How CBAM emissions and cost are calculated
For imports from 1 January 2026 (the definitive period). The figures on this page come from the same official reference data and the same calculation as the CBAM Wise portal.
Last updated: 21 October 2026
The three numbers you need
Tonnes imported × emissions per tonne
your embedded emissions
Free allocation
the EU benchmark × CBAM factor
Certificate price
per tonne CO₂e
Your CBAM cost
before any carbon price paid abroad
Step 1: embedded emissions per tonne
The embedded emissionsThe greenhouse gases released to make one tonne of the good, in tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e): from the installation itself and from the precursors used. of a good are its direct emissions plus those of its precursors. Indirect emissions (from the electricity used) count in the cost only for cement and fertilisers. For iron and steel, aluminium and hydrogen only the direct emissions count.
You can use one of two sources, per supplier and good:
- Actual data from the producing installation, verified by an accredited verifier. No mark-up.
- The Commission's default valueThe emissions per tonne the Commission publishes for each good and country of origin, to use when you have no verified data from the producer (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621)., plus a mark-upA percentage added to default values, rising each year, so verified actual data is worth getting. by year:
| Sector | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron and steel | 10% | 20% | 30% |
| Aluminium | 10% | 20% | 30% |
| Cement | 10% | 20% | 30% |
| Fertilisers | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Hydrogen | 10% | 20% | 30% |
Step 2: free allocation
EU producers still receive part of their allowances for free, so CBAM deducts the same share. The deduction per tonne is the good's benchmarkThe emissions per tonne of the most efficient EU producers of the good, published per CN code and production route (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2620). × the CBAM factorThe share of the benchmark still given free in a year: 97.5% in 2026, falling to 0% in 2034. × the net mass. The CBAM factor falls every year:
| Year | CBAM factor (share of the benchmark given free) |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 97.5% |
| 2027 | 95.0% |
| 2028 | 90.0% |
| 2029 | 77.5% |
| 2030 | 51.5% |
| 2031 | 39.0% |
| 2032 | 26.5% |
| 2033 | 14.0% |
| 2034 | 0.0% |
The "2.5% myth"
A CBAM factor of 97.5% does not mean you pay for 2.5% of your emissions. It is 97.5% of the benchmark, which is far below most default values. For one tonne of the example below:
Step 3: the certificate price
One certificateA CBAM certificate covers one tonne of CO₂e. You buy them on the Common Central Platform from 1 February 2027 and surrender them with your annual declaration. covers one tonne of CO₂e. For 2026 imports the price is the quarterly average of the EU ETS auction price, by the quarter your goods were imported; from 2027 the price is set every week.
| Quarter | Price per certificate |
|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | €75.36 |
| Q2 2026 | €75.28 |
| Q3 2026 | €82.32 |
| Q4 2026 | published 4 January 2027 |
Worked example
Ten tonnes of steel screws from India, without supplier data, imported in the first quarter of 2026. Every number below comes from the official reference data, calculated by the same engine as the portal's "one line worked out by hand".
| Step | What | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commission default value, direct emissions (indirect emissions do not count for steel) | 5.72 tCO₂e/t |
| 1 | Mark-up on default values in 2026 (iron and steel) | +10% = 6.292 tCO₂e/t |
| 2 | Free allocation: benchmark 1.364 × CBAM factor 97.5% × CSCF 100% | −1.3299 tCO₂e/t |
| 2 | Net per tonne | 4.9621 tCO₂e/t |
| 2 | Certificates for 10 t | 49.621 |
| 3 | Price for Q1 2026 | €75.36 per certificate |
| = | CBAM cost | €3,739.44 (€373.94 per tonne) · 27,898 kr. |
The same goods imported in each quarter of 2026:
| Quarter | Price | Per tonne | Total (10 t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | €75.36 | €373.94 | €3,739.44 |
| Q2 2026 | €75.28 | €373.55 | €3,735.47 |
| Q3 2026 | €82.32 | €408.48 | €4,084.80 |
| Q4 2026 | €82.32 (assumed (published 4 January 2027)) | €408.48 | €4,084.80 |
And the same import in later years (with the mark-up and CBAM factor of each year, and the latest published price):
| Year | Per tonne | Total (10 t) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | €391.11 | €3,911 |
| 2027 | €458.37 | €4,584 |
| 2028 | €511.08 | €5,111 |
| 2029 | €525.11 | €5,251 |
| 2030 | €554.31 | €5,543 |
Estimate your CBAM cost
Estimate, not a declaration. Based on the official reference data the CBAM Wise portal uses today. No login, nothing stored.
The estimator needs JavaScript. The worked example above shows the same calculation step by step.
What lowers your cost
- Verified supplier data. Actual emissions are usually below the default value, and they carry no mark-up.
- Cleaner suppliers. The same good from an installation with lower emissions costs less per tonne; compare origins in the estimator.
- Timing. The free allocation shrinks every year and the mark-up rises to 30% in 2028: the same import costs more each year.
- Carbon price paid abroad. A carbon price effectively paid in the country of production can be deducted, with evidence.
Book a demo Start in the portal
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/956 (the CBAM Regulation), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2025/2083
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621: default values (as corrected by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1740)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2620: benchmarks for the free allocation adjustment
- European Commission: price of CBAM certificates
- European Commission: CBAM guidance and default values
The amounts in kroner use CBAM Wise's standard rate of 7.46038 DKK per euro (the ERM II central rate), as on the portal's cost page.