EU’s carbon removals certification framework is certifiably problematic

Carbon Market Watch analyzes a leaked draft of the EU's Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF), warning that the proposal fails to define permanent storage, lacks liability rules for carbon reversals, and ignores social safeguards. While the author notes positive environmental sustainability objectives, they argue the framework risks certifying temporary removals as permanent and could allow agricultural emission reductions to be mislabeled as removals, potentially undermining EU climate targets.

• The draft proposal fails to consistently define 'removal' and lacks clear rules on permanent storage, liability for carbon reversals, and monitoring requirements. Specifically, it does not establish who is responsible for reversals that may occur over decades or centuries, referring only to 'appropriate liability mechanisms'.
• The framework risks misclassifying activities, potentially allowing emission reductions in forestry and agriculture—which do not remove carbon from the atmosphere—to be certified as removals. Furthermore, it may treat temporary storage in soils and products as equivalent to permanent geological storage.
• There is a significant loophole regarding greenhouse gas emissions from carbon removal activities; while emissions must generally be subtracted from removals, this requirement is waived for carbon farming. This could allow farmers to clear land or burn forests before applying for certification.
• The proposal ignores social safeguards, specifically failing to address land grabbing and the impacts of carbon removal activities on small-scale farmers and local communities.
• The document identifies a positive aspect of the proposal: the requirement that all activities have a 'positive or neutral impact' on sustainability objectives, including biodiversity, water resources, and pollution prevention. Carbon farming and biomass-related activities must specifically have a positive impact on these objectives.

APA

Stoefs, W. (2022). EU’s carbon removals certification framework is certifiably problematic. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2022/11/04/eus-carbon-removals-certification-framework-is-certifiably-problematic/

Chicago

Stoefs, Wijnand. EU’s carbon removals certification framework is certifiably problematic. Carbon Market Watch, 2022. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2022/11/04/eus-carbon-removals-certification-framework-is-certifiably-problematic/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Stoefs |first1=Wijnand |title=EU’s carbon removals certification framework is certifiably problematic |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=4 November 2022 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2022/11/04/eus-carbon-removals-certification-framework-is-certifiably-problematic/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stoefs2022eus, author = {Stoefs, Wijnand}, title = {{EU’s carbon removals certification framework is certifiably problematic}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2022/11/04/eus-carbon-removals-certification-framework-is-certifiably-problematic/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }