UK Emissions Trading Scheme
UK carbon price
The official UK carbon price was £63.94 per tonne in October 2026, the average UK Allowance price published by the UK ETS Authority.
October 2026 average
£63.94
per tonne CO2e (UKA) · next official figure 10 December 2026
vs Sept 26
▲ 6.3%vs a year ago
▲ 15.1%Monthly UK carbon price since trading began in May 2021
Source: UK ETS Authority, Cost Containment Mechanism monthly average prices, published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The figure for each month is published early the following month. Download as CSV.
Average UK carbon price by year
| Year | Average | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026(10 months) | £55.69 | £39.46 | £68.26 |
| 2025 | £50.29 | £35.84 | £62.13 |
| 2024 | £38.92 | £35.35 | £47.44 |
| 2023 | £55.65 | £39.16 | £82.82 |
| 2022 | £79.29 | £70.50 | £89.05 |
| 2021(8 months) | £55.32 | £44.15 | £74.87 |
Key UK ETS numbers
Auction reserve price
£28
Bids below this are not accepted at UK ETS auctions.
Cost Containment Mechanism trigger, November 2026
£141.21
Triggered: No. Reference period 1 May 2024 - 30 April 2026.
Range since May 2021
High £89.05 (August 2022) · Low £35.35 (February 2024)
Every month, UK carbon price
| Month | Average UKA price | Change on month |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | £63.94 | +6.3% |
| September 2026 | £60.17 | +1.4% |
| August 2026 | £59.34 | +1.1% |
| July 2026 | £58.68 | +2.9% |
| June 2026 | £57.02 | +8.8% |
| May 2026 | £52.41 | +11.9% |
| April 2026 | £46.82 | +18.7% |
| March 2026 | £39.46 | -22.4% |
| February 2026 | £50.83 | -25.5% |
| January 2026 | £68.26 | +9.9% |
| December 2025 | £62.13 | +8.2% |
| November 2025 | £57.41 | +3.4% |
| October 2025 | £55.54 | -1.2% |
| September 2025 | £56.19 | +9.3% |
| August 2025 | £51.43 | +4.6% |
| July 2025 | £49.17 | -3.8% |
| June 2025 | £51.12 | -0.4% |
| May 2025 | £51.34 | +12.1% |
| April 2025 | £45.78 | +5.8% |
| March 2025 | £43.27 | -2.3% |
| February 2025 | £44.31 | +23.6% |
| January 2025 | £35.84 | 0.0% |
| December 2024 | £35.84 | -4.9% |
| November 2024 | £37.67 | -0.9% |
| October 2024 | £38.01 | -6.1% |
| September 2024 | £40.47 | +1.4% |
| August 2024 | £39.92 | -4.5% |
| July 2024 | £41.78 | -11.9% |
| June 2024 | £47.44 | +15.6% |
| May 2024 | £41.05 | +14.2% |
| April 2024 | £35.95 | -1.8% |
| March 2024 | £36.60 | +3.5% |
| February 2024 | £35.35 | -4.4% |
| January 2024 | £36.98 | -5.9% |
| December 2023 | £39.31 | -6.2% |
| November 2023 | £41.89 | -3.7% |
| October 2023 | £43.48 | +11.0% |
| September 2023 | £39.16 | -10.2% |
| August 2023 | £43.62 | -12.4% |
| July 2023 | £49.79 | -9.1% |
| June 2023 | £54.77 | -5.0% |
| May 2023 | £57.68 | -16.3% |
| April 2023 | £68.92 | -10.8% |
| March 2023 | £77.23 | -6.7% |
| February 2023 | £82.82 | +19.9% |
| January 2023 | £69.09 | -10.9% |
| December 2022 | £77.58 | +10.0% |
| November 2022 | £70.50 | -3.4% |
| October 2022 | £72.96 | -8.1% |
| September 2022 | £79.41 | -10.8% |
| August 2022 | £89.05 | +10.0% |
| July 2022 | £80.93 | -1.4% |
| June 2022 | £82.04 | -2.0% |
| May 2022 | £83.71 | +7.5% |
| April 2022 | £77.90 | +2.6% |
| March 2022 | £75.90 | -10.5% |
| February 2022 | £84.85 | +10.6% |
| January 2022 | £76.70 | +2.4% |
| December 2021 | £74.87 | +23.8% |
| November 2021 | £60.50 | -0.8% |
| October 2021 | £60.98 | +4.5% |
| September 2021 | £58.36 | +20.2% |
| August 2021 | £48.55 | +10.0% |
| July 2021 | £44.15 | -4.2% |
| June 2021 | £46.08 | -6.1% |
| May 2021 | £49.09 |
UK carbon price questions
What is the UK carbon price?
The official UK carbon price was £63.94 per tonne of CO2 equivalent in October 2026. This is the average price of a UK Allowance (UKA) on the secondary market, published monthly by the UK ETS Authority.
Why is there no daily UK carbon price here?
Daily UK Allowance prices are set on the ICE Futures Europe exchange, and we do not republish exchange data. We publish the official monthly average from the UK ETS Authority instead, the figure the Authority uses for its Cost Containment Mechanism, and add each new month the day it is released. For a daily signal, see the EU auction prices on this site.
What is a UKA?
A UK Allowance (UKA) is a permit to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. Companies in the scheme must surrender one allowance for every tonne they emit.
How is the official monthly UK carbon price calculated?
The UK ETS Authority publishes the average price of the UKA December futures contract for each month as part of its Cost Containment Mechanism, and updates the figures once a month on GOV.UK. The next update is due on 10 December 2026.
What is the UK ETS auction reserve price?
The UK ETS has an auction reserve price of £28 per allowance. Bids below it are not accepted at UK ETS auctions, which are held every other Wednesday on ICE Futures Europe. The UK ETS Authority has said it rises to £29.01 on 1 January 2027, a yearly inflation-based adjustment.
What is the Cost Containment Mechanism?
It is a safeguard against price spikes. It triggers if the average UKA price stays above a set multiple of the previous two years' average for six months in a row. The trigger price for November 2026 is £141.21.
What was the highest UK carbon price?
Since UK Allowance auctions and trading began on 19 May 2021, the highest monthly average was £89.05 in August 2022 and the lowest was £35.35 in February 2024.
Get the new figure by email
The UK ETS Authority publishes once a month. We email you the day it lands.