Carbon costs are coming: Ready or not

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The EU carbon market may be regional, but its effects are global. As the EU tightens its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), companies far beyond Europe’s borders will feel the impact through supply chains, trade exposure, and increasing competitive pressure.  Carbon costs are set to influence pricing, procurement, and investment decisions worldwide, so understanding the direction of EU carbon pricing is a must for globally active firms.

By 2030, the price of EU carbon allowances could land anywhere between €70 and €160 per ton, depending on how regulators, energy markets, and industrial activity evolve. That spread may look academic on paper, but it represents a massive divergence in real-world cost exposure, strategic value, and competitive positioning for firms across multiple sectors.

This is the first article in a three-part series exploring how carbon pricing will shape the next five years of…