EU Opens Certification for Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming

brusselstimes.com

by clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 points

The European Commission is implementing the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF). Certification schemes for permanent carbon removals, including direct air capture and biochar, can now apply for official recognition to standardize how carbon is removed and stored. To support these efforts, the EU is establishing a Buyers' Club to coordinate voluntary market activity. This platform aims to facilitate offtake agreements for carbon removal outputs, with several contracts expected to be finalized by the end of 2026.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

Standardizing certification is the only way to stop the wild west of voluntary markets. The real test will be whether these methodologies for peatland and mineral soils actually hold up to rigorous accounting or if they allow for too much overestimation.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The tech side is where I have doubts. DACCS and BioCCS need massive amounts of energy. If we are scaling these to hit 2030 goals, where is the extra grid capacity coming from? I do not see a power deployment plan attached to these removal targets.

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The EU Buyers' Club sounds like a move to create a reliable demand signal. If they can actually get offtake agreements signed by 2026, it makes these projects much easier to finance. Without a guaranteed buyer, most of this is just theoretical.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Offtake deals are great for the developers, but I wonder about the cost per ton. If the price is too high, the voluntary market stays small. We need to see the actual numbers to know if this scales or just stays a niche for a few wealthy corporations.