CBAM sets new requirements for manufacturing businesses.
According to Savills, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) officially entered its phase at the beginning of 2026. This mechanism is implemented to limit the risk of “carbon leaks” by linking carbon costs to the emissions contained in certain groups of imported goods.
Currently, CBAM applies to six sectors: iron and steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen. For non-EU manufacturing businesses, the ability to measure and provide emissions data is becoming increasingly important. This requires businesses to improve their energy management capabilities, monitor emissions, and progressively access lower-carbon energy sources.
The impact of CBAM is not limited to businesses that directly export goods to the EU. According to Savills, carbon and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements are increasingly being integrated into the purchasing standards, supply chain strategies, and production site selection decisions of multinational corporations.
In this context, the quality of industrial infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important factor in businesses’ emission reduction strategies. Industrial parks and factories that integrate renewable energy, energy-saving solutions, water and waste management systems, and data measurement tools can help tenants better control their environmental impact during operation.
In Vietnam, the transition to eco-industrial park models is also being promoted, with a focus on improving resource efficiency, cleaner production, developing industrial symbiosis, and reducing emissions.
Green infrastructure is becoming a competitive advantage for industrial parks.
John Campbell, Director and Head of Industrial Real Estate Services at Savills Vietnam, noted that CBAM is making carbon issues more concrete for businesses participating in international supply chains. According to him, when choosing a production location, businesses are increasingly concerned with energy access, operational efficiency, and emissions data, in addition to traditional factors such as location, cost, and infrastructure connectivity.
This trend creates opportunities for industrial park developers in Vietnam to upgrade their products and services. Instead of simply providing land, developers can focus on building infrastructure that supports emission reduction goals and meets tenants’ ESG requirements.
According to Savills experts, land costs, labor resources, and logistics connectivity remain important factors for manufacturers. However, access to energy, resource efficiency, building standards, and ESG data are increasingly being considered when selecting investment locations.
For industrial real estate developers, this trend opens up opportunities to enhance competitiveness by integrating renewable energy, energy-saving solutions, and operational management technologies right from the project development stage.
Green building certifications such as LEED, BREEAM, or Green Mark can support the transition process. However, beyond certification, actual operational efficiency and the ability to measure data throughout the asset’s lifecycle will become increasingly important.
CBAM is one of the factors driving the transformation of industrial real estate. In the long term, infrastructure supporting energy efficiency, emission reduction, and data transparency could become a competitive advantage for Vietnam in attracting high-value manufacturing projects.