36 | Regulars / The Mike Fairley column“COP26 sent a clear message: measure your carbon footprint and instigate a plan to move towards net zero, or risk lagging behind competitors”co-packers and brand owners – right through to issuing delivery their case.notes, arranging delivery and, if required, providing print quality, This adoption of net zero as a core organizing principle for label performance, barcode readability, CO2 and waste compliance business will leave any label or packaging converter without documents or certifcation. a comprehensive plan to move to a lower-carbon economy Automation throughout the whole label supply chain will enable somewhat exposed, not only to retailer and brand-owner customers the delivery of consistent – documented, compliant (and certifed but with regards to various government regulations coming down at each stage if necessary) – error-free production, high employee the line. COP26 has sent a clear message to label and packaging effciency and high-quality output, whether short, medium or converters: measure your carbon footprint and instigate a plan to long runs of labels and packaging. And all easily adapted to move towards net zero, or risk lagging behind competitors.individual customer specifcations, requirements and compliance documentation. Innovate for sustainable products and solutionsLooking forward, it’s not just label and packaging print quality As more countries move to enforcing environmental legislation and performance where retailers and brand owners will be looking and extended producer responsibility policies, so retailers, brand to work with their suppliers. Today – and increasingly over the owners and their chain of suppliers will need to innovate when it coming years – they will also have to be looking at many aspects comes to sustainable products, their labeling and packaging, and to of environmental performance and sustainability. Indeed, retailers providing documentation and certifcation, as well as to enhancing and brand owners are already under increasing pressure to move to relationships with consumers.a product life-cycle approach to sustainability – from consumers, Retailers have also recognized that more and more consumers environmental bodies and from governments. feel that it is important to limit the impact of climate change, Alongside the many pledges made by many governments (60 with some retail groups starting to implement initiatives like social or more) at the recent COP26 in Glasgow, a central outcome responsibility audits at their own and suppliers’ factories.was a clear shift in global momentum for businesses to move Over the next fve or ten years the label and packaging converter towards net zero – and provide evidence that they are reducing will certainly become increasingly involved in lifecycle assessments, their carbon footprint. However, this will mean that label and responsibility audits and the documentation of waste management packaging converters will need a formal system, data collection and programs, in chain of custody certifcation, in documenting of CO2 measurable, specifc metrics (such as ESG factors) to prove emissions and carbon footprints, in FSC or PEFC certifcation, in labelsandlabeling.com