CarbonSimples — CBAM Compliance Autopilot for EU SMB Importers
The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its definitive financial phase on January 1, 2026. Every EU importer of iron, steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity, or hydrogen must now:
The Problem
The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its definitive financial phase on January 1, 2026. Every EU importer of iron, steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity, or hydrogen must now:
- Collect verified emissions data from non-EU suppliers at installation level
- Calculate embedded emissions per EU MRR methodology
- Purchase CBAM certificates linked to EU ETS prices (~€80-90/tonne CO₂)
- Submit annual declarations (first due Sept 30, 2027 for 2026 imports)
- Face third-party verification with mandatory physical site visits
Non-compliance penalties: €100/tonne excess CO₂, plus €10-50/tonne for unreported emissions.
Evidence of pain:
- The EU Parliament's October 2025 simplification introduced a 50-tonne "de minimis" threshold specifically because SMBs were overwhelmed — exempting ~90% of importers but still leaving tens of thousands in scope.
- Reddit r/supplychain threads show importers scrambling: "We import aluminum components from Turkey. Nobody on my team knows what an MRR methodology even is. The consultants we talked to quoted €25K just for an assessment."
- KPMG's Portugal Fintech Report 2025 explicitly calls CBAM compliance for SMBs an underserved market.
- PwC launched "The Carbon Border Manager" but it's SAP-integrated, enterprise-only.
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