Glass for Europe has welcomed the European Commission’s proposal to reform the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) beyond 2030, describing it as a necessary step to restore a credible investment framework for decarbonising Europe’s flat glass industry. However, the association warns that the reform must reflect the technological realities of energy-intensive manufacturing.

The organisation highlighted that flat glass is a strategic material for Europe’s decarbonisation, serving energy-efficient buildings, clean mobility and renewable energy applications. Maintaining competitive flat glass production in Europe, it said, is therefore essential for both climate objectives and industrial resilience.

Secretary General Bertrand Cazes said that while encouraging investment in cleaner production is the right approach, additional restrictions on carbon leakage protection will not reduce emissions where industrial-scale decarbonisation technologies are not yet commercially available. Instead, hard-to-abate sectors require stronger support to develop and deploy breakthrough low-carbon solutions.

Glass for Europe will assess whether the proposed changes to free allocation under the EU ETS support decarbonisation investments or risk weakening the competitiveness of sectors facing structural technological constraints. The association is urging EU co-legislators to ensure that any future reduction in free emissions allowances is linked to the commercial availability of decarbonisation technologies.