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Guidance

Taking part in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme markets

This guidance explains the operation of the UK ETS markets and how to take part in auctions and in trading on the secondary market.

From:
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Published:
17 December 2020
Last updated:
10 November 2026 — See all updates

Documents

Taking part in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme markets

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Cost Containment Mechanism (CCM) trigger prices and average monthly prices: full tables

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Details

This guidance explains the operation of the UK ETS markets and how to take part in auctions and in trading on the secondary market.

For background information on the UK ETS markets, see the UK Emissions Trading Scheme markets policy page.

For general guidance on participating in the scheme as an installation operator or aircraft operator, see Participating in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

Updates to this page

Last updated:
10 November 2026
Show all updates

  1. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  2. Text updated to reflect the inflation-based adjustment of the Auction Reserve Price (ARP) in the UK Emissions Trading System (ETS) from £28 currently to £29.01 for 2027. This also relates to the publication and sharing of the new 2027 auction calendar for the UK ETS.

  3. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  4. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  5. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  6. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  7. 'Taking part in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme markets' was updated to reflect that the revised 2026 auction calendar was published by  ICE on 1 July 2026.

  8. Updated 'Taking part in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme markets' to communicate the upcoming revision of the 2026 auction calendar to account for the inclusion of maritime emissions in the UK ETS from July.

  9. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  10. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  11. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  12. The Auction Reserve Price (ARP) value has been adjusted to reflect inflation, from £22 to £28.

  13. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  14. Auction reserve price legislation has been laid, and the £28.00 value will come into effect for the April 8 2026 auction.

  15. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  16. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  17. Added link to 2026 auction calendar.

  18. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  19. Note added about future update to the 2026 ARP value. 

  20. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  21. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  22. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  23. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  24. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month. 'Taking part in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme markets' has been updated to include further links to existing references, and to remove outdated information on previous auctions. The ICE email contact has been amended.

  25. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  26. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  27. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  28. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  29. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  30. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  31. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  32. ICE has published the 2025 auction calendar.

  33. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  34. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  35. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  36. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  37. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  38. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  39. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  40. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  41. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  42. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  43. Added link to UK Emissions Trading Scheme: future markets policy consultation.

  44. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  45. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  46. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  47. ICE has published the 2024 auction calendar.

  48. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  49. ICE has today published a revised auction calendar which takes account of the updated Aviation operators’ free allocation entitlements figure.

  50. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  51. Added link to joint report from the UK ETS Authority: Functioning of the UK carbon market for 2021 and 2022.

  52. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  53. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  54. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  55. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  56. CCM figures updated for latest month.

  57. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  58. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  59. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  60. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  61. Updated 3-month Cost Containment Mechanism prices; added 6-month monitoring period table.

  62. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  63. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  64. Cost Containment Mechanism figures updated for latest month.

  65. Published the latest monthly update on the scheme's Cost Containment Mechanism (CCM).

  66. Published the latest monthly update on the scheme's Cost Containment Mechanism (CCM).

  67. Published the latest monthly update on the scheme's Cost Containment Mechanism (CCM).

  68. Published the latest monthly update on the scheme's Cost Containment Mechanism (CCM).

  69. New page created taking content from the Participating in the UK ETS page.

  70. First published.

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