What is low-carbon copper worth? Market grapples with definitions, emissions and premiums

Fastmarkets

Aug 18

Why low-carbon copper matters now Copper demand is expected to increase as investment in electricity grids, renewable energy, electric vehicles and data centres grows, while governments and companies ...

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One of the best stock trading platforms in Singapore.","ogImage":"https://c1.itigergrowtha.com/portal5/static/media/og-logo.0a0bd8dc.png","ogUrl":"https://www.etasphere.com/news/2660496013"},"companyName":"Tiger Brokers"},"pageData":{"isMobile":false,"isTiger":false,"isTTM":true,"region":"SGP","license":"TBSG","edition":"fundamental"},"isCrawlerRequest":true,"__swrFallback__":{"@#url:\"https://stock-news.skytigris.cn/v3/news\",params:#id:\"2660496013\",edition:\"fundamental\",auth_exemption:1,,,undefined,":{"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/2660496013?lang=en_US&edition=fundamental","thumbnail":"","is_english":true,"pubTime":"2026-08-18 12:00","share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/e9f99090a1c2ed51c021029395664489","id":"2660496013","market":"us","top_or_hot":-1,"title":"What is low-carbon copper worth? Market grapples with definitions, emissions and premiums","media":"Fastmarkets","content":"<div>\n<p>Why low-carbon copper matters now\nCopper demand is expected to increase as investment in electricity grids, renewable energy, electric vehicles and data centres grows, while governments and companies ...</p>\n\n<a href=\"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/what-is-low-carbon-copper-worth-market-grapples-with-definitions-emissions-and-premiums/\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n","source":"fastmarkets_highlight","html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>What is low-carbon copper worth? 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Market grapples with definitions, emissions and premiums\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2026-08-18 12:00 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/what-is-low-carbon-copper-worth-market-grapples-with-definitions-emissions-and-premiums/><strong>Fastmarkets</strong></a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\n<p>Why low-carbon copper matters now\nCopper demand is expected to increase as investment in electricity grids, renewable energy, electric vehicles and data centres grows, while governments and companies ...</p>\n\n<a href=\"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/what-is-low-carbon-copper-worth-market-grapples-with-definitions-emissions-and-premiums/\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","isBrief":false,"type":0,"news_type":1,"symbol":"BK4535","symbol_name":"淡马锡持仓","start_time":0,"source_url":"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/what-is-low-carbon-copper-worth-market-grapples-with-definitions-emissions-and-premiums/","article_id":"2660496013","we_media_id":null,"thumbnails":[],"rights":{"source":"fastmarkets_highlight","url":"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/what-is-low-carbon-copper-worth-market-grapples-with-definitions-emissions-and-premiums/","rn_cache_url":null,"directOrigin":true},"url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=2660496013","pubTimestamp":1787025600,"columns":[],"sourceInfo":{"source_id":"fastmarkets_highlight","name":"Fastmarkets"},"weMediaInfo":null,"summary":"Low-carbon refined copper has started to trade in Europe. Yet with no universally accepted definition, widely differing carbon footprints and inconsistent willingness to pay, the industry still faces fundamental questions over transparency, comparability and value.","collect":0,"end_time":0,"defaultTopTitle":"fastmarkets.com","property":[],"viewcount":null,"language":"en","relate_stocks":{"BK4535":"淡马锡持仓","COPJ":"SPROTT JUNIOR COPPER MINERS ETF","CPXR":"USCF DAILY TARGET 2X COPPER INDEX ETF","COPP":"Sprott Copper Miners ETF","ICOP":"iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF","CPER":"美国铜指数基金","UYM":"基础材料指数ETF-ProShares两倍做多","XME":"金属与采矿指数ETF-SPDR"},"translate_title":"低碳铜值多少钱？市场努力解决定义、排放和保费","themeId":null,"isJumpTheme":false,"ttsUrl":null,"symbols_score_info":{"CPXR":1.5,"MHGmain":1.5,"ICOP":1.5,"CPER":1.5,"UYM":1.5,"COPP":1.5,"XME":1.5,"COPJ":1.5,"QCmain":1.5},"content_text":"Why low-carbon copper matters now\nCopper demand is expected to increase as investment in electricity grids, renewable energy, electric vehicles and data centres grows, while governments and companies seek to reduce emissions across industrial supply chains.\nThe copper industry has recognised the need to decarbonise. Members of the International Copper Association (ICA) have pledged to achieve net-zero Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by a company) and Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating or cooling) by 2050, while pursuing reductions in Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions occurring throughout a company’s value chain). \nFastmarkets forecasts the global refined copper market will move into a deficit of around 150,000 tonnes in 2026, widening to more than 300,000 tonnes in 2027. Refined copper consumption is forecast to increase from 28.2 million tonnes in 2026 to approximately 30.9 million tonnes in 2028.\nAgainst this backdrop, producers, particularly in Europe, are increasingly publishing product carbon footprints, obtaining independent verification and developing low-carbon copper products. Consumers are also paying closer attention to the emissions associated with the materials they purchase. Yet there is still no universally accepted definition of low-carbon copper, raising questions over how emissions should be measured, compared and reflected in pricing.\nFastmarkets launched its copper Grade A cathode low-carbon combined premium, FCA Europe, on August 18, 2026, assessing cathodes produced with a maximum carbon footprint of 1.5 tCO2e per tonne of copper across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 to bring transparency to an opaque market.\nWhat actually is “low-carbon copper”?\nThere is currently no universally accepted definition of low-carbon copper. Producers may calculate emissions differently, use different system boundaries and rely on varying methodologies when reporting carbon footprints. As a result, two products marketed as low-carbon may reflect different production routes, accounting frameworks and sustainability credentials.\nPublicly disclosed product footprints range from below 1 tCO2e per tonne of copper to around 1.5 tCO2e. Austria’s Montanwerke Brixlegg reports emissions of approximately 0.63 tCO2e per tonne of copper, while Aurubis reports around 1.289 tCO2e and Boliden approximately 1.5 tCO2e, based on lifecycle emissions including Scopes 1, 2 and 3.