products really makes a difference? Do buy or plan on buying a green product in the next year? Let us know in the comments below.