5. A BCA won’t reduce emissions it’ll increase them – differences internationally among trade partners hurt the domestic emissions
Pizer 21 (Billy, is the Vice President for Research and Policy Engagement at RFF - From 2008 to 2011, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and Energy at the US Department of the Treasury, where he oversaw Treasury’s role in the United States' global environment and energy agenda. 11-10-2021 “Border Carbon Adjustments 101” https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/border-carbon-adjustments-101/#:~:text=On%20the%20climate%20side%2C%20despite,tariffs%20or%20even%20trade%20wars.)//BH-NB//
The core idea behind a BCA is to prevent emission “leakage” related to competitiveness effects. In this context, this includes the potential for increased emissions in countries without (or with less ambitious) carbon mitigation policy compared to other countries that put forth more ambitious mitigation plans. These incentive misalignments between trading partners reduce the net effect of an ambitious country’s policies and could even end up increasing overall emissions.