Will the EU’s carbon removals policy remove carbon from the atmosphere, or forests from the land?
24.06.2025
Urgent action is needed to ensure the upcoming EU carbon removal rules for biomass-based activities are cost-effective and do not worsen the climate crisis. Today, 41 NGOs have sent a briefing to the political leadership of the European Commission, members of the European Parliament and EU Member States to alert them that current draft rules are not fit for purpose. They also suggest remedies.
In early July 2025, the European Commission’s DG CLIMA is expected to propose two delegated acts under the Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF).
These texts will detail the accounting methodologies to be used for certifying two types of ‘permanent’ carbon removal activities, Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (Bio-CCS/BECCS), and biochar. The new rules will determine whether claimed removals can be labelled as permanent and certified. This would allow them to be counted in climate budgets, and mean they could benefit from potential financial incentives such as being included on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), which could drive demand.
At this critical stage of the climate and biodiversity crisis, it has never been more urgent to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, remove excess carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, and restore ecosystems.
