https://cleantrade.org.uk/updates daily 0.75 2025-02-12 https://cleantrade.org.uk/updates/policy-win-labour monthly 0.5 2025-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/b0cd728a-221b-4f56-a9ad-2bd209d168f3/graphic+for+Labour.jpg Updates - Policy win: Labour Party’s manifesto sets out plans to bring in a carbon border adjustment mechanism in 2027 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cleantrade.org.uk/updates/policy-win-conservatives monthly 0.5 2025-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/b4c86fde-eb3a-41ba-bab8-53aeebdcbb46/Reasons+Conservatives+adopt+CBAM.jpg Updates - Policy win: UK government announces plans to bring in a carbon border adjustment mechanism in 2027 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cleantrade.org.uk/updates/kppzjfd0w5xrldwsumemcxd8zut1pg monthly 0.5 2025-01-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/1abfa2fb-98a6-4124-ac3b-5679ec6fd20a/CleanTrade%2C+2023%2C+UK+carbon+border+adjustment+mechanism+-+explainer Updates - New CleanTrade research finds that a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism could boost construction industry orders of UK-made steel by more than £500 million annually - Make it stand out CleanTrade, 2023, UK carbon border adjustment mechanism - explainer https://cleantrade.org.uk/updates/business monthly 0.5 2025-02-12 https://cleantrade.org.uk/updates/carbon-accountants monthly 0.5 2025-01-22 https://cleantrade.org.uk/our-research daily 0.75 2025-09-02 https://cleantrade.org.uk/our-research/uk-cbam-construction-steel monthly 0.5 2023-03-07 https://cleantrade.org.uk/our-research/library-of-the-best-research-and-briefings monthly 0.5 2023-03-07 https://cleantrade.org.uk/our-research/uk-imported-emissions monthly 0.5 2025-09-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/9a31b959-9428-4c7e-9434-ffec5cf33d58/Graph3.png Our research - Free-to-pollute imports undermine the UK’s fledging net zero industries - Why are imported emissions created? Imported goods and services are used by UK businesses and sectors. UK manufacturing and construction sectors are the biggest contributors of imported emissions. For example, imported steel is used in the UK construction industry https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/af11df73-26eb-455f-a66e-fd7d842ae786/Graph2.png Our research - Free-to-pollute imports undermine the UK’s fledging net zero industries - Where are imported emissions are created? China, Russia and the USA are the top three sources of these imported emissions. UK imports from these countries are responsible for over a quarter of all UK imported emissions. These countries remain heavily dependent on the use of fossil fuels. Our imports from China are responsible for more emissions than the entire UK agricultural sector (5) and most were from manufacturing products. Imported emissions from Russia will no doubt have reduced as a result of recent sanctions, but data is not yet available (see more in “The fine print” section at the bottom of this page). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/b91db812-b2b7-4c59-851b-04970337b7c5/Graph5.png Our research - Free-to-pollute imports undermine the UK’s fledging net zero industries - Those countries taking “critically” and “highly” insufficient climate action maintain far worse working rights. Supporting greener industrial processes in our imported goods can create improved working conditions while incentivising companies to lower their emissions. Many countries and sectors do not protect their employees and workers well. Those countries taking “critically” and “highly” insufficient climate action maintain far worse working rights, according to the Global Rights Index. As well as climate action being correlated with better working conditions, there will be instances where better climate practices directly cause better working conditions. For example, a company swapping from diesel to more efficient electric machinery reduces noise levels as well as harmful air pollutants, improving the quality of working conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/bed76ad6-ab10-4b5d-9abc-104778aef744/Graph6.png Our research - Free-to-pollute imports undermine the UK’s fledging net zero industries - The UK spends £400bn annually importing goods from countries with less stringent domestic climate actions. The current situation is bad from a domestic economic perspective and from an environmental one. Action on imported emissions could mean more money is spent on manufacturing jobs in the low-carbon industries of the future both in the UK and abroad. We currently spend £500bn annually importing goods from abroad - that’s over £7,000 per person. By not taking responsibility for environmental standards within our supply chains, we are missing opportunities to use that purchasing power to develop and champion low carbon industry and infrastructure. The current situation is bad from a domestic economic perspective, and an environmental one. Cleaning up our imported emissions could reduce the amount of ‘offshored’ emissions and would create UK jobs in low-carbon industries like manufacturing, refurbishment, reuse and recycling. Reducing imported emissions cleans up the environment and revives British manufacturing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/3c0109fd-1dcb-4297-bf55-d6430b6c1277/Graph4+.png Our research - Free-to-pollute imports undermine the UK’s fledging net zero industries - 80+% of imported emissions are produced in countries with less stringent domestic climate actions and targets than the UK. We are missing an opportunity to reduce emissions globally and support prosperous low-carbon industries to develop in the UK and abroad. The UK's climate actions, targets and finance are rated "almost sufficient" by Climate Action Tracker but 80% of the UK's imported emissions are produced in countries deemed “insufficient” or worse. 