How will Europe remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to keep on track for its climate commitments – that’s a key question facing the next European Commission and Parliament. Kasia Wilk from Drax explains how the Green Claims Directive can help.
The European Parliament adopted its position on Tuesday (21 November) on a scheme to certify carbon removals to help Europe meet its climate target and prevent greenwashing.
Environmental groups are taking the UK government to court on Monday (13 November) over plans to spend billions on Biomass with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), a technology aimed at removing CO2 from the atmosphere that is also being promoted by the European Union.
European Parliament lawmakers voted Tuesday (24 October) to uphold plans to certify carbon removals in the European Union, paving the way for new technologies to suck CO2 directly from the atmosphere.
With its first-ever target for CO2 geological storage, the European Commission's Net-Zero Industry Act has the potential to truly mitigate the effects of fossil fuels on the environment - but in order to be effective, the legislation needs to cover all oil and gas companies, write Kayla Cohen and Eli Mitchell-Larson.
Several NGOs have criticised the composition and functioning of the European Commission’s expert body on carbon removals, saying it gives too much weight to business interests and leaves no room for 'balanced debates'.
The EU executive’s proposed legislation on carbon sinks is only the first step in a broader effort to certify negative emissions in agriculture, as well as remunerate and potentially trade them, according to a Commission official.
Carbon capture and storage technologies have often been criticised as an excuse to avoid cutting CO2 emissions at the source. However, they are necessary to meet climate targets and Denmark aspires to be a European leader in this regard, writes Lars Aagaard ahead of a discussion between environment ministers on the subject.
As part of the EU's carbon market, the control of CO2 removal certificates could be managed by a Carbon Central Bank to ensure security for all players, write Wilfried Rickels, Roland Rothenstein, and Felix Schenuit.
About two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are being removed from the atmosphere every year, according to a report published on Thursday (19 January), but nearly all of it is accomplished through forests, despite growing investments in new technologies.
Agriculture and fisheries will not be included in the EU’s newly agreed Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), negotiators decided on Sunday (18 December) - not the first time the EU has let the sector off the hook in terms of climate policy.
With a newly proposed regulation, the European Commission aims to set EU-wide standards for certifying the removal of carbon from the atmosphere, including so-called carbon farming measures. But critics warn the text leaves important gaps.
Reaching climate neutrality by 2050 will require both steep reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and active removals from the atmosphere, but to get there, Europe needs clear definitions, the right policy framework and the incentives to invest, writes Per-Olof Granström.
Following an agreement on the LULUCF regulation, EU countries should look at their land use policies holistically and promote sustainable practices in agriculture and forestry, says Ville Niinistö.
The adoption of criteria for carbon removal certificates that countries can buy on international carbon markets has been delayed for a year after national delegations at COP27 criticised the proposed text and agreed more work needs to be done.
If done well, the EU's new certification for carbon removals, due on 30 November, could provide vital clarity for international discussions following a failure to agree on a key text for removals at the COP27 climate conference, according to Kathy Fallon.
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The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) acknowledges that carbon removals from areas like forestry will be necessary to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and compensate for unavoidable pollution from areas like agriculture and hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
The European Commission is set to propose a scheme to certify removals of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as part of a push to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, according to a leaked proposal seen by EURACTIV.
Between the long-awaited approval of member states' Common Agricultural Policy plans and looming concerns over fertilisers and fodder, this Autumn holds plenty in store for the EU's agriculture sector. Here are the main issues to keep your eye on over the next few months.
While individual net-zero targets and climate action are crucial, they won't be enough to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and reverse the biodiversity crisis, writes Giulia Carbone. Companies and financial institutions also need to set ambitious short-term science-based targets, she argues.
The European Commission’s proposal to regulate the bloc’s carbon removals market will be based on existing verification and certification schemes and will aim to create a common method in order to bring more transparency to the opaque sector, an EU official has said.
As the European Commission looks at creating a certification scheme for carbon removals at the end of this year, it will need to choose which methods to prioritise with a view to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, according to Dr Oliver Geden.
By 2030, the European Commission wants a complete overhaul of Europe’s natural landscapes – switching from unhealthy ecosystems at risk of emitting carbon to restored homes for biodiversity that capture and store carbon.
The next decade needs to see a huge turnaround in the state of Europe's depleting carbon sinks and more incentives for farmers and foresters to capture carbon, if Europe wants to meet its climate goals, according to Ville Niinistö.
