This article was originally published in the July 24, 2026, issue of the Synergies series on Next Generation Trade Arrangements for Environment and Sustainable Development curated by TESS. 

Carbon border adjustments are gaining momentum globally. One major challenge of implementing carbon border adjustments is the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of product-level carbon emissions. Unlike traditional financial metrics, it is much more difficult to track the greenhouse gas emissions associated with goods throughout the supply chain. This requires a policy trade-off between administrative simplicity and emissions data accuracy. Multilateral collaboration is critical for standardizing product-level carbon accounting, especially in developing industry-specific MRV standards. Multi-issue international organizations that allow experts with a broad range of expertise to work together are ideal venues for such collaboration.

Link to the article.