The Oatly campaign is backed by new research showing strong support from UK consumers for carbon labelling on food and drink products. According to the research:
- 62% of consumers support the introduction of carbon labelling on food and drink products, and 55% believe companies should be required to disclose this information.
- 59% of consumers would decrease or completely stop consuming high carbon-footprint food and drink products if provided with accurate emissions data.
- Youth aged 18-34 are particularly interested in knowing the carbon footprint of their food and drink, are in agreement about the necessity of carbon labelling, and are more likely to change their consumption habits based on this information.
Oatly has also released a ‘Grey Paper’ titled ‘Climate Labelling: Why Not?’ which advocates for mandatory climate labelling. The paper presents three core arguments:
Firstly, it emphasizes the unequivocal scientific evidence that emissions from the food system, currently accounting for 35% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, must be reduced and that changes to consumer choice are crucial.
Secondly, the paper points out that consumers already receive similar information when purchasing other products, such as emissions data when buying a car and energy rating data when buying a TV or a fridge.
Lastly, it highlights the broad public support for mandatory carbon labelling on food and drink as a way to make more informed choices.
Oatly has also called on the dairy industry to disclose its climate numbers so consumers can make a fair comparison. It has even offered advertising space to ‘Big Dairy’ for free if they publish the full climate footprint of their products.
Bryan Carroll, UK general manager of Oatly, states, “The food and drink we consume contribute to a third of total UK emissions. Scientists, including the UK Government’s own Climate Change Committee, are clear that these emissions must urgently decrease, and that consumer behavior change is a necessary part of that. Our view is that it’s unreasonable to expect this to happen when consumers are not being given the information they need to make informed choices.”
Carroll adds, “We’re inviting those across the full spectrum of the food industry to come together and work out what an effective climate labeling system should look like.”