An energy saving initiative has been unveiled by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) as a reaction to the failings of the Copenhagen Climate Change summit.

The organisation said that it will monitor and reduce its own greenhouse gas output with the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS).

It explained that it will benchmark the haulage sector's carbon footprint by recording fuel data from LCRS members, which will help policymakers to put additional energy saving measures in place in the future.

Although the scheme will operate on a voluntary basis, it has the support of some of the organisation's leading members, which represent more than 23,000 commercial vehicles.

Stewart Oades, president of the FTA, commented that climate change is too big an issue to ignore, saying: "We take our environmental responsibility very seriously.

"FTA has positioned itself at the vanguard for carbon reporting and subsequently reducing its footprint."

While a deal was not reached in Copenhagen, Gordon Brown recently told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show that the groundwork for a future agreement may have been laid.