BRICS rejects EU carbon tax as ‘punitive’, ‘discriminatory’; warns of burden on Global South

BRICS nations have rejected the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, declaring it “unilateral”, “punitive”, "discriminatory" and “protectionist”. The New Delhi Declaration, adopted unanimously, criticised the environmental import taxes, warning they penalise developing economies and harm the global trading system. It called for greater financial and technological support for developing countries to tackle climate change.

“We oppose unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist measures that are not in line with international law, such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms,” the BRICS declaration said.
It added that the grouping was concerned that such measures “undermine efforts by countries, specifically the developing countries, aimed at addressing the adverse impacts of climate change, increasing adaptive capacity and resilience.”

The bloc argues these levies unfairly shift the financial burden of decarbonisation onto the Global South. It has a tax which penalises core developing-country exports, including iron, steel, aluminium, cement, and fertilisers. It noted that there are substantial gaps in funding for adoption measures.

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The declaration asserted it remained committed to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. It stressed that climate action should follow “equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.”

During India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship, the bloc officially adopted the BRICS Principles for Integrated Landscape-Based Greening and Land Restoration alongside the Common Understanding for Wildfire Preparedness and Response across BRICS countries. The documents formalise the BRICS shift from a purely economic alliance into a coordinated environmental bloc. Both of these outcome documents were originally drafted and consensually adopted in August 2026 during the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi and ratified at the 18th BRICS Summit, embedding them into the final BRICS New Delhi Declaration.