BRICS Environment Ministers Oppose EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

BRICS environment ministers adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement on 18 August 2026 in New Delhi opposing the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), describing it as a unilateral trade measure tied to carbon pricing on imports of carbon-intensive goods such as iron, steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers and electricity. CBAM entered its definitive phase on 1 January 2026, requiring importers into the EU to purchase and surrender emission certificates for these covered goods. The statement was adopted at the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting, held under India's 2026 BRICS chairship and led by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. It was supported by ministers and senior representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and the newer BRICS members — the UAE, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Beyond opposing CBAM, the bloc called for greater climate finance for developing countries and asked wealthy nations to triple adaptation finance by 2035, seeking more grants and concessional finance for climate-resilient infrastructure, disaster preparedness and water security. A June 2026 study in *Nature Climate Change* found that high-emission Indian steel exporters had already seen declining export volumes and revenue to the EU because of CBAM.