Impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the Global South
Published in Economics
The unprecedented economic development experienced by Countries located in the Global North after the establishment of the modern industrial system can be surely identified as one of the primary drivers of the actual climate crisis.
Developed Countries are unanimously recognized as the major responsible actors in the current scenario of environmental degradation, while Developing Countries and Less Developed Countries, often located in the Global South, are generally considered to have minor shares of historical responsibility. This factual situation has been repeatedly recognised by the international community, especially by means of the establishing and affirmation of the so-called “common but differentiated responsibilities principle”(CBDR), that, while reaffirming that environmental matters require shared actions and common commitment, points out the diverse entity of efforts that Developed and Developing Countries need to undertake in order to counteract climate changes and mitigate the effect of the climate crisis.
In this scenario, the European Union is implementing a broad set of environmental policies and is currently defining an ambitious environmental legislation. Among these measures, the European Green Deal represents a milestone in the Union’s climate strategy, as it sets unprecedented and pioneering goals, having the main objective of “transform[ing] the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use”.
In order to achieve these decarbonisation and climate neutrality targets, the Union has defined several strategies, as the ones planned in the Fit for 55 package: by means of this set of laws, the Union aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
The new EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is part of this package. This Mechanism targets carbon intensive products imported from Third Countries as it puts an additional fair price on carbon emissions generated during the production processes in the failure of proof of payment of an equivalent carbon price in the Country of origin.
The CBAM applies to carbon intensive goods entering into the internal market and has been designed to avoid the risk of frustration of EU’s environmental measures and climate actions due to polluting production systems in Third Countries. The CBAM has also been conceived as an efficient mean to contrast the risk of carbon leakage and to foster ecological transition and decarbonization processes in Third Countries.
However, the implementation of the EU CBAM is expected to have several downsides and negative consequences with regard to Developing and Least Developed Countries, as these Countries, in the technical and/or financial impossibility of starting a green transition and modernising the industrial sites, may interrupt the trade flows with the Union, as the additional price applied on their products by the EU CBAM may determine a significative loss of competitiveness for these goods.
In this scenario, far from having a virtuous impact on the climate crisis, the CBAM may generate detrimental economic situations for EU trade partners located in the Global South, without fostering any change in their current production patterns.
To avoid these negative effects and to further the beneficial impact of EU CBAM on the environment, the European Union shall define effective strategies to support Third Countries, especially LDCs and Developing Countries located in the Global South, to start their green transition. The article depicts several proposals that have been raised about the possible strategies of EU assistance to these Countries.
Another crucial challenge the Union should face in the future is to prove to the international trading partners, often inclined to consider the new CBAM as a protectionist measure more than as a strategy to mitigate the climate crisis, the potentialities of the Mechanism in counteracting the effect of climate change and the beneficial impacts of its implementation on the environment, so as to push Third Countries to set a fair price on carbon emissions and to develop their own Mechanisms to counteract carbon leakage.
In fact, as environmental matters require shared actions and common intents, a general acceptance of and a broad agreement on environmental policies and strategies, such as the new EU CBAM, are crucial to obtain tangible impacts on the actual climate crisis. The current scenario of environmental degradation requires joint efforts from the international community and the debate upon environmental strategies affecting commercial flows, such as the EU CBAM, is crucial, also owing to the actual climate of uncertainty caused by the announcement of widespread US tariffs.
Follow the Topic
-
Discover Sustainability
A multi-disciplinary, open access, community-focussed journal publishing results from across all fields relevant to sustainability research whilst supporting policy developments that address all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Related Collections
With collections, you can get published faster and increase your visibility.
Recent Advances in Sustainable Nanotechnology: Environmental and Energy Perspectives
Nanotechnology offers significant advancements in achieving sustainability by addressing both environmental protection and energy efficiency through its unique nanoscale manipulations. At the interface of environmental science and nanotechnology, engineered nanomaterials exhibit superior capabilities for pollutant detection, removal, and neutralization, which enhances pollution control mechanisms. For instance, nanocatalysts and nanofiltration systems can degrade contaminants more efficiently and selectively than conventional methods, improving water and air quality. In parallel, nanotechnology plays a pivotal role in energy management by enhancing the performance of energy storage and conversion systems. Nanostructured materials, such as those used in high-capacity batteries and advanced photovoltaic cells, provide improvements in energy density, charge/discharge rates, and overall efficiency. This alignment of nanotechnology with green chemistry principles ensures that the development of these materials involves non-toxic processes and minimal environmental impact. By incorporating lifecycle assessments, nanotechnology helps evaluate the full environmental footprint of energy technologies, promoting a shift toward sustainable energy solutions. Therefore, the intersection of nanotechnology with environmental and energy sciences highlights its transformative potential in advancing sustainability, offering innovative approaches to resource management and environmental stewardship.
