The cost of CO₂ emission allowances in the European Union began to rise again after a local minimum in the first half of April. According to the trading platform Trading Economics, the price of European CO₂ emission allowances (EUA) increased from €60.8 to €66.9 per ton from April 9 to April 23, which is €3.8 lower than the level at the beginning of the month. The minimum level in the EU ETS system was recorded on April 9.
This is reported by Business • Media
Overall, the decline in quota prices in April coincided with a drop in natural gas prices in the EU, caused by seasonal factors – the end of the heating season. From April 1 to April 23, spot gas prices on the TTF exchange fell from €446 to €358 per 1000 cubic meters. It is also worth noting that greenhouse gas emissions in the EU decreased by 5% in 2024. According to the European Commission, this result was driven by an 8% increase in electricity production from renewable sources and a 5% increase in nuclear energy. At the same time, electricity production from coal and gas-fired power plants decreased by 15% and 8%, respectively. Emissions in the industrial sector remained stable; however, a 5% reduction in the brick industry was offset by a 7% increase in emissions in the chemical industry, particularly in fertilizer production.
Reduction of Emissions in Metallurgy and Energy
In the metallurgy sector, emissions are decreasing along with falling production volumes. For the January-March period, steel production in Europe decreased by 2.5% compared to last year, totaling 32.4 million tons, although in March the decline stopped, and production increased by 0.2% compared to last year, reaching 11.7 million tons. On the ICE exchange in London, CO₂ futures prices rose from £45.9 to £48.2 per ton as of April 23. The local minimum was recorded on April 9 at £41.2 per ton. This increase is likely related to a temporary rise in demand from coal-fired power plants, which, although accounting for less than 5% of electricity production in the UK, may serve as an indicator of the market situation.
According to reports, in March 2025, Chinese metallurgical plants increased their emissions by 9.7% compared to the previous year. At the same time, emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases decreased by 13.1%, 5.5%, and 16%, respectively.