CBAM: Why the EU Needs to Rethink Its Climate Policy for Ukraine

From 2026, the EU will enter the payment phase of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) — a tool meant to curb carbon leakage and drive global decarbonisation. But will it work in Ukraine?

In this sharp and timely analysis, the authors argue that CBAM in its current form is unlikely to support Ukraine’s green transition. While Ukraine’s steel and energy exports may be affected, overall emissions are unlikely to fall, and the climate impact will remain limited without deeper cooperation.

Instead of relying solely on carbon pricing, the EU should step up with a joint EU–Ukraine transformation and decarbonisation fund. Such a fund would be a strong geopolitical and climate commitment — and a real lever for modernising Ukraine’s economy on its EU path.

Read the full article (in German, registration required): https://table.media/climate/standpunkt/cbam-warum-die-eu-ihre-klimapolitik-fuer-die-ukraine-neu-denken-muss/