The carbon policy disagreements between China and the EU are deepening

Despite China's commitments to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, the country is displaying a cautious approach towards revising its nationally determined contributions.

The European Union (EU) criticizes China for opposing the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) at the United Nations Climate Change Conference while hoping that China maintains high standards for its local voluntary carbon market, the CCER.

The CCER program, compatible with China's National Emission Trading System (ETS), allows companies to offset their emissions. However, concerns have been raised about potential issues related to credit generation and the risk of double counting within this mechanism.

China emphasizes the importance of its own economic development and adopts a cautious stance in setting climate targets, criticizing CBAM as an inappropriate approach. These disagreements may have broader implications, affecting more extensive negotiations, including the Global Stocktake, which assesses the overall progress of countries in implementing the Paris Agreement.