Why is a new certification system for carbon removal and carbon farming necessary for the European Union? 

Jasmijn Sybenga 

Since 2023, an international consortium has been working on an EU-wide voluntary framework for certifying carbon removal and carbon farming. There are several international standards and protocols used to certify carbon removal. These standards specify how carbon removal should be measured, reported and verified. However, some of these existing methods are criticized for a number of reasons: 

Lack of transparency – Some certification systems have complex and opaque criteria. This makes it difficult for investors and stakeholders to understand whether certified projects actually contribute to long-term CO2 removal. 

Quality of removal – Not all CO2 removal methods are equally effective or sustainable. For example, planting trees is often certified as a carbon removal project. However, there are concerns about the long-term viability of carbon storage, especially if the forests are not managed properly or are destroyed by fires. 

Additionality – A key principle in carbon removal is additionality. This means that the project would not take place without the financial support of carbon credits. However, some certified projects would have been carried out without this support anyway, which calls into question the effectiveness and usefulness of certification. 

Monitoring and verification – There are methods that do not require sufficient monitoring and verification after initial certification. Without continued monitoring, there is a risk that the CO2 removal will be less effective than initially thought. 

Permanence – Some carbon removal methods do not guarantee that the removed CO2 will remain permanently out of the atmosphere. Examples include temporary storage in agricultural land or (production) forests that can be converted into CO2-emitting projects in the future. 

Social and environmental impact – Some certification methods do not sufficiently take into account the potential negative social and environmental impacts of carbon removal projects, such as the impact on local communities or biodiversity loss. These factors contribute to criticism of certain carbon removal certification methods and highlight the need for strict, transparent and robust certification criteria to ensure that the promised climate benefits are actually delivered. 

This is where the European Commission’s DG CLIMA (Directorate General Climate Action) comes in with its wish for a EU-wide certification framework. The goal of this EU-wide framework is to boost: 

• Innovative carbon removal technologies and carbon farming that contribute to the EU’s climate, environment and zero-pollution goals 
• A transparent and reliable certification framework prevents greenwashing 
• Broader sustainability goals, for example through positive effects on biodiversity 
• New sustainable business models for farmers and forestry, among others. 

Over the coming year, we will further develop this certification framework with input from experts across the European Union. By doing this, we hope to contribute to the EU becoming climate neutral by 2050. 

 Curious?

This is the fifth blog on Carbon Removal 

• The first blog is about Best practices in natural CO2 removal 
• The second blog is about the fight against climate change  
• The third blog goes deeper into the benefits of nature-based processes  
• The fourth blog is about certification. 

In addition to our contribution to certifying carbon removals in natural processes, Partners for Innovation is also involved in the certification of long-term biobased carbon storage in buildings.

Visit our page on nature-based carbon removal.