Free tool
CBAM calculator
Estimate how many CBAM certificates an import into the EU needs and what they cost, from 2026 as free allocation phases out to 2034. Enter the mass, the emissions per tonne and the benchmark for the good; the calculator shows each step.
Certificates = embedded emissions − free allocation adjustment − carbon price paid
The formula
How CBAM certificates are calculated
From 1 January 2026 an authorised CBAM declarant buys and surrenders one certificate for each tonne of CO₂e embedded in the covered goods it imports, less the share EU producers of the same good still get free under the EU ETS, and less any carbon price already paid in the country of origin.
- Embedded emissions
- Mass × specific embedded emissions
- Free allocation adjustment
- Mass × CBAM factor × cross-sectoral correction factor × CBAM benchmark
- CBAM factor
- 97.5% in 2026, 95% in 2027, 90% in 2028, 77.5% in 2029, 51.5% in 2030, falling to 0% in 2034
- Certificates
- Embedded emissions − free allocation adjustment − carbon price deduction
- Cost
- Certificates × CBAM certificate price for the quarter of import
The price is set by the Commission as the average of EU ETS auction prices: quarterly in 2026 (latest, Q3 2026: €82.32), weekly from 2027. Certificates for 2026 imports are bought from February 2027 and surrendered by 30 September 2027.
Worked example
A CBAM calculation, step by step
1,000 t of a good with 1.5 t CO₂e per tonne of embedded emissions and a CBAM benchmark of 1.1 t CO₂e per tonne, imported in 2026, no carbon price paid abroad. These are the figures the Commission’s own guidance uses to illustrate the CBAM factor, and the values the calculator opens with.
- Embedded emissions 1,000 t × 1.5 = 1,500 t CO₂e
- Free allocation adjustment 1,000 t × 97.5% × 1 × 1.1 = 1,072.5 t CO₂e
- Certificates 1,500 − 1,072.5 = 427.5
- Cost 427.5 × €82.32 = €35,192 (€35.19 per tonne)
Why the same import costs more every year
The free allocation adjustment shrinks with the CBAM factor. The same 1,000 t needs 427.5 certificates in 2026, 933.5 in 2030 and 1,500 in 2034, when nothing is deducted. At today’s price that is €35,192, €76,846 and €123,480. Every tenth of a tonne of CO₂e per tonne you can prove you do not emit is worth more each year.
Beyond the estimate
Measured emissions instead of default values
Default values are set conservatively and carry a mark-up: 10% in 2026, 20% in 2027, 30% from 2028. An exporter that can show its own installation’s energy and production data gives its EU customer a lower, verifiable figure. Proxus reads the electricity, gas and production counters of each line and keeps them as history an auditor can trace.
- Energy per tonne produced, from meters and PLC counters, per line and plant.
- Full-resolution history behind every monthly figure, for verification.
- Data delivered to your reporting tool or your EU customer’s template.
Before you ask
CBAM questions exporters ask most.
- Who pays CBAM: the exporter or the EU importer?
- The authorised CBAM declarant in the EU, usually the importer, buys and surrenders the certificates. The exporter does not pay CBAM directly, but its emissions data sets the cost, so it usually enters the price negotiation.
- How is the CBAM certificate price set?
- The Commission publishes it as the weighted average of EU ETS auction clearing prices: one price per quarter for 2026 imports, then weekly from 2027. The Q1, Q2 and Q3 2026 prices were €75.36, €75.28 and €82.32.
- Which goods does CBAM cover?
- Cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity, by CN code. Electricity has no free allocation adjustment, because EU power producers get no free allocation.
- Is there a minimum quantity?
- Yes. An importer whose cement, iron and steel, fertiliser and aluminium imports together stay at or below 50 tonnes in a calendar year is exempt. The threshold does not apply to hydrogen or electricity.
- Should we use actual or default values?
- Default values are simpler but include a growing mark-up and are set conservatively. Actual values need monitoring at the installation and verification, but usually show a lower figure. Many exporters start with default values and move to actual values for their largest customers.