Carbon: New Barrier to Iran's Exports; Mining Industries at Risk of Removal from Global Markets

Changes in global trade rules have confronted Iran's mining industries with a new challenge, where the carbon footprint could determine the fate of exports as much as price and quality.

According to Ambassador Arjan, in the national conference on mining and mineral industries in the carbon era, mining and environmental activists headed by Bahram Shakuri, the head of the Iran Chamber of Mining and Mineral Industries Commission, pointed to the change in global trade rules and considered the reduction of the carbon footprint as an effective factor in the competitiveness of Iran's industries. According to the speakers, ignoring carbon regulations can make it more difficult for Iranian producers to access export markets.

Mohammad Hossein Emami, head of Iran's Green Management Association, emphasized: In addition to the quality and price of products, mining industries should measure the amount of water, energy and raw materials consumption, as well as their carbon footprint. According to him, reforming production processes and reducing resource consumption can reduce costs and create a competitive advantage for industries.

Saeed Tajik, head of the Energy and Environment Commission of the Tehran Chamber, also warned: Carbon regulations may become non-tariff barriers to trade. He considered the documentation of carbon emission data and valid confirmation of this information necessary to maintain the industry's position in global markets.

Asari, the head of the Policy Council of the Strategic Institute of Mining and Green Steel, pointed out the difficulty of transitioning to low-carbon steel, and emphasized the necessity of the government's support for the development of new technologies and the modification of production processes.

Sheena Ansari, head of the Environmental Protection Organization, also announced the approval of the national climate change management program and the creation of a voluntary national carbon market on the agenda of the government. He also announced that the country's renewable energy capacity has reached more than five thousand megawatts from around one thousand megawatts at the beginning of the 14th government.

The sum of the views expressed in the National Conference on Mining and Mineral Industries in the Carbon Age shows that reducing carbon emissions, in addition to its role in protecting the environment, has become an important factor for reducing production costs and maintaining the competitiveness of Iranian industries in export markets.