The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea, announced on November 25 that the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) has signed a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) with the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) for greenhouse gas verification, including carbon footprint verification.


Carbon footprint verification involves companies calculating the greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout a product’s entire lifecycle—from raw material extraction to manufacturing, distribution, and disposal. Accredited third-party verification bodies then review these calculations and issue verification certificates. Recently, major economies such as the European Union (EU) have signaled plans to mandate carbon footprint verification for imported products as part of their carbon emission regulations. The EU's Battery Regulation and Ecodesign Directive are notable examples of these initiatives.


Since KOLAS introduced a carbon footprint verification accreditation system in January 2023, eight organizations, including Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), and Korea Testing Certification (KTC), have been accredited as verification bodies. To ensure the international reliability of these bodies, KOLAS has actively pursued the signing of the IAF MLA.


This agreement signifies that the verification capabilities and reliability of KOLAS-accredited carbon footprint verification bodies (currently eight) are now internationally recognized. With a framework for mutual recognition of verification certificates established through collaboration with overseas accredited bodies, Korean exporters are expected to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with local verification processes abroad. Notably, major testing institutions with extensive international networks, such as KTR, KTL, and KTC, are among the KOLAS-accredited verification bodies, promising seamless collaboration with overseas counterparts in the future.


KATS President Jin Jong-wook stated that the technical capabilities and reliability of KOLAS-accredited verification bodies have gained international recognition through this agreement, paving the way for carbon footprint verification certificates issued in Korea to be widely accepted overseas. He added that KATS will continue to foster an environment where Korean companies can access global markets with a single round of testing, certification, and verification.