EU import-linked emissions are stalling, NGO says

The European Climate Foundation said Tuesday that the European Union is failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to imported products, calling it a weak point in the bloc's climate policy.

The environmental NGO launched an online tracker in Brussels measuring emissions tied to international trade from 2010 to 2023. It said import-related emissions made up 35 percent of the EU's carbon footprint in 2023, eight percentage points higher than in 2015.

The foundation said the EU's domestic emissions are falling while emissions linked to imports, including products from China, are stalling, making imported emissions a larger share of the bloc's total footprint.

Samuel Lere, the foundation's industrial policy and trade programme manager, said the EU should set standards for low-carbon products in trade with countries such as China. The foundation also called for some production to be relocated and for lifestyle changes including reduced consumption of fossil fuels and beef.

The EU is introducing measures aimed at reducing import-related emissions, including laws on deforestation and methane emissions, but the foundation said those measures do not cover all sectors.