How do our choices of fuels and vehicles affect climate, nature and people? Such knowledge should be given to us when we make these choices. It would release the consumer power and help steer the transport sector in a sustainable direction.
Swedish version
We are shown in the supermarket where the fish is catched and where the beef cattle is bred; we can see whether the cookies contain palm oil. We can choose between a great many products with voluntary sustainability labels such as KRAV and Fairtrade.
There is not nearly as much sustainability-related consumer information available in the transport sector. This is so even though it is particularly important here. Transportation gives rise to one third of the greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden. Everybody travels; every one of us contributes to these emissions. If we are given the chance to make informed choices these emissions can therefore be substantially reduced.
There is other relevant sustainability information than the greenhouse gas emissions. Income from fossil energy helps autocracies repress people and wage war. Oil drilling in the sensitive areas like the Arctic may cause ecologically devastating spills. The changeover to fossil free transport releases huge market forces in the search for new natural resources. Freely available information is necessary to steer these forces in a sustainable direction. Otherwise, we may devastate of the last rain forests in order to cultivate oil palms for biodiesel, or exploit children as labour force when raw materials for electric car batteries are mined.
Using the watchword I Want to Know (Jag Vill Veta) The Swedish Association for Green Mobility started to campaign in spring 2013 for eco-labels on all Swedish fuel dispensers, showing the climate intensity, raw materials and origin of the fuel we are about to pour into our car. When the Swedish government decided to introduce such eco-lables in August 2018, we decided to widen our perspective.
The Swedish Association for Green Mobility started to take part in international collaboration for sustainability labels on gas pumps. The climate crisis is global, and so is the fuel and car industry. If consumer power is to have the slightest impact on the global scale we need international rules.
We also call for better traceability of fossil fuels, and for eco-labels on new cars with life cycle perspective, resembling the labels found on Swedish fuel pumps. In addition, we call for climate impact labels on points of sale of travel services, allowing comparisons of the climate impact of different choices of modes of transport.
A program statement was given in the op-ed Release the consumer power in the fight for sustainable mobility from March 2019, and some early progress is described in the article First steps now taken to release consumer power in the transition to sustainable cars and fuels from June 2022.
Eco-labels on Swedish fuel dispensers
In 2021, mandatory environmental declarations for transportation fuels were introduced in Sweden, following a long-term campaign by The Swedish Association for Green Mobility. At larger fuel stations, an eco-label is attached to the filling device, showing the fuel’s climate impact, renewable share and the most important raw materials. A more complete account is provided on the retailer’s website, including the countries of origin of the raw materials. Electricity sold at some charging stations is included in the system. Read more.
Sustainability labels on gas pumps abroad
The market for transportation fuels is international. To have any real impact, eco-labels or warning labels have to be introduced in many countries, just like health information and warnings on cigarette packages. The Swedish Association for Green Mobility collaborate with organizations and people who promote sustainability labels on gas pumps in other countries. Climate and health warning labels were introduced in 2020 in Cambridge, MA, and there is an ongoing political process to introduce similar labels across Hawaii. Read more.
Voices and evaluations
Many authorities in climate, health, communication and policymaking call for sustainability labels on points of sale of fossil fuels. By themselves, such labels cannot be expected to have a decisive influence, but evidence for their potential effectiveness starts to accumulate. Read more.
Transparency about the origin of fossil energy
The European Commission proposed in 2011 that all fossil raw materials used to make petrol and diesel should be traceable, but the proposal was nipped in the bud. The desire to avoid Russian oil and gas after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has renewed interest in making fossil energy traceable and introducing origin labelling. Our politicians need to tackle this issue again – and this time they need to lead us all the way to the source of the oil. Read more.
Life cycle eco-labels on cars
Many stakeholders are asking for the inclusion of life-cycle data on mandatory eco-labels on cars, as input to the upcoming evaluation of EU’s car labelling Directive. The Swedish government has proposed such eco-labels as part of their Climate policy action plan, in part as a result of the campaigning by The Swedish Association for Green Mobility. Read more.
Is responsibility personal or political?
Is the responsibility for the changeover to sustainable mobility personal or political? The Swedish Association for Green Mobility consider the question to be ill-posed. It is an expression of the either-or thinking that is all too common in the debate.
Should we rely on consumer power or radical political decisions? Should we combat climate change at home or abroad? Should we stop driving cars or make them less harmful to the environment? Are more energy efficient cars or renewable fuels the thing to go for? Electricity or biofuels? Ethanol or biodiesel? Of course all actions and all technical solutions that can contribute to sustainable mobility must be welcomed.
