The EU carbon price per emitted tonne of CO2 is around 75 euros today, while China's is under 10 euros.

Error detected

China's national ETS carbon price is not 'under 10 euros.' As of April 2024, it had already reached CNY 100 (approximately €12.84) per tonne for the first time, and carbon prices in tightening ETS markets generally trend upward over time, making it very unlikely to have fallen below €10 by May 2026.

Omissions

• The China national ETS carbon price data used for verification dates from April 2024 (CNY 100 / €12.84), which is over two years before the claim's session date. More recent 2025–2026 data for China's national ETS was not found within the search limit, though carbon markets typically exhibit upward price trends with tightening caps, suggesting the gap between the claimed 'under €10' and the actual price has likely widened.
• The claim does not distinguish between China's national ETS and its regional pilot ETS programs, which may have different price levels. Some regional pilot prices may still be low, but the national ETS—the primary carbon pricing instrument—had already surpassed €10 by April 2024.
• The EU carbon price cited by gmk.center refers to ICE futures for the December 2026 EUA contract, not necessarily the spot price, though the two are closely correlated.

Sources

• PrimaryInternational Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)EU ETS average secondary market price (2025): EUR 74.35 (USD 84.01). Average auction price (2025): EUR 73.43 (USD 82.97).
• SecondaryGMK CenterEuropean carbon prices in the first half of May 2026 ranged from €74 to €77 per ton. According to ICE, futures prices for CO2 emission allowances (EUA, December 2026 contract) reached €74–77/t in May.
• SecondaryTrading EconomicsEU Carbon Permits rose to 77.58 EUR on June 15, 2026. Over the past month, EU Carbon Permits price has risen 2.69%.
• SecondaryDeutsche Energie-Agentur (dena)In April 2024, it [China's national ETS carbon price] exceeded CNY 100 (EUR 12.84) per tonne for the first time. The price level in the EU ETS still exceeds that in the Chinese national ETS by a relatively large margin.
• SecondaryInstitute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)With regional prices still below USD20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), a significant gap remains to reach the estimated USD50–100/tCO2e needed to drive deep decarbonization.