The European Parliament takes the first step to deploy carbon removals

On 10 April, the European Parliament’s adopted the provisional agreement on the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF). Bioenergy Europe considers the framework is a necessary step for the EU to reach climate neutrality by 2050, and praises the leadership of  CRCF rapporteur in the European Parliament, Lídia Pereira, to adopt the CRCF.

The The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly stated in their latest report that “The deployment of carbon dioxide removals to counterbalance hard-to-abate residual emissions is unavoidable if net-zero carbon dioxide or GHG emissions are to be achieved.”

By certifying high-quality carbon removals, the CRCF ensures that they are transparent and trusted, preventing greenwashing and creating new business opportunities. Aligning with the IPCC on the definition of carbon removals, allows the framework to give certainty for investors and actors seeking to remove carbon, and helps to harmonise a framework that will develop an international market for carbon removals.

Among carbon removal technologies, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and biochar can also produce energy while capturing CO2. 

“The tech-neutral definition of permanent carbon storage allows for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and biochar to play a crucial role for Europe to achieve net-zero and it can lead to negative emissions,” explains Ennio Prizzi, Bioenergy Europe’s Policy Officer.

The CRCF is a first step in the right direction, but the European Union needs to do more unlock the full potential of BECCS and biochar. In 3 Steps Towards the Energy Transition, Bioenergy Europe’s manifesto for the 2024 elections the organisation calls for the EU to:

• Set ambitious targets with milestones for technological removals and clearly distinguish them from land-based removals,
• Provide stronger policy support and market incentives for the development and deployment of BECCS technologies,
• Support additional BECCS demonstration projects,
• Foster collaboration between governments, industry, research institutions, and civil society organizations,
• And establish a European compliance market for permanent carbon removals.

Find out how can the EU unlock the potential of bio-based carbon removal technologies below.