Members in the alliance include Manroland, UPM, Sun Chemical, Kurz, Trelleborg, Sappi, Faist, MKW, M-real and project partner Kodak.

The members will analyse and provide guidance on how to measure and use carbon footprints in order to improve process efficiency and environmental performance. A PrintCity best practice guide will then be published in 2010.

Project leader, Sun Chemical's Bertrand Lousteau, said the project will review Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from across the value chains for printing, publishing and packaging.

"PrintCity is a member of a number of environmental teams that work in the industry and we will be working with them and our project members to identify the areas of commonality between different carbon footprint approaches."

He added that the context and importance of GHG reduction and its implications on the printing industry as a whole would also be examined, along with practical advice on how printers can use carbon footprinting as a tool to reduce emissions and energy costs.