The official CBAM certificate price for Q2 2026 is €75.28 per tonne of CO₂. It is the second quarterly benchmark published under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and for importers of covered goods it confirms the real, calculable cost that arrives with the definitive regime.
At CBAM Desk we have already loaded the Q2 2026 price into the platform. Every dashboard, forecast and proforma calculation produced by our customers now uses the €75.28/tCO₂ benchmark automatically, with no manual updates required.
The CBAM certificate price for Q2 2026
The European Commission has published the official CBAM certificate price for Q2 2026 at €75.28 per tonne of CO₂. Like the first quarterly figure, it is derived from the average EU ETS allowance price over the relevant period and serves as the reference for future certificate costs.
For importers subject to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, this number is an important benchmark for estimating future compliance costs and preparing for the financial obligations that take effect under the definitive CBAM regime. The carbon intensity of your imports now translates into a concrete, quantifiable figure.
How Q2 compares to Q1 2026
The Q2 2026 price of €75.28 is €0.08 lower than the €75.36 recorded in the first quarter. In practical terms the two figures are almost identical, and together they send a clear signal: CBAM certificate costs are settling firmly in the mid-70-euro range per tonne of CO₂.
That stability is useful for planning. Rather than betting on a single figure, finance and procurement teams can now anchor their models on two consecutive quarters. For the background on the first figure, see our earlier article on the first CBAM certificate price of €75.36 for Q1 2026.
Why the benchmark matters for importers
Although importers only need to purchase CBAM certificates from 2027 onwards, each published price is already highly relevant. Staying informed about the latest CBAM developments is essential, not only for compliance but also for making well-founded sourcing and procurement decisions.
A concrete price gives finance, procurement and sustainability teams a single, authoritative number to build budgets and supplier negotiations around. It supports realistic scenario modelling and helps organisations understand the margin and pricing impacts ahead before the definitive regime begins.
What companies should do now
With a second official price on the table, organisations importing CBAM goods (steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity) should focus on four priorities:
- Quantify exposure. Map imported volumes and the emissions embedded in them.
- Model the financial impact. Apply the €75.28/tCO₂ benchmark to understand the potential cost at scale.
- Engage suppliers. Improve emissions data quality and explore lower-carbon alternatives.
- Integrate CBAM into strategy. Make it part of procurement, pricing and decarbonisation decisions rather than a side topic.
How CBAM Desk applies the Q2 2026 price
This is exactly the kind of moment CBAM Desk is built for. The official Q2 2026 price of €75.28 is already live inside the platform as the primary source for certificate cost calculations. In practice, that means:
- Your dashboard instantly reflects the real cost of your imported emissions at the official price.
- The proforma calculator lets you model new shipments against the actual Q2 2026 benchmark before you commit.
- The forecasting view projects forward-looking certificate costs using the official price as the anchor, so your finance team gets numbers they can defend.
- All processed imports are automatically valued against the correct quarterly price, with no spreadsheets and no copy-paste from EU publications.
Because the CBAM Desk platform maintains the full set of EU default emission values, benchmark values and the official quarterly prices in one place, you do not have to track regulatory updates yourself. We do that work, and your calculations stay accurate.
FAQ
What is the CBAM certificate price for Q2 2026?
The official CBAM certificate price for Q2 2026 is €75.28 per tonne of CO₂, derived from the average EU ETS allowance price over the quarter. It is marginally lower than the Q1 2026 price of €75.36.
How does the Q2 2026 price compare to Q1 2026?
The Q2 2026 price of €75.28 is €0.08 lower than the Q1 2026 price of €75.36. The two quarters together show that CBAM certificate costs are settling in the mid-70-euro range per tonne of CO₂.
When do importers start paying for CBAM certificates?
Importers must purchase and surrender CBAM certificates from 2027 onwards, when the definitive phase begins. The quarterly 2026 prices are published in advance so companies can model their exposure now.
How does CBAM Desk use the Q2 2026 price?
CBAM Desk stores the official EU quarterly price as the primary source for all certificate cost calculations. The Q2 2026 price of €75.28 is already live, so dashboards, forecasts and proforma calculations reflect it automatically.
Key takeaway
The €75.28/tCO₂ Q2 2026 benchmark confirms that CBAM is a real line item on the balance sheet, holding steady close to the Q1 figure. Importers who model that exposure now, engage suppliers and bake the official price into their planning will have a clear advantage when certificate purchasing begins in 2027. Request a CBAM Desk demo to see your own exposure at the official price.