The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has joined forces with Carbon Trust in taking the first step towards introducing carbon labelling for all products sold in shops, the Telegraph reports.

Plans have been unveiled to design a “carbon calculator” that could work out the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted by everything from the production of a pack of tomatoes to a car.

Some companies have tested a system already in place from Carbon Trust, but, according to the article, most consumers have been baffled by what the labels mean.

A number of other carbon label programs are in the works from various organizations.

The research will take about 18 months. BSI British Standards will oversee the work and come up with a benchmark.