Germany CO2 price 2027: what it adds to a litre of diesel
Germany's planned 2027 CO2 price corridor of 55 to 65 EUR adds about 14.7 to 17.4 cents per litre of diesel net, but it is not yet law.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
Germany's planned CO2 price corridor for 2027 is 55 to 65 EUR per tonne, which equals about 14.7 to 17.4 cents per litre of fossil diesel before VAT (own calculation). It is not yet law: the Bundestag passed it on 2026-10-15, and the Bundesrat stage is still pending.
How much does the CO2 price add to a litre of diesel?
At 55 to 65 EUR per tonne, the CO2 price adds 14.7 to 17.4 cents per litre of fossil diesel before VAT. The figures below are Logifie's own calculation from the EBeV 2030 standard values for diesel in Anlage 2 of the regulation : 0.845 kg per litre, 42.8 GJ per tonne and 0.074 t CO2 per GJ.
One litre weighs 0.845 kg and holds 0.845 x 42.8 = 36.166 MJ, so it emits 36.166 x 0.074 = 2.676 kg CO2. At 55 EUR per tonne that is 2.676 x 0.055 = 0.1472 EUR, and at 65 EUR it is 2.676 x 0.065 = 0.1739 EUR. No official body publishes a per-litre factor, so treat 2.676 kg as a calculation, not a quoted value.
| CO2 price per tonne | Approx. cost per litre of diesel (net / with 19% VAT) |
|---|---|
| 55 EUR | 14.7 ct / 17.5 ct |
| 65 EUR | 17.4 ct / 20.7 ct |
The net figure is shown separately for VAT-registered businesses. Biofuel shares that meet the sustainability rules can be reported with an emission factor of zero (EBeV 2030, section 8), which would lower the effective figure for blended diesel by an amount not confirmed here.
Is the 2027 corridor already law?
No. Section 10(2) of the BEHG currently sets the 55 to 65 EUR corridor for 2026 only. The Third Act amending the BEHG extends it to 2027. The Bundestag passed that act on 2026-10-15 (Drs. 21/8626), as the Bundestag text archive records. It then went to the Bundesrat as BR-Drs. 624/26, and the Bundesrat deadline is 2026-11-20.
If the amendment does not take effect, the current law would derive the 2027 price from EU ETS1 auction averages instead of a fixed corridor. This post reflects the status on 2026-11-06, and the figures should be rechecked once the Bundesrat has acted or the law is promulgated.
How do 2026 and 2028 fit around it?
The 2026 corridor is already in the BEHG, and the first 2026 auction on 2026-07-01 cleared at 65 EUR, the upper limit, according to an EEX release reproduced by Mondo Visione . Later auction results are not covered here, so this post makes no claim about a full-year 2026 average.
From 2028 road fuels are due to fall under EU ETS2 instead of the national system. Read about the ETS2 start date for road transport to see what changes then, and compare the diesel price forecast for 2027 to see where the CO2 component sits among other price drivers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the German CO2 price for 2027?
The planned 2027 corridor runs from 55 to 65 EUR per tonne of CO2. It becomes binding only once the Third Act amending the BEHG completes the Bundesrat stage and is promulgated.
How many cents per litre does 65 EUR per tonne add to diesel?
A CO2 price of 65 EUR per tonne adds about 17.4 cents per litre net and 20.7 cents with 19% VAT. This uses 2.676 kg CO2 per litre of fossil diesel, derived from the EBeV 2030 standard values.
Does the CO2 price include VAT?
The corridor price is per tonne of CO2, and the table adds 19% VAT by multiplying the net per-litre figure by 1.19. VAT-registered businesses should check their own input-VAT position before budgeting.
Check current German diesel prices to see the pump-side picture next to this CO2 component.
