CBAM supplier data
Your suppliers' real emissions, before 1 January 2027
UK CBAM prices the emissions embedded in imported steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers and hydrogen. Without real data from the plants that made them, importers pay on default values. CarbonMeter maps your supply chain, collects and checks your suppliers' data, and delivers figures you can stand behind.
Where CBAM emissions come from
Select a sector, then any box, to see why it matters and what data to request. Thick-bordered boxes are the precursors and products whose producers' data you need; the rounded boxes on the left are the types of supplier you would contact.
Product: Portland and blended cement. Most cement emissions come from making clinker: limestone releases CO₂ when heated, and the kiln burns fuel. EU CBAM also counts indirect emissions from electricity for cement.
Generic production chains for illustration. Impact bands are qualitative and vary by plant, production route and power source. Which emissions count for a specific product depends on its commodity code and the current UK and EU rules.
What a CBAM readiness pilot delivers
- Step 1
Map
We trace each import back to the plant that made it, and identify which suppliers' data actually counts: precursors such as clinker, pig iron or ammonia carry their emissions into your goods; many other inputs don't.
- Step 2
Request
We prepare and send the data request to the suppliers that matter, starting with those covering most of your tonnage. Suppliers can reply with what they already have, including the EU CBAM template they may already send to EU customers.
- Step 3
Extract
Supplier replies arrive as templates, PDFs, spreadsheets and emails, in many languages. We extract the figures with AI-assisted tooling, reviewed by our team, into one structured dataset.
- Step 4
Check
Every figure is checked for plausibility against the plant's production route and published benchmarks, and against the default value you would otherwise pay. Outliers go back to the supplier with a specific question.
- Step 5
Report
You receive embedded-emissions figures per supplier and product, the gaps still covered by default values, and the evidence behind each number.
Who it's for
UK importers
Of iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers or hydrogen, including the steel and aluminium products and articles in scope. Without supplier data, you pay on default values.
Customs brokers and forwarders
Your clients are asking you about CBAM. We can support the emissions-data side for the importers you serve.
Overseas producers
Your UK buyers will ask for your plant's emissions data. We can help you prepare it once, in a form every buyer can use.
Questions importers ask
What is UK CBAM and when does it start?
The UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism applies from 1 January 2027 to imports of aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and iron and steel. It places a carbon price on the emissions embedded in those goods. The EU's CBAM, which affects UK exporters to the EU, entered its definitive period in January 2026.
What data do UK importers need from their suppliers?
The embedded emissions of the goods: the direct emissions of the plant that produced them, plus the emissions of relevant precursors such as clinker, pig iron or ammonia, and for some goods the emissions from electricity. This data has to come from the specific plant, not the trader you bought from.
What happens if a supplier doesn't provide emissions data?
Default values are used instead. They are set by government and are not specific to the supplier's plant, so a supplier whose real emissions are lower only gets credit for that by reporting its own data. Real supplier data is how an importer avoids reporting on a figure that says nothing about how the plant runs.
Do our suppliers have to fill in a new questionnaire?
No. Many non-EU producers already send emissions data to EU customers using the European Commission's CBAM template. We accept that, and any other format a supplier already has, and only ask for what's missing.
What does a CBAM readiness pilot involve?
We map your supply chain, prioritise the suppliers that matter, collect and check their data, and deliver CBAM-ready figures with the evidence behind them. Pilots are time-boxed and focus on your highest-tonnage suppliers first.
Pilots are time-boxed and limited before the January start
Tell us what you import and from where. We'll come back with which suppliers matter most and what a pilot would cover. See also how we cover SECR and ESOS and our guide to preparing for UK CBAM.
Apply for a pilot