BRICS Supports Carbon Market Cooperation, Rejects Unilateral CBAM Measures

BRICS countries have backed greater cooperation on carbon markets while opposing the use of unilateral carbon border measures, including the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

The position was outlined in the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the BRICS summit, where member countries called for greater coordination on climate action while stressing the need to take into account the different national circumstances and development priorities of developing economies.

The grouping supported cooperation on carbon markets and carbon pricing, including the exchange of experiences, capacity building and efforts to improve international coordination.

At the same time, BRICS opposed unilateral measures that could create barriers to international trade or impose additional costs on developing countries.

BRICS Raises Concerns Over CBAM

The bloc reiterated its opposition to unilateral trade-related environmental measures, particularly those that could discriminate against developing economies or undermine the principles of the UN climate framework.

The European Union’s CBAM requires importers of certain carbon-intensive goods, including steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen, to account for the carbon emissions associated with those products.

BRICS countries have raised concerns that such mechanisms could function as trade barriers and place an additional burden on exporters from developing nations.

The New Delhi Declaration stressed that climate measures should not become a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade.

Push For Greater Carbon Market Cooperation

While opposing unilateral approaches, BRICS backed cooperation among member countries on carbon markets.

Such cooperation could include sharing policy experiences, strengthening technical capacity and exploring opportunities for greater compatibility between national and regional carbon market mechanisms.

The emphasis reflects the bloc’s broader position that climate action should support sustainable development while recognising differences in economic capacity and historical responsibility.

Developing Countries Seek Fairer Climate Rules

The BRICS position comes amid growing debate over how carbon-pricing policies in major economies could affect developing-country exporters.

The bloc has repeatedly called for climate policies to be implemented in line with the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, as reflected in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

BRICS’ call for carbon market cooperation alongside its opposition to unilateral CBAM measures highlights its preference for multilateral climate cooperation rather than unilateral trade-linked action.

The issue is expected to remain significant as countries expand carbon-pricing systems and introduce policies aimed at reducing emissions from international supply chains.