The EU's new trade weapon

Greenhouse gas emissions are a global problem as carbon dioxide, and the heating side-effects caused by it do not respect national frontiers. This means that a country or region that may have the best decarbonisation intentions will only partly achieve its objectives if the rest of the planet is not playing by the same rule book.An innovative and, in some circles, controversial new climate superweapon designed by the European Union is coming into frame. The carbon border adjustment mechanism, known as CBAM, is a variant of a carbon border tax that will soon be deployed at the EU’s trade borders.A select list of imports that do not respect certain green criteria will be slapped with extra charges, in a bid to get trade partners to follow the EU’s lead and get serious about the energy transition. The mere idea of CBAM has already prompted some governments to start designing their own systems to avoid the anti-climate-dumping regime, while others are crying foul and threatening to lodge complaints at the highest level.Watt Matters is joined by one of the architects of CBAM, MEP Mohammed Chahim, in order to delve into the detail of the new tool in the EU’s green arsenal. The discussion with one of the European Parliament’s most intelligent and thoughtful energy lawmakers looks at what the complex negotiations settled on, what was rejected and what the future holds for the new rules.Also, don’t miss why today’s guest was chased into a public toilet by overly enthusiastic lobbyists.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Mohammed Chahim: https://twitter.com/MChahimOliver Sartor: https://twitter.com/ojsartorSam Morgan: https://twitter.com/SamJamesMorganMichaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHT@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep32/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/.

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