The TGO recently disclosed that 153 products from 37 businesses in the Thai market had gained the Carbon Footprint Reduction label. Altogether, they have cut annual greenhouse-gas emissions by 890,772 tonnes.

“Thailand is among the first developing countries to adopt this programme,” TGO manager Phakamon Supappunt said yesterday.

Launched in late 2009, carbon-footprint labels appear on packaging to reveal the carbon emissions the products inside produce during their lifetime. Products that have managed to cut such emissions can earn the Carbon Footprint Reduction label.

The TGO recently held a seminar on the Voluntary Emissions Reduction Programme at “Asean Sustainable Energy Week” to present the progress from its labelling initiative.

During the seminar, it urged more entrepreneurs to join this initiative to help combat the greenhouse effect.

Prasertsuk Chamornmarn, TGO executive director, said Thailand had pledged to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 20-25 per cent by 2020 as world leaders agreed to cap the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius.

Phakamon said the labels helped make people and businesses aware of the amount of greenhouse gas they were generating.

She said businesses gained many benefits from joining the programme such as knowing which section of their production line generated the most greenhouse gas, so they could make adjustments to reduce the emissions.

If they can successfully reduce the emissions, their products receive the Carbon Footprint Reduction label, which notifies consumers that their products are environmentally friendly.

“By receiving the label, companies can also gain trade benefits in the international market, as consumers globally start to select environmentally friendly products, especially in Western countries,” she said.

For the consumer, Phakamon explained that the labels notified people of how much of a carbon footprint results from their consumption of a particular product, so they can adjust their lifestyles to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Now we are creating a smartphone application to calculate the annual carbon footprint of each family,” she said.

She added that the TGO also encouraged people to emit zero greenhouse gas by purchasing carbon credits to make up for their carbon footprint. Their purchase of these credits will be used to support campaigns to absorb or reduce greenhouse gas.

“The participants will be awarded a Carbon Neutral Certificate to show that they have done their part to save the world from adverse impacts of climate change,” she said.