The Observatory EsadeGeo–Fundación Repsol on the Geopolitics of the Energy Transition hosted a public webinar entitled “Measures to Combat Climate Dumping.” Conceived as a timely forum in the run-up to the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’s (CBAM) full deployment, the session analysed how the EU can defend its climate ambition without fuelling trade tensions or breaching World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

EsadeGeo Senior Fellow Omar Rachedi opened the event by defining “climate dumping” as the competitive advantage that carbon-intensive producers enjoy when exporting to jurisdictions with stricter environmental standards. Raquel Guindo Martín, Open Room Coordinator at Fundación Repsol, set the institutional context, stressing that the webinar forms part of the joint Observatory’s objective to demystify complex decarbonisation policies for business and policy stakeholders.

The keynote address came from Vicente Hurtado Roa, Head of Unit C.2 (CBAM, Energy and Green Taxation) at the European Commission’s DG TAXUD. Hurtado outlined the Commission’s phased approach: a transitional period (2023-2025) devoted to data collection and methodological fine-tuning, followed by the full regime from 2026 that will require importers to surrender CBAM certificates priced in line with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). He underscored that legal robustness under WTO law hinges on non-discrimination and accurate embedded-emissions measurement. 

Turning to corporate realities, Dan Maleski, Lead CBAM Advisor at Redshaw Advisors and Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, highlighted the administrative burden facing importers. He argued that harmonised product benchmarks and a streamlined digital registry are essential to prevent compliance costs from eroding firms’ margins. The discussion also examined how CBAM could interact with emerging US and UK carbon-pricing proposals, potentially averting transatlantic trade frictions if convergence is achieved. 

The full recording is available on Esade’s YouTube channel.