Carbon accounting is all the rage but it poses three problems.
- As a consumer you need to be able to value farming systems within the same category – carrot versus carrot. This will help you choose the best carrot. LCA methodologies will not give you results with this type of precision.
- Second there are serious problems in the LCA methodologies and parameters used to evaluate carbon footprint in living or renewable systems, such as textiles and food.
- Third and most important is the problem of carbon tunnel vision: looking at carbon only, independently of other key environmental concerns, can lead to outcomes that are NOT better for the environment.This can be detrimental to biodiversity, for example.
Planet Score adjusts for methodological flaws and gives a real ecological value under key and easily recognised headings.