EU carbon removals certification framework

The voluntary framework is intended to facilitate and speed up the deployment of high-quality carbon removal and soil emission reduction activities in the EU.

Once entered into force, the regulation will be the first step towards introducing a comprehensive carbon removal and soil emission reduction framework in EU legislation and contribute to the EU’s ambitious goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050, as set out in the European climate law.

The deal reached is provisional, pending formal adoption by both institutions.

The agreement differentiates between the following carbon removal and emission reduction activities and four corresponding types of units:

• permanent carbon removal (storing atmospheric or biogenic carbon for several centuries)

• temporary carbon storage in long-lasting products (such as wood-based construction) of a duration of at least 35 years and that can be monitored on-site during the entire monitoring period

• temporary carbon storage from carbon farming (e.g. restoring forests and soil, wetland management, seagrass meadows)

• soil emission reduction (from carbon farming) which includes carbon and nitrous oxide reductions from soil management and, as long as such activities result, overall, in an improvement in the soil carbon balance, wetland management, no tilling and cover crop practises combined with reduced use of fertilizer, etc.

The last two activities must last at least five years to be certified and must not lead to land being acquired for speculative purposes negatively affecting rural communities.

By 2026, the Commission is tasked with producing a report on the feasibility of certifying activities that result in the reduction of emissions other than those related to soils (carbon and nitrous oxide). The report will be based on a pilot certification methodology for activities that reduce agricultural emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management.

The provisional agreement maintains the Commission proposal’s requirement that carbon removal activities need to meet four overarching criteria in order to be certified: quantification, additionality, long-term storage and sustainability.