For people living in the European Union, the price of their next car, home renovation, and even local produce may soon reflect a climate policy that many have never even heard of.
This new regulation, which comes fully into force on New Year’s Day, does not just target heavy industry—it affects everyday goods which now face an added carbon cost when they enter Europe.
The carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) puts a carbon price on many imported goods—meaning that EU-based importers will pay for the greenhouse gases emitted during the production of certain carbon-intensive materials.
If goods come from countries with weaker climate rules, then the charge will be higher. To sell to the EU, producers will effectively need to show their goods aren’t too carbon-intensive.
The goal is to prevent companies from relocating their production to places with looser regulations, ensuring fair competition between EU and non-EU companies, while incentivising global decarbonisation.
CaMeLeOnnn on
What a bunch of bullshit. We europeans pay so many taxes for the environment whilst America is full of V8’s and gas guzzlers and couldn’t care less about the environment. Same goes for the rest of the world, no f**ks given. But we europeans always have to shoot ourselves in the leg and pay the price for others not caring.
Natural-Possession10 on
We’ve let business owners and consumers transfer the costs of their production/consumption onto regular people for far too long. Anything that moves us towards paying the true price of goods is a positive development.
Fluffy_Homework_5826 on
Tarriffs done the right way
JazzlikeAmphibian9 on
Will this not just be self reporting by the manufacturing countries anyway so there is huge incentives to cheat anyway. This is just Dieselgate on a global scale waiting to happen 😛
eloyend on
It should be expanded to all industries, where EU imposes stricter regulations on domestic business, than the other country.
djingo_dango on
How are these being validated? Seems rife with potential for corruption
yourfriendlyreminder on
Tariffs with green wrapping.
werdersar on
It will just make Europe poorer and won’t change anything.
edparadox on
If even ArsTechnica and its readers cannot be bothered to learn the difference between Europe and the EU…
cobbelstoneminer on
While the idea is good. The implementation of some sectors are horrible and outright self-punishing.
Cross border electricity for example will be completely decimated on some very productive connectors. – Much to the direct detriment of all EU citizens. UK eksports to EU for example will be disproportionately unduly (and unfairly) negatively affected. Everyone has been shouting this to the politicians right from the very beginning, but things will have to break before they realise.
Furthermore the many iterations and lack of clear communication to industry has been abhorrent. Makes you start to believe the narrativs that EU politicians will lose to our global competitors.
Lyelinn on
Yet another tax that will be shifted onto consumers? No matter how good or bad it will be, every price will go up again.
Hutcho12 on
Honestly, I think this sounds like a good idea and a great use of tariffs. We should go further and introduce it on countries that don’t pay a living minimum wage or have proper workplace and employment rights in place.
Why should the EU have to compete against countries that pollute the environment and pay slave wages? We need to level the playing field somehow.
2BeTheFlow on
taxing carbon emissions? Great!
But what are the taxes used for? I hope 100% dedicated to climate protection, but I already forsee that they end up in a big pile and will be used to subsidize energy intensive and/or polluting industries again.
16 commenti
For people living in the European Union, the price of their next car, home renovation, and even local produce may soon reflect a climate policy that many have never even heard of.
This new regulation, which comes fully into force on New Year’s Day, does not just target heavy industry—it affects everyday goods which now face an added carbon cost when they enter Europe.
The carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) puts a carbon price on many imported goods—meaning that EU-based importers will pay for the greenhouse gases emitted during the production of certain carbon-intensive materials.
If goods come from countries with weaker climate rules, then the charge will be higher. To sell to the EU, producers will effectively need to show their goods aren’t too carbon-intensive.
The goal is to prevent companies from relocating their production to places with looser regulations, ensuring fair competition between EU and non-EU companies, while incentivising global decarbonisation.
What a bunch of bullshit. We europeans pay so many taxes for the environment whilst America is full of V8’s and gas guzzlers and couldn’t care less about the environment. Same goes for the rest of the world, no f**ks given. But we europeans always have to shoot ourselves in the leg and pay the price for others not caring.
We’ve let business owners and consumers transfer the costs of their production/consumption onto regular people for far too long. Anything that moves us towards paying the true price of goods is a positive development.
Tarriffs done the right way
Will this not just be self reporting by the manufacturing countries anyway so there is huge incentives to cheat anyway. This is just Dieselgate on a global scale waiting to happen 😛
It should be expanded to all industries, where EU imposes stricter regulations on domestic business, than the other country.
How are these being validated? Seems rife with potential for corruption
Tariffs with green wrapping.
It will just make Europe poorer and won’t change anything.
If even ArsTechnica and its readers cannot be bothered to learn the difference between Europe and the EU…
While the idea is good. The implementation of some sectors are horrible and outright self-punishing.
Cross border electricity for example will be completely decimated on some very productive connectors. – Much to the direct detriment of all EU citizens. UK eksports to EU for example will be disproportionately unduly (and unfairly) negatively affected. Everyone has been shouting this to the politicians right from the very beginning, but things will have to break before they realise.
Furthermore the many iterations and lack of clear communication to industry has been abhorrent. Makes you start to believe the narrativs that EU politicians will lose to our global competitors.
Yet another tax that will be shifted onto consumers? No matter how good or bad it will be, every price will go up again.
Honestly, I think this sounds like a good idea and a great use of tariffs. We should go further and introduce it on countries that don’t pay a living minimum wage or have proper workplace and employment rights in place.
Why should the EU have to compete against countries that pollute the environment and pay slave wages? We need to level the playing field somehow.
taxing carbon emissions? Great!
But what are the taxes used for? I hope 100% dedicated to climate protection, but I already forsee that they end up in a big pile and will be used to subsidize energy intensive and/or polluting industries again.
Europe is never tired to condemn itself lol 😂
This is good for European manufacturers.