The proposal to expand the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include washing machines, refrigerators, and dryers is both timely and essential.
More than 75% of large household appliances produced in Europe are sold within the EU. As a result, manufacturers are directly exposed to rising material and production costs driven by the Emissions Trading System (ETS).
With free ETS allowances being phased out, European producers will face increasing carbon costs—costs that imported finished goods can currently avoid. This widening “carbon gap” risks distorting the market and undermining Europe’s capacity to innovate.
Why extending CBAM matters
Bringing home appliances into the CBAM framework would:
– Level the playing field by ensuring imported goods face equivalent carbon costs
– Encourage global decarbonisation by rewarding low‑carbon manufacturing practices
– Safeguard EU climate ambition by preventing carbon leakage and reinforcing the ETS
To fully achieve CBAM’s objectives, we urge the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to extend coverage to additional home appliance categories that face similar carbon leakage risks.
A comprehensive approach is the only way to protect European industry while staying true to the EU’s climate commitments.
WHITEGOODSNOW 