EU member states have approved their position on a voluntary EU carbon removals certification framework. Agreement now paves the way for talks with the European Parliament on a final legal text covering permanent carbon storage.
Once agreed with parliament, the law is expected to cover technologies including bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (Beccs), direct air capture with capture and storage (Daccs), carbon farming via forest restoration and soil, wetland management as well as carbon storage in products, including wood construction.
Talks for a final legal text are expected to begin formally once the whole parliament votes on 21 November to adopt a negotiation mandate. Parliament's environment committee last month approved changes, albeit sticking close to the European Commission's original draft regulation proposed in November 2022. Unlike EU member states, parliament wants the commission to assess whether a legal proposal is appropriate for establishing post-2030 EU targets for permanent carbon removals and for land-based sequestration.
Both parliament and EU states want to include Beccs using sustainable biomass as eligible for certification.
Spain's acting climate minister Teresa Ribera noted the need to counterbalance unavoidable emissions in so-called hard-to-abate sectors that will "inevitably" remain carbon dependent. EU states want an extension to further types of carbon farming, including agricultural soils resulting in improved soil carbon balance. But avoided deforestation and livestock emissions reduction would not be included.
A review of the regulation, by no later than 31 December 2028, should also take account of technological and scientific progress, market developments in carbon removals and the "environmental impacts of increased biomass use" resulting from the framework. But the commission should also assess the feasibility of certifying all greenhouse emission reductions.
EU states' position allows offsetting and double counting, waters down sustainability criteria and poses an integrity risk even leading to greater deforestation in the EU and abroad, non-governmental organisation Carbon Market Watch policy lead for carbon removals Wijnand Stoefs said.
"The proposed way of certifying Beccs actually further incentivises continued burning of biomass. Safeguards are simply not there to ensure the EU won't burn trees for the climate," Stoefs said.
Climate campaigner CAN Europe said EU states' text makes no effort to prevent offsetting emissions via units certified under the framework, rather than occurring additionally to emission reductions, and risks delaying decarbonisation. Not only is offsetting allowed, but it is allowed twice with the same units, CAN Europe said.