At best different actions and solutions cross-fertilize each other. Strengthened consumer power via eco-labels on fuel pumps will help educate and sensitize the citizens. This pushes the politicians forward and facilitates radical decisions, such as eventually putting an end to the sale of fossil fuels. Thus we cannot speak of personal responsibility as opposed to political responsibility. The one facilitates the other.
Media in English
China Development Gateway 20/8 2016: Sweden to introduce eco-labeling for car fuels: minister
ENDS Europe 20/3 2018: Swedish fuel pumps to get eco-labels
Bloomberg Environment 17/8 2018: Sweden’s gas pumps must soon include climate impact labels
Mobility Lab 10/10 2018: We put warning labels on cigarettes. Why not on gas pumps?
Future fuel strategies 11/10 2018: Climate warning labels on fuel pumps: A taste of the future?
The Daily Californian 12/2 2019: California needs to add eco-labels to gas pumps
San Francisco Chronicle 18/2 2019: Warming labels needed at the gas pump
International Labtag 21/3 2019: Promoting climate change awareness with labels
Huffington Post Canada 29/8 2019: Doug Ford’s Right. Show Ontarians The Full Price They’re Paying At The Pumps.
Mobility Lab 27/9 2019: How environmental warning labels at gas pumps could change our transportation culture
The Environmental Magazine 3/3 2020: Pumping gas: Hazardous to your health and the planet
Huffington Post 19/3 2020: Should gasoline come with a climate change warning label? These cities think so.
BMJ (British Medical Journal) 31/3 2020: We need health warning labels on points of sale of fossil fuels
The Sunday Times 31/3 2020: Plea for cigarette-style warnings on fuel pumps
The Guardian 31/3 2020: Climate-damaging products should come with smoking-style warnings
Popular Mechanics 5/4 2020: Climate Experts Want Fossil Fuel Warning Labels At the Pump
Automotor Hungary 6/4 2020: Svédországban energiacímkét kapnak a töltőpisztolyok (Swedish fuel pumps get energy labels)
Stuff (New Zealand) 24/4 2020: Could eco-warning labels on petrol pumps cut emissions?
Extinction Rebellion 28/8 2020: This is an health emergency! Doctors spark mass flyposting of petrol pumps with graphic health warnings across UK
The Independent 28/8 2020: Extinction Rebellion: Tens of thousands of warning labels stuck on petrol pumps across UK as part of new campaign
NBC Boston 19/11 2020: Cambridge to place carbon emission warning labels on gas pumps
The Earthbound Report 4/12 2020: It’s time for full transparency about petrol
Grist 18/12 2020: Guilt at the gas pump? That’s (part of) the idea
The Guardian 25/12 2020: Massachusetts city to post climate change warning stickers at gas stations
CleanTechnica 25/12 2020: Cambridge To Post Warning Stickers On Gas Pumps
Woxx (Luxemburg) 26/12 2020: Klimawarnung an Zapfsäulen
7News WHDH Boston 30/12 2020: Cambridge becomes first city in America to put climate warning labels on gas pumps
Forbes 31/12 2020: We Need To Start Being More Aware Of The Harm We Do When We Fill Our Tanks
The Independent 31/12 2021: Cambridge, MA is first place in US to have climate warning labels at gas pumps
James R. Brooks, Kristie L. Ebi, Global Challenges, published online 21/7 2021: Climate Change Warning Labels on Gas Pumps: The Role of Public Opinion Formation in Climate Change Mitigation Policies
Treehugger 22/7 2021: Gas Pump ’Warming Labels’ Could Galvanize Support for Decarbonization Policies
The Guardian 1/10 2021: Swedish fuel retailers required to display eco-labels at pumps
Cedrec – Legislation made simple 4/10 2021: Eco-labels on fuel pumps in Sweden
Curation. 8/10 2021: Sweden begins using eco-labels for transport fuels
Bloomberg 19/7 2022: Where Are All the Climate Warning Labels on Gas Pumps?
Capetalk 13/9 2022: We need warning labels at the points of sale of fossil fuels, argues a health expert
Hawai’i Free Press 30/1 2021: Hawaii may become the first U.S. state with climate change warnings on all gas pumps
Honolulu Star-Advertiser 19/1 2023: Climate warning labels sought for self-service gas stations (Free version at Yahoo)
The BMJ (British Medical Journal) 10/3 2023: Sixty seconds … on petrol pumps
Sharon Yadin, Cambridge University Press, published online 13/7 2023, Fighting climate change through shaming
TIME 1/11 2023: What Happens When Diners Are Shown Climate Warning Labels on Meat Dishes
Honolulu Civil Beat 16/2 2024: Health-Climate Warning Labels Needed On Hawaii Gas Pumps
