When the ETS was introduced, allowance costs were about 15 euros per tonne; today they are 65 euros per tonne, an increase of about 250%.
EnvironmentEuropean Union
- Error detected
- The claimed current price of €65 per tonne is substantially below the actual EU ETS allowance price in May 2026, which ranged from approximately €75 to €79 per tonne — an underestimation of €10–14 per tonne (13–18%).
The claimed increase of 'about 250%' does not correspond to the stated figures (15→65 = 333% increase). Nor does it correspond to the corrected figures (15→77 ≈ 413% increase).
- Omissions
- The MEP does not specify which exact date in 2005 is used as the 'introduction' baseline. During Phase 1 (2005–2007), EUA prices fluctuated widely: starting around €20–25, rising to nearly €30 in early 2006, then crashing below €10 by May 2006 when surplus allocations were revealed. The €15 figure may refer to a specific moment but is not clearly sourced.
- The percentage calculation is mathematically inconsistent: from €15 to €65 is a 333% increase (or 433% of the original value), not 'about 250%'. Even with the corrected current price of ~€77, the increase is approximately 400–415%, not 250%.
- The GMK Center article was published around late May 2026 and the Trading Economics data point is from June 2026 — both shortly after the session date of 20 May 2026, though they describe market conditions contemporaneous with the session.
- The 2025 annual average prices (€73.43 auction, €74.35 secondary market) already exceeded the MEP's claimed €65, suggesting the claim was outdated even before 2026.
- Sources
- SecondaryGMK CenterAccording to ICE, futures prices for CO2 emission allowances (EUAs, December 2026 contract) stood at €75–79/t in the second half of May 2026.
- SecondaryTrading EconomicsEU Carbon Permits rose to 77.58 EUR on June 15, 2026, up 0.53% from the previous day. Historically, EU Carbon Permits reached an all time high of 105.73.
- SecondaryICAP Carbon ActionCurrent Allowance Price: EUR 73.43 (average 2025 auction price). EUR 74.35 (average secondary market price 2025).