In a few months’ time, if you live in the UK and feel like munching on a Dairy Milk chocolate bar from Cadbury Schweppes, perhaps with a few Walkers crisps on the side, washing the lot down with a pint of Bulmers cider while investing in a Halifax Web saver bank account, you will be able to find out the exact impact you are having on the planet while doing so.

All of these companies, and several more, have signed up to work out the “carbon footprint” of some of their flagship products. The resulting information will either be released on the company’s web site or turned into a “carbon label” to appear on the packaging of the goods.