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How much will CBAM cost you?

Estimate your illustrative gross carbon cost by product, export volume and embedded emissions — and see the difference verified data makes vs. Illustrative reference values.

Illustrative reference: 1.9 tCO₂ per tonne of product
Default: recent range €70–90
If you have real monitoring data, enter it here to compare against the default-value cost.
Estimated illustrative gross carbon cost
€0

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How the CBAM certificate cost calculator works

This tool multiplies tonnes by an illustrative emissions factor and your assumed EUR/tCO2 price. It does not compute payable CBAM certificates. Check official methodology, free-allocation adjustment, carbon price paid, CN code, origin, year and importer exemption before budgeting.

Illustrative reference values vs. verified actual data

Illustrative reference emissions values are deliberately conservative sector averages published in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1773. For steel, the Illustrative reference is approximately 1.8 tCO₂ per tonne. A modern electric arc furnace facility may actually emit 0.3–0.5 tCO₂ per tonne. At €65 per tCO₂, on 1,000 tonnes of steel exports, the difference between default and verified data is approximately £85,000–£97,500 per year in avoidable CBAM costs. Emissions verification typically costs €3,000–€8,000 — a payback period of weeks, not years.

EU ETS price and CBAM certificate pricing

This tool multiplies tonnes by an illustrative emissions factor and your assumed EUR/tCO2 price. It does not compute payable CBAM certificates. Check official methodology, free-allocation adjustment, carbon price paid, CN code, origin, year and importer exemption before budgeting.

Certificate purchase and surrender timeline

This tool multiplies tonnes by an illustrative emissions factor and your assumed EUR/tCO2 price. It does not compute payable CBAM certificates. Check official methodology, free-allocation adjustment, carbon price paid, CN code, origin, year and importer exemption before budgeting.

Last reviewed: October 2026. EU ETS price range based on 2025–2026 auction data. Timeline per Regulation (EU) 2023/956.

Frequently asked questions

How much do CBAM certificates cost?

CBAM certificate cost = export volume × embedded emissions (tCO₂/tonne) × EU ETS price (€/tCO₂). At €65/tCO₂ with Illustrative reference steel emissions (~1.8 tCO₂/t), a 500-tonne steel exporter faces approximately €58,500/year. With verified EAF emissions (~0.4 tCO₂/t), the same exporter pays ~€13,000 — a saving of €45,500 per year from verification.

How is the CBAM certificate price set?

This tool multiplies tonnes by an illustrative emissions factor and your assumed EUR/tCO2 price. It does not compute payable CBAM certificates. Check official methodology, free-allocation adjustment, carbon price paid, CN code, origin, year and importer exemption before budgeting.

What is the difference between default and verified emissions?

Illustrative reference emissions values are conservative sector averages — typically 2–5× higher than actual emissions from modern facilities. Verified actual emissions require an accredited methodology under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1773 and a formal audit, typically costing €3,000–€8,000.

When do CBAM certificate purchase obligations begin?

This tool multiplies tonnes by an illustrative emissions factor and your assumed EUR/tCO2 price. It does not compute payable CBAM certificates. Check official methodology, free-allocation adjustment, carbon price paid, CN code, origin, year and importer exemption before budgeting.

Can verified emissions data significantly reduce CBAM costs?

Yes. For a modern EAF steel plant with actual emissions of 0.4 tCO₂/t versus the Illustrative reference of 1.8 tCO₂/t, the cost saving is approximately 78% of the default-value CBAM liability. At significant export volumes, verification investment pays back within months.

What is the penalty for not surrendering CBAM certificates?

This tool multiplies tonnes by an illustrative emissions factor and your assumed EUR/tCO2 price. It does not compute payable CBAM certificates. Check official methodology, free-allocation adjustment, carbon price paid, CN code, origin, year and importer exemption before budgeting.

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