India isn't too happy with a plan the European Union (EU) has been pushing. The EU wants to put a higher tax on industries in India that make a lot of carbon. This tax is part of something they call the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). It's like a green toll booth for products coming into the EU to help cut down on the carbon they're letting into their area.
Gerassimos Thomas, a big shot from the European Commission, went to India with a bunch of EU folks to talk about this idea. He's the Director General for Taxation and Customs Union, so he's all about taxes and stuff like that. They talked about how this tax would focus on goods that produce a lot of carbon, like steel, aluminum, and cement. The EU's aim is to be carbon neutral by 2050, which means they don't want to add more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than they take out.
But Ajay Seth, who's India's Economic Affairs Secretary, didn't think much of it. He talked to Reuters and said it's just not going to work for India. He said it doesn't make sense for a country that's still growing and trying to give its people better lives. Plus, it could make things more expensive for people in India.
India told the EU straight-up that they think the tax is unfair and could really mess with their local businesses. This whole situation shows that while everyone wants to save the planet, it's tricky to figure out how to do it without stepping on each other's toes, especially when some countries are still trying to grow.
The EU's plan is a big deal for the fight against climate change, but how it's going to affect countries like India and whether it's fair is something that's definitely going to keep coming up in global chats.