The European Commission has published the first official CBAM certificate price: €75.36 per tonne of CO₂ for Q1 2026. It is the moment the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism stops being a reporting exercise and starts carrying a real, calculable cost for every importer of covered goods.
At CBAM Desk we have already loaded the official quarterly price into the platform. Every dashboard, forecast and proforma calculation produced by our customers from today onwards uses the new €75.36/tCO₂ benchmark automatically, with no manual updates required.
From reporting to pricing
During the transitional phase between 2023 and 2025, companies were primarily required to report the embedded emissions of imported goods. That already meant serious data collection and supplier engagement, but the financial impact stayed indirect.
With the publication of the first CBAM certificate price, that changes. The price is derived from the average EU ETS allowance price and serves as the benchmark for future certificate costs. From now on, the carbon intensity of your imports translates directly into financial exposure.
Why the first CBAM price matters now
Although importers only need to actually purchase CBAM certificates from 2027 onwards, this first published price is already highly relevant. It provides a concrete reference point for carbon cost calculations, enables realistic scenario modelling, supports investment and sourcing decisions, and helps organisations prepare for the margin and pricing impacts ahead.
It also closes the gap between regulatory theory and operational planning. Finance, procurement and sustainability teams now share a single, authoritative number they can build budgets and supplier negotiations around. For the wider context of the Q1 2026 announcement, see our weekly CBAM news update covering the 7 April price publication.
What companies should do now
With a first 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 €75.36/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 official Q1 2026 price
This is exactly the kind of moment CBAM Desk is built for. The official Q1 2026 price of €75.36 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 Q1 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.
Looking ahead
The CBAM price will be published quarterly throughout 2026, and from 2027 onwards a weekly average will take effect. That means increasing transparency, but also increasing pressure to act. The key question is no longer whether CBAM will impact your business. It is how much, and how soon.
FAQ
What is the first official CBAM certificate price?
The European Commission has set the first official CBAM certificate price at €75.36 per tonne of CO₂ for Q1 2026, based on the average EU ETS allowance price for the quarter.
When do companies have to start buying CBAM certificates?
Importers will need to purchase and surrender CBAM certificates from 2027 onwards, when the definitive phase begins. The Q1 2026 price is published in advance so companies can model their exposure now.
How is the CBAM price calculated?
The price reflects the average EU ETS allowance price over the relevant period. In 2026 it is published quarterly, and from 2027 a weekly average will apply.
How does CBAM Desk use the official quarterly price?
CBAM Desk stores the official EU quarterly price as the primary source for all certificate cost calculations. The Q1 2026 price of €75.36 is already live, so dashboards, forecasts and proforma calculations reflect it immediately.
Key takeaway
The €75.36/tCO₂ Q1 2026 benchmark turns CBAM into a real line item on the balance sheet. 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.
This article is based on analysis originally written by Amber Hulsman of Hulsman & Partners, CBAM Desk's implementation partner, and adapted by the CBAM Desk team.