40% are produced in countries whose climate action is deemed “critically” or “highly” insufficient. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/7ccbd07c-c88a-402c-8f7f-ab53e3dd1396/Graph1.png Our research - Free-to-pollute imports undermine the UK’s fledging net zero industries - How are imported emissions created? Fossil fuel mining, extracting and treatment is the biggest cause, followed by the production of electricity, gas, water and waste. Next biggest is agriculture, forestry and fishing. For example, when we import food, emissions are created by tractors and farming systems worldwide. The fourth biggest source are emissions from the transportation and storage of goods before they reach the UK. Ships bringing goods from the USA to Liverpool, for example, will most likely run on diesel. https://cleantrade.org.uk/home daily 1.0 2025-09-01 https://cleantrade.org.uk/our-inspiration daily 0.75 2022-12-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/1622101528900-7X69OLJLLADPF7S5WXQ9/Greta+Thunberg Our inspiration - Greta Thunberg, Fridays for Future “Since 1990 the UK has achieved a 37% reduction of its territorial CO2 emissions... And that does sound very impressive. But these numbers do not include emissions…associated with imports and exports. If these numbers are included the reduction is around 10% since 1990 – or an average of 0.4% a year.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/52a512a9-e115-4dd3-8869-7a975dfb54c7/FT.jpg Our inspiration - Financial Times “In the absence of a global carbon price, companies face competition from exporters elsewhere who can produce at a lower cost. [It is] vital to create a level playing field for competition and prevent “carbon leakage” where measures to reduce emissions in one country lead producers to relocate to another with looser standards.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/5b0646bc-6a2b-498a-ac69-b6f5075a12ec/WWF+logo+v2.jpeg Our inspiration - WWF-UK “54% of the UK’s carbon footprint was domestically sourced with the remaining 46% coming from emissions released overseas to satisfy UK consumption… UK-based consumption drives emissions across the globe.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/e2162f2a-1dd4-4b1f-b401-44ff990a70da/CCC+logo.jpeg Our inspiration - The Climate Change Committee “To avoid carbon leakage as the UK decarbonises, [The Government] should consult on plans to implement, by 2030 or earlier, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms and mandatory minimum climate-related standards on imports of selected manufactured products and energy.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/2912c035-41cd-4847-b2e4-7efdd06de105/London_School_of_Economics-Logo.png Our inspiration - London School of Economics “Uncertainty around UK’s… anti-carbon-leakage measures further reduces the long-term investment security for carbon-neutral production processes for UK industry.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/61051303-6c05-4f66-a5c8-ae563a4f2212/ACAN+logo.png Our inspiration - Architects Climate Action Network “Construction industry causes in excess of 11% of worldwide GHG emissions… We, as an industry, are able and ready to measure, report and reduce embodied carbon emissions.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/2fcaf2eb-4c08-4ffe-ba53-54380417ee05/HM_Treasury_logo.png Our inspiration - HM Treasury “Reducing carbon reduces cost.” https://cleantrade.org.uk/methodology daily 0.75 2025-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/0c7ddfed-7ac6-481c-8d7d-b248206a1b5b/Sankey+2.png https://cleantrade.org.uk/in-the-news daily 0.75 2023-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/52a512a9-e115-4dd3-8869-7a975dfb54c7/FT.jpg In the news - Financial Times CleanTrade exists to make the political case for regulations that prevent high-carbon imports undercutting fledgling low-carbon industries. And that’s exactly what we do in this piece…. We set out how, for the Conservatives, extending carbon pricing to imports is a way of further unleashing the market’s potential to deliver low-carbon solutions. It could also bolster manufacturing jobs in areas they want to “level up” in. And for Labour, these policies are a chance to double down on promoting green jobs – in a way that doesn’t add to their public spending commitments. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f5882ca6ff8d01c21886e5c/4e89c094-07c0-469c-89d9-e798a3dd5070/BusinessGreen.png In the news - BusinessGreen CleanTrade exists to help people understand the policy options and their benefits. This piece covers our research into how a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) could boost construction industry orders of low-carbon UK-made steel by £500m annually. This would help to level the playing field between lower carbon UK-made steel and high-carbon imports, and we would expect an industrial building developer like FTSE 100-listed Segro to shift £10m of its steel spend.