Carbon removals: More efforts needed to achieve carbon neutrality, say MEPs
Carbon removals from forests, agricultural practices or technological solutions must play a growing role in achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
The report on Sustainable Carbon Cycles was adopted by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety with 64 votes to 6 and 8 abstentions. In the report, MEPs recognise the potential of the sustainable carbon cycles initiative to contribute to the EU net carbon removal target of at least net 310 megatons (Mt) by 2030 while stressing that carbon removals should complement and never replace legally binding emissions reductions.
MEPs take note of the Commission's intention to put in place a framework to identify activities that clearly remove carbon from the atmosphere and stress that a new monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework should also be used to incentivise those new types of carbon removal activities. An EU governance certification system for carbon removals would also promote harmonised implementation across Europe and combat greenwashing.
Carbon farming and forestry
MEPs underline that agriculture and forestry must play a significant role in achieving the EU carbon removal target from the land use sector and that healthy natural ecosystems is an important source of long-term removals. Increasing carbon in the soil also brings multiple benefits, including improved soil quality and fertility.
MEPs ask the Commission to ensure the availability of verified emission and removal data at farm level well before 2026 in order to use it in the framework of the Sustainable Food System legislation as well in the next reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
MEPs say that carbon farming is an opportunity for farmers to transform their business model and to better reward farmers that are voluntarily engaging in a transition towards agro-ecological and sustainable agroforestry practices that also promotes biodiversity. They underline that voluntary credits should lead to an adjustment to EU LULUCF targets, thereby guaranteeing that voluntary action complements regulatory action and avoid double counting.
The report also says that that farmers that engage in carbon farming should be compensated via the Common Agricultural Policy and/or other public funding instruments such as state aid as well through market-based solutions.
MEPs also emphasise that the blue carbon economy has great potential to contribute to the storage of CO2 in coastal regions (e.g. in mangroves, tidal and salt marshes, and seagrasses) but remind of the need for research to avoid damaging the coastal ecosystem.
Industrial Sustainable Carbon
MEPs agree that technologies such as Direct Air Capture that are combined with permanent storage and are scientifically proven and environmentally safe can contribute to the achievement of EU climate neutrality.
They underline that solutions based on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and use (CCU) technologies can play a role in decarbonisation. MEPs also call on the Commission to establish a system to trace captured CO2, distinguishing between carbon capture on site and from the atmosphere in order to avoid double counting. They also strongly encourages the Commission to clarify the issue of liability for harm caused to human health, climate and the environment, if carbon removals are reversed.
Quote
After the vote, the rapporteur Alexander Bernhuber (EPP, Austria) said: “We support sustainable carbon cycles and the concept of carbon farming, which can actively contribute to climate change mitigation. Carbon farming can become another source of income for European agriculture and forestry. We also believe it should be voluntary and incentive-driven without unnecessary bureaucracy and obligations."
Background
Carbon removals from forests, agriculture and technological solutions will play an increasing role for the EU to become carbon neutral by 2050 as each single tonne of CO2eq emitted into the atmosphere will have to be neutralised by a tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere. In December 2021, the Commission adopted the “Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles”, which sets out an action plan on how to develop sustainable solutions to increase carbon removals.
Contacts:
-
Thomas HAAHR
Press Officer