The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Kim Jeong-gwan) announced on the 2nd that the textile deodorizer product ‘CERAVIDA FRESH’ by domestic company G.CLO has been awarded a carbon footprint label from both Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) and Carbon Footprint Italy (CFI). This marks the first instance of mutual recognition of product carbon footprints between South Korea and the European Union (EU) countries.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the total amount of carbon emissions produced, from raw material extraction to production, distribution, and disposal. Through the mutual recognition system, carbon footprints verified domestically can be validated abroad. Consequently, exporting companies can use the label of the country in question by paying a nominal fee, saving time and cost since additional verification procedures are not needed.
Recently, the EU has been enforcing regulations that require carbon footprint declarations for specific products like batteries and under the Eco-design regulations. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy views this mutual recognition as a means to enhance our companies’ capability in responding to global carbon regulations.
KITECH signed a mutual recognition agreement with CFI in November last year, and the simultaneous label awarding is the first example since the agreement took effect. The Ministry and KITECH plan to expand agreements with countries beyond Italy to support the overseas expansion of domestic companies.