South Korea to adopt global carbon labelling standard by 2011

South Korea is to adopt an international standard for carbon labelling by 2011 in a bid to have the green merits of its export goods recognised by a global criterion.

The UK government-backed Carbon Trust yesterday said it is working with the environmental labelling body Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) to harmonise the country's existing carbon footprinting scheme with its Carbon Reduction Label system.

Under the Carbon Trust system, products on store shelves display the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during their entire life cycle, from manufacture through to disposal.

Manufacturers then have to commit to reduce that carbon footprint on a year-by-year basis if they want to continue to carry the label.

South Korea in February launched a KEITI-led carbon labelling program after conducting a nine-month trial. It now has 24 domestic companies producing carbon-labelled products.

The nation's move to adopt an international standard is aimed at garnering consumer interest and recognition from eco-conscious shoppers overseas.

"Because the export market is so important to us, it is vital that we continue to develop our labeling scheme in a way that is consistent with international standards," said KEITI chief executive Kim Sang-il.

The Carbon Trust noted that South Korea "exports US$91 billion (£55bn) of consumer products around the world each year, with US$2 billion (£1.2bn) arriving in the UK".

Seoul-based think-tank Samsung Economic Research Institute argued recently that South Korean manufacturers need to reduce the carbon footprint of their products if they wish to outperform international rivals, as green incentives overseas could sway consumer choice.

Carbon Trust chief executive Tom Delay said the partnership means that the organisation's "knowledge and experience is now being shared with one of the largest economies in the world" and represents "an important step closer to the mass rollout of carbon labelling".

South Korea will be the second Asia-Pacific nation to adopt the Carbon Trust standard after Australia, which is set to launch the scheme next year.

Carbon Trust also has a presence in China, where it is working with state-owned enterprise China Energy Conservation Investment Corp to develop a labelling scheme for the country.