EU Carbon Permits decreased 2.17 EUR or 2.97% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for EU Carbon Permits.

The price of emissions allowances (EUA) traded on the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) exceed 100 euros per metric ton of CO₂ for the first time n February 2023. Athough average annual EUA prices have increased significantly since the 2018 reform of the EU-ETS, they fell 19 percent year-on-year in 2023 to 65 euros. What is the EU-ETS? The EU-ETS became the world’s first carbon market in 2005. The scheme was introduced as a way of limiting GHG emissions from polluting installations by putting a price on carbon, thus incentivizing entities to reduce their emissions. A fixed number of emissions allowances are put on the market each year, which can be traded between companies. The number of available allowances is reduced each year. The EU-ETS is now in its fourth phase (2021 to 2030). Volatility of carbon prices EU carbon prices are volatile and change daily. Prices are determined by the supply and demand of allowances. In March 2022, the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war caused EUA prices to crash to less than 60 euros/tCO₂ due to the expected ban on Russian energy imports in Europe.

Prices for EU Carbon Permits including live quotes, historical charts and news. EU Carbon Permits was last updated by Trading Economics this March 27 of 2025.

The average closing spot price of European Emission Allowances (EUAs) has increased notably since reforms were made to the EU ETS in 2018. In 2022, the average closing spot price of CO₂ EUAs increased by roughly 19 percent to 47.3 euros per metric ton of CO₂.

The average annual price of European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) allowances fell 22 percent year-on-year in 2024, to 65 euros. Still, EU ETS carbon allowances are forecast to rise to almost 150 euros by the end of the decade. Each EU ETS emissions allowance (EUA) gives the holder the right to emit one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.

European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) carbon allowances are estimated to average 65 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide (tCO₂e) in 2024. This figure is forecast to more than double by the end of the decade to almost 150 euros/tCO₂e, before reaching nearly 200 euros/tCO₂e by 2035. EU-ETS carbon prices surpassed the 100 euros per metric ton threshold for the first time in February 2023.

Carbon prices across multiple emissions trading systems worldwide are expected to increase during the period of 2026 to 2030, compared to 2022 to 2026. The average EU ETS carbon price is expected to be 84.4 euros per metric ton of CO₂ during the period 2022 to 2025, but is projected to rise to almost 100 euros per metric ton of CO₂ during the period of 2026 to 2030, according to a survey of International Emissions Trading Association members. EU ETS carbon pricing broke the 90 euros per metric ton of CO₂ barrier in February 2022, and in February 2023 it surpassed 100 euros per metric ton of CO₂.

The cost of UK ETS carbon permits (UKAs) was around 100 GBP in February 2023, but prices have fallen considerably since then. Prices on January 16, 2025 were just 32.57 GBP, down 11 percent from the same date the previous year. Formerly part of the EU ETS, the UK launched its own cap-and-trade system in 2021 following Brexit. Why has the UK’s carbon price fallen? Several factors have contributed to falling UK carbon prices, including mild winter weather and reduced power demand, as well as a surplus of carbon allowances on the market. While prices have recovered marginally from the record lows, they remain markedly below carbon prices on the EU ETS. The low cost of UK carbon permits has raised concerns that it could deter investment in renewable energy. Future of UK ETS The UK ETS covers emissions from domestic aviation and the industry and power sectors, amounting to some 30 percent of the country’s annual GHG emissions. There are plans to expand the system over the coming years to cover CO₂ venting by the upstream oil and gas sector, domestic maritime emissions, and energy from waste and waste incineration. The UK is also looking to introduce a carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would place a carbon price on certain emissions-intensive industrial goods imported to the UK.

In December 2024, the European Energy Exchange AG (EEX) settled an auction of carbon dioxide (CO2) allowances on behalf of Poland at 67.42 euros. Revenues from the auction amounted to 191 million euros.

Carbon pricing needs to reach roughly 100 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide by 2030, for the cheapest renewable hydrogen to be competitive with fossil-based hydrogen. Nonetheless, carbon pricing need to reach as high as 300 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide for all renewable hydrogen to have a production price that breaks even with fossil-based hydrogen production cost. Furthermore, natural gas costs remain cheaper than any hydrogen type if carbon prices do not exceed 100 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide. Hydrogen has been explored as an energy source to mitigate climate change impacts, and alongside its production, new strategies, incentives, and guidelines are also being developed. Currently, global hydrogen production is dominated by natural gas reforming, and green hydrogen prices are not competitive enough to attract customers. Consequently, as of 2021, the market demand for fully decarbonized green hydrogen is still very low compared to the demand for other fuels.

In 2022, over 9.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO₂) were traded in the European carbon market – a decrease of roughly 24 percent from the previous year. The volume of CO₂ traded in North America also declined slightly in 2022, to 2.5 GtCO₂. Meanwhile, the value of global carbon markets grew 13.5 percent in 2022 to 865 billion euros.

