When it comes to the environment the retailer knows best

When speaking recently at The Retail Bulletin's Responsible Retailing Summit Dr Alan Knight, sustainable development commissioner for the UK Government and sustainable development director for Wyevale Garden Centres, argued the case that customers will increasingly expect retailers to undertake this editing for them.

He reckoned that it is the selecting of goods that differentiates retailers; that the buying teams ultimately determine who is a good retailer and who is a bad one. And customers are increasingly demanding that retailers edit the choice of goods available for them on the basis of a sustainable environment. As such he threw out any claims that this represented 'nanny state' behaviour.

In total agreement is Greenpeace with its view that this editing will ensure that consumers in the future will not have to spend hours in stores poring over the complex labelling on products before they make their ethically sound choice.

This somewhat sticks the boot into the move towards carbon labels, which undoubtedly throws much of the responsibility back to the consumer to make the decisions for themselves about buying ethically. The problem with this is that most consumers seem incapable of buying healthily and consuming their five-a-day of fruit and vegetables so as far as making their selections on the basis of saving the planet - do me a favour. I'm therefore with the good doctor, Greenpeace and the nanny stare on this one