This collection is associated with the Euro-Asia Conference on Sustainable Nanotechnology, Environment, and Energy (SNE2-2024), an event scheduled for 3rd-4th October, 2024, organized by Rayat Bahra University, India, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore, the University of Montpellier, France, and the University of Salento, Italy. This conference will convene preeminent scientists, researchers, industry experts, and policymakers from Asia and Europe, focusing on the intersection of nanotechnology, environmental sustainability, and energy solutions.
We welcome submissions from researchers, industry professionals, and academics who are exploring the frontiers of sustainable nanotechnology. We encourage original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful case studies that align with the theme of this special issue. Contributions should provide significant advancements or novel insights into the applications of nanotechnology in environmental protection and energy management. Manuscripts will undergo rigorous peer review to ensure the highest quality and relevance. We look forward to your submissions and to advancing the field together.
Keywords: Sustainable nanomaterials; Pollution control; Waste management; Circular Economy; Water purification; Air quality improvement; Regulatory issues; Safety issues; Environmental footprint reduction; Climate change solutions; Environmental remediation; Case studies; Renewable energy sources; Bioenergy; Energy storage; Advanced batteries; Supercapacitors; Energy conversion efficiency; Sustainable manufacturing
Publishing Model: Open Access
Deadline: Jul 31, 2025
Environmental Sustainability Needs Humanities
As demonstrated in the Sustainable Development Goals, the three main pillars of sustainability are environment, economy, and society. For achieving social and economic sustainability, environmental sustainability is a prerequisite. However, the Earth system is on the edge of crossing the thresholds that will trigger non-linear, abrupt environmental change and result in deleterious or even catastrophic consequences. Recent evidence indicates that humanity has transgressed six planetary boundaries, including climate change and biosphere integrity. While the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions continue to reach a new peak in 2023, biodiversity loss is happening at an unprecedented rate, with an average 69% decline in wildlife populations since 1970. As climate change and biodiversity loss are mainly anthropogenic-induced, these environmental issues have to be and can only be solved by humans. Sole technological transformation and innovation are largely insufficient for solving the environmental problems, but social transitions are also required. Humans’ underpinning value systems, goals, beliefs, and worldviews need to be changed to leverage the sustainability transformation within the human society, as they define how humans interact with nature, generate knowledge and technologies, and utilize natural and artificial resources. Therefore, the humanistic values of this era demand the inclusion of environmental sustainability, and building an eco-surplus culture is essential for the social transition away from eco-deficit dystopia. In contributing to the generation of knowledge that aids the social transitions toward an eco-surplus utopia, the Topical Collection welcomes viewpoints, reviews, and theoretical and empirical work that are related but not limited to these issues:
• Socio-cultural and economic issues that help mitigate and adapt to climate change and prevent biodiversity loss
• Socio-cultural and economic issues that support the development and implementation of nature-based solutions and artificial technologies for achieving environmental sustainability
• Factors that help restore the connection between nature and humans, such as science, art, literature, and lived experiences
• The psychology towards climate change, biodiversity loss, social transition, and technological transformation
• The roles of creativity, serendipity, and knowledge management in sustainability transformation
• Sustainable financing mechanism for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as biodiversity conservation
• The roles of urban and rural humans in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss
• Global agreement, national commitments, and local actions for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss
This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG Goals.
Keywords: Nature-human nexus; environmental degradation; climate change; biodiversity loss; community science; citizen science; artificial intelligence; technology; innovations; knowledge management; humanities; adaptation and mitigation; conservation; finance
Publishing Model: Open Access
Deadline: Aug 15, 2025
Please sign in or register for FREE
If you are a registered user on Research Communities by Springer Nature, please sign in