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The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (Incpen) has criticised plans for a Europe-wide carbon-labelling scheme to show the impact of products on the environment.

Although supportive of companies measuring their carbon emissions, Incpen said that trying to simplify carbon impact down to a single label was "misleading" and failed to take into account the "complexities of the supply chain".

Incpen director Jane Bickerstaffe said a "holistic approach" is the best way to tackle climate change, as unintended side effects from production need to be taken into account.

"Carbon is only one environmental factor, and focussing on just one can push the issue in the wrong direction," she said.

Bickerstaffe also questioned how consumers would interpret the information given on the label.

A majority of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted yesterday (29 November) in favour of providing information on "energy consumed and greenhouse gases emitted" during the manufacture and transport of products sold in the European Union.

MEPs also called for an end to public financing of "fossil fuel projects" via export credit agencies and public investment banks.