Republic of South Africa (South Africa) believes that the phased implementation of the European Union's plan to introduce a cross-border mechanism for regulating carbon emissions contradicts the norms of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and that all countries of the world must fairly share the responsibility in the process of combating climate change.< /span>
As the portal News24 writes, in South Africa they believe that the community, by taking such measures, “shifts the burden of combating climate change onto the developing parties”, violating WTO rules as well as the principles of “common but differentiated responsibility for climate change”.
At a meeting of BRICS trade ministers last week, the heads of departments unanimously announced “the need to review the mechanism for transboundary carbon regulation”, the portal reported the words of South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Thaw.< /span>
On October 1, 2023, the European Union began the gradual introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which is actually a system of duties on carbon emissions (carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions). in case of production abroad, goods imported into the EU. Until January 1, 2026, the system will operate in information collection mode. In 2026, Brussels will gradually start imposing a “green duty”. all imports of goods into the EU, a process due to end in 2034, by which time carbon costs must be factored into all goods sold in the EU.