International Climate Coalition Proposes Carbon Taxes on Imports

Brazil, as the host of this year’s global climate talks, is spearheading a proposal to create an international climate coalition. The coalition would consist of nations that impose carbon taxes on domestic manufacturers and extend these fees to certain imports from countries outside the group.
The initiative aims to significantly reduce global carbon emissions while generating substantial revenue. A preliminary analysis indicates that if the European Union and approximately a dozen other nations, including China and India, implement carbon pricing across four high-emitting sectors, it could slash pollution by up to seven times the current trajectory. This effort would also yield nearly $200 billion in revenue. Notably, the United States, the second-largest emitter, would not be part of the coalition.
The idea of forming such a coalition was first outlined by experts at Harvard and MIT earlier this year. Their report suggested that aligning climate goals with economic interests could make climate action more sustainable and attractive to poorer nations. Catherine Wolfram, an MIT professor overseeing the report, emphasized the need to strengthen existing carbon pricing programs and is now advising the COP30 president ahead of the November climate conference in Belem, Brazil.
This proposal marks a bold step toward addressing global climate challenges through coordinated economic measures, potentially setting a new standard for international climate cooperation.

Published: 8/11/2025