Isometric Launches CBAM Data Service Ahead of 2027 Deadline

European Union importers must file their first Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism declarations by Sept. 30, 2027, and Isometric has launched a service to help exporters meet that deadline with verified emissions data.

The London-based carbon certification company announced Ready for CBAM, a combined software-and-consulting offering designed to prepare plant-level monitoring plans and emissions reports for verification under the EU regime. The service covers six covered product groups: cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen and electricity.

Cementir, a cement producer, is already using the platform. The company's Performance Director, Alberto Canale, said the service has made documenting the emissions embedded in cement sold to the EU faster and simpler.

Why does verified data matter under CBAM?

CBAM requires EU importers to account for the carbon emissions embedded in imported goods. Importers have two options. They can use exporters' actual emissions figures, provided an accredited verifier has checked them. Or they can apply default values based on average emissions in the exporting country, increased by a markup.

That markup is rising sharply. For most covered products, it climbs from 10% in 2026 to 30% in 2028, raising the potential cost of relying on default figures rather than verified plant data.

The first declarations will cover goods brought into the EU during 2026. Importers must submit them by Sept. 30, 2027. Exporters therefore have a limited window to prepare documentation and complete third-party verification.

Isometric argues that the accuracy of verified emissions data will directly affect exporters' competitiveness as EU default carbon values increase. Producers that can demonstrate lower actual emissions than their national averages stand to gain, while those relying on defaults face a growing penalty.

How does the platform work?

The service combines an artificial-intelligence platform with expert support. The software reviews uploaded information and flags potential problems. Isometric's carbon-accounting specialists then assess submissions against EU requirements.

The company also supports exporters during the verification stage itself, helping resolve issues raised by independent verifiers.

Isometric said Ready for CBAM runs on the same technology behind its certification work for more than 200 carbon removal and reduction projects worldwide. The company has been contracted to certify more than 16 million tonnes of carbon removal and operates across industrial emissions, energy, fuels and materials.

Who is backing the service?

Cementir is the first named user, applying the platform to cement exports into the EU. Steel Dynamics, which works with Isometric on carbon removal, also welcomed the launch. Its sustainability chief, Jeff Hansen, cited the importance of recognizing measurable decarbonization efforts.

The endorsement from a major US steel producer signals that American exporters, facing the same 2027 deadline and the same default-value markups, see verified emissions data as a competitive necessity rather than a compliance formality.

What happens next?

The regulatory timeline is fixed. The markup on default values rises to 30% by 2028, and the first declarations covering 2026 imports fall due on Sept. 30, 2027. Exporters that complete verification before that date can supply importers with actual figures and avoid the markup premium.

The market test for Isometric and its competitors will come as exporters decide whether to invest in verified data or accept default values, a calculation that shifts with each increase in the EU's markup schedule.