The Carbon Trust has published the findings of a survey of 2047 British adults interviewed in February 2010 and asked about what they put in their shopping trolley. A quarter of people say it’s not just carbs but carbon that now influences their shopping habits.

The research shows that carbon counting now stands shoulder to shoulder with calorie counting when it comes to the weekly shop.

• 86% of consumers want their favourite brands to help combat the threat of climate change by reducing their carbon footprint.
• Almost half (43%) are actively seeking information about the carbon impact of the products they buy and more than half (52%) would be more loyal to a brand if they could see at a glance they were taking steps to reduce their footprint.
• It seems we’re more ready than ever to stand by our carbon principles, with almost a quarter (22%) of respondents willing to stop buying their favourite brands if they didn’t commit to bearing the Carbon Reduction Label.
• Cars, electrical goods and food were the products we most wanted to see making the carbon commitment.

Euan Murray from the Carbon Trust said: “People are increasingly looking for simple ways to reduce their carbon footprint, without sacrificing on price, taste or convenience.  They want to protect the environment, but are often confused about how they can make a difference.

We know they don’t want to hear about big numbers and global targets – they want to see at a glance which companies and brands are doing their bit to tackle climate change. The Carbon Reduction Label is on a wide range of our favourite household brands and is a badge of assurance that consumers can look for to help them decide what makes it into their trolley”.