This week, the EU Council made history by greenlighting a regulation that enables the establishment of the first official EU-level certification framework for permanent carbon removal, carbon farming, and CO2 storage in products.
The landmark announcement gives way to a broader plan that will see the introduction of an elaborate certification framework for carbon removals and soil emission reductions into EU legislation.
With this decision, the EU sets in motion the implementation of carbon removals in its strategy for becoming climate neutral by 2050.
As announced by the Council, the regulation covers three areas of carbon removal activities within the EU.
The first one is permanent carbon removal, referring to operations like Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACS) or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and similar technologies that capture and durably store atmospheric or biogenic CO2 for a period of multiple centuries.
The regulation also applies to carbon storage activities that capture and store CO2 in durable products, like wood-based construction materials, for at least 35 years.
Lastly, it extends to carbon farming that boosts CO2 sequestration and storage in soils and forests, or tackles soil-based GHG emissions, operating for a period of at least five years. Among such projects are the ones that center around reforestation, peatland and wetlands restoration, or the use of improved fertilizer.
To qualify for certification, projects must provide long-term carbon storage, quantified net CO2 removal, or net soil emission reduction, be additional in the sense that their reach extends beyond statutory requirements at the level of an individual operator, where the certification will grant them financial viability, all while making sure no harm is done to the environment and co-benefits cover one or more sustainability goals.
Additionally, projects will need to be verified by third-party certification entities to be eligible for certification under this EU framework.
The newly-approved regulation will be published in the EU’s Official Journal, and it will enter into force 20 days after its publication, becoming applicable in all EU member states.
source: carbon herald
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