Carbon prices are not one market. Regulated allowances, aviation compliance units, voluntary project credits and durable removals can all carry a price per tonne, but the units, rules and claims behind them are different.
Use the checked snapshot below to compare the main signals without treating them as interchangeable. Then follow the source or guide for the market boundary, price date and evidence that matters.
Current carbon price snapshot
These are dated public snapshots, not live quotes. Prices are per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent unless the source states otherwise. The latest TPB source review was 12 Jul 2026.
| Market or credit type | Latest checked value | Price date | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU ETS allowance | €79.20 | 10 Jul 2026 | Trading Economics EU Carbon Permits |
| UK ETS allowance futures | £56.58 | 10 Jul 2026 | ICE UK Allowance Futures pricing |
| RGGI auction allowance | $35.00 | 3 Jun 2026 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative allowance prices and volumes |
| Voluntary market average | $6.34 | 31 Dec 2024 | Ecosystem Marketplace SOVCM 2025 |
| Forest protection credit | $6.03 | 31 Dec 2024 | Ecosystem Marketplace SOVCM 2025 |
| Blue carbon credit | $29.72 | 31 Dec 2024 | Ecosystem Marketplace SOVCM 2025 |
| Biochar carbon removal | $135.64 | 2 Jul 2026 | CDR.fyi carbon removal market data |
| Direct air capture with storage | $516.14 | 2 Jul 2026 | CDR.fyi carbon removal market data |
Choose the right carbon price route
| Reader need | Use this page | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Compare carbon price signals across markets | Carbon prices guide | Start here to separate voluntary credits, regulated allowances, CORSIA units and internal prices. |
| Track market maturity, source checks and dated price lanes | Carbon Market Intelligence Dashboard | Use this when the question is how compliance markets, Article 6, CORSIA, registries, removals, claims rules and price context are moving together. |
| Read the latest monthly carbon market interpretation | Carbon market update July 2026 | Use this when the question is what the latest tracker data says about visible prices, CORSIA, Article 6, voluntary credits and removals. |
| Understand voluntary credit ranges by project type | Carbon credit prices in 2026 | The article explains why cookstoves, REDD+, biochar, direct air capture and other project types price differently. |
| Understand why a credit's year changes the quote | Carbon credit vintage explained | Vintage is the period behind the credited climate outcome, not the purchase date, and it can change price, claim fit and CORSIA eligibility. |
| Understand why voluntary credit demand is changing | Voluntary carbon market in 2026 | Use this when the question is not only price, but buyer confidence, quality segmentation, demand and claims risk. |
| Assess airline or aviation-linked supply | CORSIA credit prices | CORSIA units need eligibility, vintage, programme and Article 6 checks that generic voluntary credits do not answer. |
| Compare aviation offsetting with allowance markets | CORSIA vs EU ETS | Use this when the question is whether an aviation offsetting system works like an emissions trading system. |
Explore the interactive price guide
The interactive guide is useful for exploring indicative voluntary credit ranges. For a dated figure that can be cited or checked, use the native snapshot above or the Carbon Market Intelligence Dashboard.
Indicative voluntary carbon credit guide via The Carbon Workbench. Always check current market quotes before making procurement or investment decisions.
Carbon price map
The first step is to separate allowance prices from credit prices. Allowances are usually part of a regulated cap-and-trade system. Credits are project-based units issued for emissions reductions, avoidance or removals. They are not automatically interchangeable.
| Price signal | What it represents | Who uses it | Best Planet Brief guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voluntary carbon credits | Project-based credits from avoidance, reduction or removal projects. | Companies, brokers, climate contribution buyers and sustainability teams. | Carbon credit prices in 2026 and voluntary carbon market guide |
| EU ETS (European Union Emissions Trading System) allowances | Regulated allowances used by covered European emitters under cap-and-trade. | Power, industry, aviation, analysts and compliance teams. | EU ETS explained |
| EU ETS2 allowances | Regulated allowances for fuels used in buildings, road transport and additional sectors. | Fuel suppliers, policy analysts, logistics teams and cost-risk readers. | EU ETS2 explained |
| UK ETS allowances | Regulated UK carbon allowances used by covered UK installations and sectors. | UK compliance teams, industrial firms and policy watchers. | UK ETS explained and EU ETS vs UK ETS |
| CORSIA eligible units | Carbon units that may be eligible for aviation compliance under ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) rules. | Airlines, brokers, project developers and aviation market analysts. | CORSIA credit prices |
| Internal carbon prices | Prices companies use internally for budgets, investment appraisal, procurement or shadow pricing. | Finance, sustainability, procurement and strategy teams. | Internal carbon pricing explained |
Why there is no single carbon price
Carbon pricing is a family of markets and policy tools. The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) price is created by a regulated cap on emissions and allowance supply. The European Union Emissions Trading System 2 (EU ETS2) price will apply to a separate fuel-supplier system for buildings, road transport and additional sectors. A voluntary carbon credit price is shaped by project type, standard, vintage, buyer trust and the claim a buyer wants to make. A Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) eligible unit price is shaped by aviation-specific eligibility rules and demand from airlines.
