On Monday, 5 October, the European Commission published the price for the third quarter of 2026, which will be used to calculate the charges for importers whose products are subject to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The cost of 1 metric tonne of CO₂-equivalent emissions stood at €82.32.
This information was revealed in updates on the European Commission’s website.
By way of comparison, the price in the first quarter was €75.36, and in the second quarter €75.28 per metric tonne of embedded emissions. In other words, over the course of three months, the cost of atmospheric pollution on the European market rose by almost 10 per cent.
Link to the EU ETS
To determine the average quarterly price for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the EU uses the average price of emission allowances within the EU ETS. In this way, the EU seeks to maintain a balance between what European producers and importers pay for emissions, in order to achieve what the EU considers to be a fair environmental burden on businesses.
For 2026 — the first year in which the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will be fully operational — prices will be set on a quarterly basis. From 2027 onwards, the European Commission will publish the price of these allowances on a weekly basis.
The sale of certificates under the CBAM scheme will begin on the central platform in February 2027.
As a reminder, emissions calculations under the CBAM are carried out either using standardised values or actual figures. The former are usually higher than the latter, but the latter must be verified by accredited verifiers.
Ukraine, which is not yet a member of the EU, is entitled to apply to the national accreditation body of any EU country. The Ministry of Economy has agreed on such cooperation with the Swedish body SWEDAC.
A company from Greece was the first in the world to receive accreditation for verifying CBAM emissions. Experts noted a curious approach — granting the accrediting body the authority to assess emissions across all industrial sectors covered by CBAM.
Also in September, the European Parliament extended the scope of the emissions trading scheme to include derivatives.
Due to the CBAM, Ukraine has already lost more than half of its exports of certain types of products, as industry, which is trying to operate under wartime conditions, is unable to cope with the additional financial pressure.
