Fuel retailers in Sweden are now required to display eco-labels at pumps in what is thought to be the first initiative of its kind in the world.
From today, it will be compulsory for dispensers of fluid and gas transportation fuels to be labelled with its climate intensity, renewable share and origin.
Retailers will also be required to display the information at electric vehicle charging points and on their websites.
Campaigners said the Scandinavian country was the first in the world to mandate such an initiative after a nearly decade-long push to introduce them.
The eco-labels – overseen by the Swedish energy agency, which will also monitor their impact – show a colour-coded rating of climate intensity, the percentages of renewable raw materials and fossil raw materials, and weblinks for further information.
It is hoped the labels will highlight the differences in environmental impact between fossil fuels, biofuels and electricity to drivers and to make them aware of the value of sustainable fuels. It is also intended to allow fuel producers and retailers to fairly compete on the basis of sustainability.
“We have been campaigning for eco-labels on fuel dispensers for almost 10 years,” said Marie Pellas, the chair of the Swedish Association of Green Motorists. “We are very happy that they finally are here.”
The association said that Sweden’s eco-label system had been set up so that, in theory, other EU member states could easily implement it, too. Pellas said she hoped it would inspire other countries to “follow the example of Sweden”.
In December, Cambridge, Massachusetts became the first city in the US to mandate yellow warning stickers on fuel pumps about the dangers of the climate crisis. The city is aiming to slash planet-heating emissions by 80% and offset the rest by 2050 to become carbon-neutral.
In the UK, Andy Haines, a professor of environmental change and public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is among those who have called for warning labels at points of sale of fossil fuels including petrol stations, energy bills and plane tickets.
