InternationalWednesday, 19 August 2026·The Hindu - International
BRICS rejects EU CBAM and seeks higher adaptation finance ahead of COP31
At the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, BRICS opposed the EU’s CBAM and urged developed countries to triple adaptation finance by 2035.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On August 18, 2026, the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, held under India’s chairship, adopted a joint statement opposing the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Key specifics
- The BRICS statement called CBAMs “unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist” climate measures.
- The EU’s CBAM entered its definitive phase from January 1, 2026, covering iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity.
- India’s steel exports are highly exposed, with about 90% of India’s exports to the EU within the CBAM framework being iron and steel.
- The Ministers urged developed countries to triple adaptation finance to developing countries by 2035, as agreed at the UN climate conference in 2025.
- The next major climate negotiation cited in the report is COP31 in Turkey in November 2026.
Exam lens
Question type: international organisation + environment policy, treaty-style statement, and climate finance; TNPSC may ask the meeting number, CBAM-covered sectors, or the 2035 adaptation-finance target.