On 30 November 2022, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Union certification framework for carbon removals. The proposal shall boost innovative carbon removal technologies and sustainable carbon farming solutions and contribute to the EU’s climate, environmental and zero-pollution goals. It shall, in particular, significantly improve the EU’s capacity to quantify, monitor, and verify carbon removals. For this purpose, the European Commission shall develop tailored certification methods for carbon removal activities delivering on climate and other environmental objectives.
To ensure a credible and reliable certification process, carbon removal activities should be subject to independent third-party auditing. In particular, carbon removal activities should be subject to an initial certification audit before their implementation, verifying their compliance with the quality criteria set out in this Regulation, including the correct quantification of the expected net carbon removal benefit. Carbon removal activities should also be subject to periodic re-certification audits to verify the compliance of the generated carbon removals.
Certification schemes should be used by operators to demonstrate compliance with this Regulation. In this respect, the European Commission should be empowered to adopt implementing acts, including adequate standards of reliability, transparency, accounting and independent auditing to be applied by certification schemes. The certification schemes shall be recognised by the European Commission.
To ensure an accurate, robust, and transparent verification, certification bodies responsible for performing the certification of carbon removal activities should have the required competences and skills. Accordingly, certification bodies appointed by certification schemes shall be accredited by a national accreditation authority under Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.
The proposal of the European Commission will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission will develop tailored certification methodologies for the different types of carbon removal activities supported by an expert group. The first meeting of the expert group is planned for the first quarter of 2023.
For more information:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_7156