Carbon price faces volatility
Unclear regulatory and energy outlooks cloud the EU ETS carbon market picture
The outlook for the price of CO2 in the European emission trading scheme (EU ETS) in 2020 could fairly be described as “mixed”. The market faces a variety of both bullish and bearish influences over the next twelve months that could see prices move in a fairly wide range. In 2019, EU carbon allowances (EUAs) consolidated in the mid-€20s/t after a 200pc rise the previous year (see Figure 1). The influences that drove that trebling in price—in particular, new measures to curb oversupply—are still present, but much of the speculative buying from investors that drove the year-long rally was unwound in 2019, and, at the start of the new decade, those investors are circling the market and waiting
Also in this section
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
23 December 2025
Legislative reform in Germany sets the stage for commercial carbon capture and transport at a national level, while the UK has already seen financial close on major CCS clusters
15 December 2025
Net zero is not the problem for the UK’s power system. The real issue is with an outdated market design in desperate need of modernisation