This is why headline comparisons can mislead. A cheap voluntary credit may not be low-quality, but low price should trigger more due diligence. A high-priced engineered removal may offer durability, but it may not suit every buyer or budget. A regulated allowance price can be useful context, but it is not a replacement for a voluntary credit price.
Voluntary credit price bands
Voluntary carbon credits are usually priced by project type and perceived quality rather than by one central exchange price. The ranges below are directional categories, not live quotes. Use them to understand why buyers can see such different prices for something that is still described as one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent.
| Segment | Typical project types | Why prices differ | Buyer caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-cost avoidance | Some renewable energy, REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and older vintages. | Large supply, older methodologies, buyer scrutiny and lower perceived scarcity. | Check additionality, baseline assumptions, vintage and claims language carefully. |
| Higher-quality avoidance and reduction | Cookstoves, methane capture, efficient appliances and some community projects. | Co-benefits, monitoring evidence, health outcomes and stronger buyer demand. | Ask for project documentation, monitoring reports and retirement evidence. |
| Nature-based removals | Reforestation, afforestation, improved forest management and some blue carbon. | Removal value, land constraints, permanence risk and biodiversity value. | Check buffer pools, reversal risk, land rights and long-term monitoring. |
| Engineered removals | Biochar, enhanced weathering and direct air capture. | Durability, scarcity, measurement confidence and early-stage supply. | Check delivery risk, methodology maturity and whether the tonne has been issued or is only contracted. |
| CORSIA-linked supply | Eligible emissions units approved for a relevant CORSIA phase. | Eligibility rules, programme approval, host-country authorisation and airline demand. | Do not assume a normal voluntary credit is CORSIA eligible. |
How to use this guide
For a quick price sense, start with the embedded Carbon Workbench guide above. For procurement or public claims, use the deeper guides. A buyer should understand the unit type, project type, standard, vintage, registry record, retirement status and the claim the unit will support before treating the price as meaningful.
| Reader question | Use this page | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Why do carbon credits cost different amounts? | Carbon credit prices in 2026 | Explains project type, vintage, standard, removals, avoidance and buyer demand. |
| How do I know if a cheap credit is credible? | Carbon credit quality checklist | Covers additionality, permanence, leakage, baselines and retirement evidence. |
| How does the EU carbon price work? | EU ETS explained | Explains allowances, cap-and-trade, compliance obligations and market scarcity. |
| How will the EU carbon price affect buildings and road transport? | EU ETS2 explained | Explains the separate fuel-supplier system, 2028 start, Social Climate Fund and pass-through risk. |
| How does the UK carbon market compare? | UK ETS explained | Explains the UK scheme, allowance price context, maritime expansion, waste monitoring and EU linkage talks. |
| What might airlines pay for CORSIA credits? | CORSIA credit prices | Explains eligibility, supply, aviation demand and procurement risk. |
| Can investors buy carbon credit exposure? | Can you invest in carbon credits? | Explains why carbon credits are specialist, volatile and not simple retail assets. |
Buyer checklist before relying on a price
- Is the unit an allowance, a voluntary credit, a CORSIA eligible emissions unit or an internal shadow price?
- Is the credit a reduction, avoidance or removal?
- Which standard, methodology and registry issued it?
- What is the vintage, and does it match the reporting or claim period?
- Is the price for issued units, forward delivery or an indicative broker quote?
- Does the quote include retirement, registry fees, due diligence or transaction costs?
- Is the unit suitable for the public claim being made?
- Has the data been reviewed recently enough for the decision being made?
Update cadence
Carbon price context changes quickly. The figures and references on this page should be checked regularly, especially when there are major CORSIA eligibility decisions, emissions trading system policy updates, EU ETS2 implementation milestones or material changes in voluntary carbon market pricing.
If you are using this page for a live decision, treat it as a map of the relevant price signals rather than a final quote. Follow the linked source pages and current market data before relying on a figure.
Useful source links
- World Bank Carbon Pricing Dashboard
- European Commission EU ETS overview
- European Commission EU ETS2 overview
- UK Government guide to participating in the UK ETS
- ICAO CORSIA eligible emissions units
- ICVCM Core Carbon Principles
- VCMI Claims Code of Practice
Bottom line
A carbon price only makes sense when you know the market, unit type, rules and claim behind it. Use the price map above, then follow the linked explainers to test whether the quoted tonne is credible, current and suitable for the decision you are making.