Introduction: Why CBAM Readiness Is Urgent ?
When Indian steel consignments began getting held at European ports and export orders were abruptly cancelled over missing carbon compliance reports, CBAM stopped being a distant climate regulation. It became a real trade shock. What was once seen as a sustainability reporting requirement has now turned into an immediate cost of doing business with the European Union.
With the mechanism now entering its payment phase, carbon accounting is no longer optional for paperwork — it is a border checkpoint. At the centre of this disruption stand India’s MSMEs. Whether exporting directly or supplying larger firms in global value chains, small manufacturers are confronting a new reality: without verified emissions data, market access itself is at rise.