Marketing is entering the final stages of its carbon footprinting exercise. Readers of the magazine and this blog may remember that last month we revealed that Marketing is having its carbon emissions certified to enable us to carry the Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction Label.

Yesterday I attended a meeting on this with our environmental consultants, senior figures from Haymarket, Marketing's publisher, and representatives from the Carbon Trust. As it got quite technical at times I was mostly in listening mode. One issue that I did contribute on was whether we should incorporate our carbon footprint number as part of the logo which will go on the cover.

As I reported last month the Carbon Trust has made this optional. Given that no other weekly magazine has been certified, to a certain extent I take the view that the number is meaningless because there is no direct comparison that can be made on whether we are good, bad or average.  

But then again does this make us look like we have something to hide - which we don't? Our sister title, the environmental monthly journal The ENDS Report, which is also going through the same process plans to display its number - even though, ironically, it is on course to be higher than ours - because they believe their readers would like this detail.

Brands so far have split on this issue with Tesco asserting that it will persevere with displaying the number but others like Morphy Richards and Kingsmill going ahead without it. If the Carbon Reduction Label does gain critical mass this will surely be when these debates become relevant. At present I feel that communicating a commitment to reduce carbon emissions, which users of the mark must do, is a potent symbol in itself.