The value of the global carbon market increased two percent in 2023, to record high of 881 billion euros (949 billion U.S. dollars). The European Union Emission Trading System is the largest carbon market based on value, accounting for roughly 87 percent of the global market size in 2023. Carbon trading is the purchase and sale of credits that allow a company or entity, such as a power plant, to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide.

Free allowances in the EU-ETS are to be phased out gradually from 2026 and will end by 2034. These free allowances are to be replaced with the world's first carbon border levy, which will take effect in 2026. The newly adopted carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will initially apply to imports of several carbon intensive products that are at the most risk of carbon leakage, such as iron and steel, cement, aluminum, and electricity, therefore making foreign firms and competitors pay the same carbon price as European industries. The CBAM phase-in plan will cease EU-ETS freely allocated allowances over a nine-year period.

Während der Preis für ein CO2-Zertifikat im EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) in 2007 noch durchschnittlich bei etwa 0,70 Euro lag, stieg er bis 2022² auf durchschnittlich ca. 81 Euro an.

Was versteht man unter dem EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS)? Das EU-ETS wurde 2005 etabliert, um als Cap-and-Trade-System die Emissionen in der Energieerzeugung und einigen energieintensiven Industrien gemäß dem Kyoto Protokoll zu reduzieren. Hierbei wird der CO2-Ausstoß durch ein begrenztes Volumen an Emissionszertifikaten begrenzt (Cap) und auf einem Markt gehandelt (Trade). Im Gegensatz zu Treibhausgas-Steuern ist es so möglich, Emissionsreduktionspotentiale möglichst effizient zu nutzen. Einzelne europäische Länder haben zusätzliche Maßnahmen etabliert, wie z.B. Mindestpreise (Großbritannien), CO2-Steuern (z.B. Dänemark, Frankreich) oder Emissionsrechte für Sektoren, die nicht unter den EU-ETS fallen (z.B. Deutschland seit 2021 im Bau und Transport).

Wie hat sich der Handel CO2-Emissionsrechten in Europa entwickelt? In Phase 1 (2005-2007) und Phase 2 (2008-20012) wurden CO2-Zertifikate kostenfrei und in großer Menge zur Verfügung gestellt, weshalb der Preis in 2007 auf 0 Euro absank, und auch danach zu niedrig war, um tatsächliche Treibhaus-Reduktionen herbeizuführen. Ein weiterer, unerwarteter Faktor war die Finanzkrise in 2008/9 die durch den Einbruch der Wirtschaft einem vergleichsweise hohen Volumen an Zertifikaten führte und daher zu anhaltend niedrigen Preisen. Laut einer Studie des DIW tritt die Wirkung des EU-ETS erst aber einem Preis von 40 Euro in Kraft.

In den Phasen 3 (2013-2020) und 4 (2021-2030) wurde ein größerer Teil der Zertifikate per Auktionsverfahren auf den Markt gebracht und einige Sektoren strengeren Regeln unterworfen. Außerdem wurden Instrumente wie die Markstabilitätsreserve (MSR) etabliert, mit denen die EU nach festen Regeln flexibler Zertifikate vom Markt nehmen oder veräußern kann, um den Preis besser zu kontrollieren. Bis 2021 konnte der EU-ETS daher seine Wirkung kaum entfalten.

Der Preis für Emissionszertifikate im Europäischen Emissionshandelssystem (EU-ETS) erreichte im Februar 2023 mit 100,34 Euro pro Tonne CO₂ ein Rekordhoch, sank aber bis Ende Februar 2024 auf 56 Euro (-44 Prozent). Ende Februar lag der Preis bei rund 71 Euro pro Tonne CO₂.Ein Grund ist die geringe Nachfrage: Die Industrie in der EU produziert weniger als erwartet und verbraucht damit auch weniger fossile Brennstoffe. Dadurch ist auch der Bedarf an Zertifikaten geringer und die Preise sinken. Die Nachfrage wird dazu durch eine erhöhte Verfügbarkeit von erneuerbaren Energien gesenkt. Was ist das EU-ETS? Das EU-ETS wurde 2005 eingeführt und war der weltweit erste Markt für den Handel mit CO₂-Zertifikaten. Das System wurde eingeführt, um Treibhausgasemissionen zu bepreisen und damit Unternehmen Anreize zu liefern, ihre klimaschädlichen Emissionen zu senken. Jedes Jahr wird eine feste Anzahl von Emissionszertifikaten auf den Markt gebracht, die zwischen Unternehmen gehandelt werden. Dabei wird die Anzahl der verfügbaren Zertifikate jährlich reduziert, was zu einem Anstieg der Preise führt. Das EU-ETS befindet sich aktuell in seiner vierten Phase (2021 bis 2030). Schwankung der Preise Die Preise der gehandelten Zertifikate sind volatil und ändern sich täglich, da die Preise durch Angebot und Nachfrage bestimmt werden. Zum Beispiel führte im März 2022 der Ausbruch des Russland-Ukraine-Krieges dazu, dass die Preise aufgrund des erwarteten Verbots von russischen Energieeinfuhren in Europa auf weniger als 60 Euro pro Tonne CO₂ abstürzten.