Below280, a UK CBAM consultancy specialising in embedded emissions calculation and reporting for third-country operators, delivered the EU CBAM training component of South Korea’s national capacity building programme in July 2026. The programme was commissioned by the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) and managed by Korea Productivity Center Quality Assurance (KPCQA), a national certification authority established under the Industrial Development Act.
Client: Korea Productivity Center Quality Assurance (KPCQA), Seoul, Republic of Korea
Commissioned by: National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Republic of Korea
Service: CBAM Training, Curriculum Development, and Assessment
Delivered: July 2026, Seoul
Background
South Korea is among the largest exporters of steel and other CBAM-covered goods into the European Union. When the EU CBAM definitive regime took effect on 1 January 2026, Korean manufacturers faced an immediate and technically demanding obligation: calculate and report the greenhouse gas emissions embedded in their products, in a format specified by EU implementing regulations, verified by an accredited third party.
Verification bodies needed auditors who understood the EU’s calculation methodology in enough detail to assess whether an operator’s monitoring plan had been correctly applied and whether reported embedded emissions were free from material misstatement. Manufacturers needed practitioners who could actually produce that data.
KPCQA was commissioned by NIER to deliver a national EU CBAM capacity building programme. The programme needed international expertise, specifically from practitioners with hands-on experience of helping third-country operators navigate EU CBAM requirements from the manufacturer’s side. Below280 was engaged to deliver the core technical training.
What We Delivered
The programme ran across two days in Seoul, with Below280 delivering 11 hours of in-person CBAM training across two parallel programmes:
Programme 1: Capacity Building of EU CBAM Auditors for Domestic Verification Bodies built CBAM competence among auditors from Korean verification bodies, covering the technical requirements for assessing whether an operator’s monitoring plan has been correctly applied and whether reported embedded emissions are free from material misstatement. The EU’s CBAM verifier accreditation framework was still being finalised at the time of delivery, with the first accredited verifiers expected from September 2026, making this an early investment in readiness.
Programme 2: Enhancing EU CBAM Compliance Capacity for Company Practitioners trained corporate professionals from Korean manufacturers on how to calculate, document, and report their embedded emissions in line with the EU implementing regulations.
Both programmes covered the Implementing Regulation on the Calculation of Embedded Emissions during the Definitive Period and its Annexes, together with the Implementing Regulation on Default Values. The content reflected the latest EU legislation as of July 2026 and the practical realities third-country operators face when responding to data requests from EU importers.
Catherine Scott, Below280’s CBAM Lead, led on the regulatory and policy dimensions. Jonathan Forbes, LCA Consultant and GreenDelta Certified openLCA Trainer, led on calculation methodology. The sessions were delivered jointly throughout, with simultaneous English-Korean interpretation provided by KPCQA.
Below280 also developed the full curriculum, produced all training materials, and wrote the formal assessment used to evaluate participants in the auditor competency programme. The training drew on Below280’s ongoing work with UK manufacturers producing compliant embedded emissions data for their EU customers, covering the same obligations Korean exporters face: defining system boundaries, monitoring emissions at installation level, attributing those emissions to specific goods, and preparing reports that meet the implementing regulations.
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Participant feedback was strongly positive. KPCQA reported that attendees specifically praised the clarity, structure, and practical value of the lectures. The programme coordinator described Catherine and Jonathan’s expertise and teaching as outstanding.
Below280 provided highly professional and practical training that helped both verification auditors and corporate practitioners better understand the complex requirements of EU CBAM. Their expertise and clear delivery made the programme particularly valuable for building practical CBAM capacity in Korea.
JiWoo Kim, Researcher, Sustainability Verification Center, KPCQA
The programme was the first year of a multi-year initiative, with follow-up programmes expected in 2027 and 2028.
Working with Below280 on CBAM Training
Below280 delivers CBAM training for national bodies, verification organisations, industry associations, and individual manufacturers. Our training covers EU CBAM and the forthcoming UK CBAM, with content tailored to the specific obligations facing third-country operators and the auditors who verify their data.
If your organisation is building CBAM capability domestically or needs to train staff on emissions calculation and reporting, get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below280 delivered 11 hours of in-person EU CBAM training in Seoul across two programmes: one for auditors from domestic verification bodies and one for corporate practitioners from Korean manufacturers. The training covered the Implementing Regulation on the Calculation of Embedded Emissions during the Definitive Period, Default Values, and the practical steps required for third-country operators to produce compliant emissions data.
The programme was commissioned by South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) and managed by Korea Productivity Center Quality Assurance (KPCQA). Below280 was engaged to deliver the core technical training as part of a wider programme involving international and domestic lecturers.
Yes. Below280 delivers CBAM training internationally for national bodies, verification organisations, industry associations, and individual manufacturers. Training covers both EU CBAM and the forthcoming UK CBAM, with content tailored to the obligations facing third-country operators.
Training covers embedded emissions calculation under the EU implementing regulations, including system boundary definition, monitoring at installation level, attribution of emissions to specific goods, default values, and preparation for third-party verification. Content is based on the latest EU legislation and can be tailored to the specific sectors and regulatory context relevant to participants.
Yes. Beyond training, Below280 provides 1-to-1 CBAM consultancy for manufacturers, covering emissions calculations, monitoring plans, and verification preparation.
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