S. Korea to adopt CO2 emission labels for household goods

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will introduce carbon dioxide (CO2)
emission labels for household appliances starting in July to help cut back on
greenhouse gases, the government said Wednesday.
Under the measure, manufacturers of 17 widely used appliances, including
refrigerators and air conditioners, will be required to label the amount of CO2
released when they are used, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.
The rules will apply to both locally made goods and imports and marks South Korea
as the first country to require that energy efficiency and CO2 emission levels be
displayed on product labels.
"The new rules are designed to enhance the ability of consumers to choose models
that are more eco-friendly," a ministry official said.
The move comes after Seoul introduced CO2 emission levels for cars in August.
South Korea is currently not obligated to cut greenhouse gas output as outlined
in the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, but it may be compelled to join a
worldwide program to reduce greenhouse gases after 2013.
Under the protocol adopted in 1997, the U.S., Japan and other industrialized
countries agreed to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions from January
2008-2012 by an average of 5 percent compared to their 1990 levels.
South Korea, one of the top ten importers of oil and gas, became the 16th-largest
producer of greenhouse gases in the world as of 2005. In that year, the country
was estimated to have emitted 538 million tons of greenhouse gases.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)