\n\nDifferences are influenced by factors such as recycled feedstock content, access to renewable electricity, production technologies and emissions allocation methodologies. \nAurubis and Boliden use mass-balance approaches for low-carbon copper products, while Montanwerke Brixlegg produces cathodes via a secondary, scrap-based route and does not use mass balancing. Market participants say these differences mean emissions figures are not always directly comparable.\nRecycling is increasingly important. According to SMS Group, secondary copper production can reduce emissions by around 2.1 tCO2e per tonne of copper compared with primary production. Lifecycle assessments, environmental product declarations and the Copper Mark certification are emerging as tools to improve transparency and comparability.\nFurther emissions reductions will not be straightforward. Boliden said challenges include the availability of electrified mining equipment and the higher costs of alternative smelter technologies, highlighting the investment required to decarbonise the copper value chain.\nThe market today: supply exists, demand remains limited\nA growing number of producers are offering products with certified emissions data, while traders are marketing lower-carbon supply chains and sustainability-focused sourcing options.\nOne example came in February 2026 when Trafigura completed what it described as the first sale of low-carbon copper anodes from the Kamoa-Kakula operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to European refiner Aurubis via the Lobito Atlantic Railway corridor.\nAccording to Aurubis, the strongest interest currently comes from the automotive industry, the energy sector and data centres.\n“Despite economic and geopolitical challenges, decarbonisation remains a strategically important topic for many of our customers,” an Aurubis spokesperson told Fastmarkets. “They are looking for materials that can reduce emissions within their own value chains and help them achieve their sustainability targets.”\nAurubis said its cathodes generate less than 40% of the global average emissions associated with copper cathode production and contain approximately 45% recycled material.\nBoliden also said customer interest continues to grow despite wider economic and geopolitical uncertainty.\nNKT, one of Europe’s largest cable manufacturers, echoed that view.\n“While we have seen that macroeconomic pressures and geopolitical developments have shifted priorities in some parts of the market, we continue to see steady progress across the value chain in developing and commercialising low-carbon solutions,” Jimmy Hermansson, senior vice president of group procurement at NKT, told Fastmarkets.\nHe added that investment decisions are facing greater scrutiny and increasingly depend on stronger downstream demand signals to support wider adoption.\nAnother recurring theme is the distinction between recycled content and carbon intensity. While recycled content is often easier to communicate and quantify, some producers argue that carbon footprint should ultimately become the more important metric for measuring sustainability.\nThe premium question: what is low-carbon worth?\nThe emergence of premiums for lower-carbon products demonstrates that emissions reductions carry commercial value, although agreeing exactly what buyers are paying for remains challenging.\n“Across the market, particularly in Europe, we continue to see a growing range of low-carbon and higher recycled-content solutions being developed and brought to customers,” Hermansson said. “Demand for these products remains present, but customers are placing increased emphasis on cost and competitiveness.”\nSome transactions appear to reward lower emissions intensity, while others may reflect recycled content, supply-chain transparency, certification or independently verified environmental data. As a result, premiums can vary significantly depending on customer requirements and contract structures.\nMarket participants told Fastmarkets that while enquiries have increased in recent years, purchasing activity has not always kept pace and willingness to pay remains inconsistent.\nFastmarkets’ copper Grade A cathode low-carbon combined premium, FCA Europe, covering cathodes with a maximum carbon footprint of 1.5 tCO2e per tonne of copper across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, was assessed at $315-411 per tonne on Tuesday, August 18. The assessment combines the cathode premium and low-carbon premium for material offered by European producers. Reported offers ranged from $315-411 per tonne (€355 per tonne) for both spot and term contracts. The Fastmarkets copper cathode premium, delivered Germany, was assessed at $270-300 per tonne on the same day, a spread of $45-111 per tonne including freight costs between the assessments.\nFuture demand: from niche product to procurement requirement?\nThe most important question facing the market may not be how much demand exists today, but how procurement requirements evolve over the next decade.\nMany industrial consumers have committed to supply-chain decarbonisation targets. BMW told Fastmarkets that copper is included within its material-related decarbonisation requirements and that it continues to monitor developments in lower-carbon copper production.\nBeyond automotive applications, some of the strongest demand signals are emerging from power infrastructure. NKT said grid operators, particularly in Northern and Western Europe, are among the most active adopters of lower-carbon materials, supported by increasing sustainability requirements and public procurement policies.\n“Public procurement requirements and sustainability criteria play an important role in accelerating demand for low-carbon and circular materials,” Hermansson said.\nDemand is also expected from renewable energy projects, data centres and digital infrastructure, while Aurubis highlighted growing interest from energy and data-centre customers.\nAlthough the low-carbon copper market remains small compared with the broader cathode market, producers are developing verification and carbon-accounting frameworks while buyers expand sustainability requirements. \nYet questions remain around definitions, verification, liquidity and willingness to pay. The pace at which buyers adopt low-carbon copper, and the extent to which they are prepared to pay for it, will likely determine how the market develops.","kind":"highlight","is_publish_news":true,"is_publish_highlight":false,"is_publish_live":false,"is_publish_wemedia":false,"editions":null,"column":"","sentiment":"0","news_tag":"","news_rank":0,"isVideo":false,"video":null,"symbols":[],"gpt_button":0,"need_auth":false,"need_login_tip":false,"code":"91000000","status":"200"}}}