The State of BCAs 2025

The report examines the implementation of the EU and UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and the preliminary findings of Australia's Carbon Leakage Review. It highlights the shift from free allocation of emissions permits to border adjustments to prevent carbon leakage, where emissions reductions in one country are offset by increases elsewhere. The EU CBAM is set for full implementation by 2026, and the UK CBAM by 2027. Australia is considering a BCA as a 'robust underpinning' to its Safeguard Mechanism. The document also analyzes WTO discussions from 2020 to 2024, noting a transition from general concerns about protectionism and WTO compliance toward specific discussions on cooperation and interoperability.

• Carbon leakage occurs when climate policies in one country are offset by emissions increases in countries with less ambitious policies; one study found that 13% of emissions reductions from carbon pricing were offset this way, with cement showing a 23% leakage rate and steel 3%.
• The EU CBAM will enter full implementation by 2026, phasing out free allocations from 2026 to 2034 to ensure full price convergence with the EU ETS by 2034. In 2022, the mechanism would have covered approximately 5% of EU imports, with iron and steel representing 55% of those goods.
• The United Kingdom intends to implement its CBAM starting January 1, 2027, without a transition phase. Unlike the EU, the UK CBAM will systemically include scope 2 emissions across all covered sectors.
• Australia's Carbon Leakage Review suggests a BCA could be an appropriate measure to address leakage and serve as a "robust underpinning" to the Safeguard Mechanism. Preliminary findings suggest cement as suitable for initial coverage, with potential later inclusion of steel, glass, ammonia fertilizers, and lime.
• Between 2020 and 2024, the WTO saw 519 official statements or proposals on BCAs. The nature of the debate evolved from general concerns about "hidden protectionism" and WTO compliance toward calls for cooperation and "interoperability between TrCMs" in 2024.

APA

Bonnet, A., & Baršauskaitė, I. (2025). The State of BCAs 2025. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-02/state-of-bcas-2025.pdf

Chicago

Bonnet, Antoine, and Ieva Baršauskaitė. The State of BCAs 2025. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-02/state-of-bcas-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bonnet |first1=Antoine |last2=Baršauskaitė |first2=Ieva |title=The State of BCAs 2025 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=February 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-02/state-of-bcas-2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bonnet2025state, author = {Bonnet, Antoine and Baršauskaitė, Ieva}, title = {{The State of BCAs 2025}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-02/state-of-bcas-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }