Joint Statement

A joint statement by EEB, Carbon Market Watch, ECOS, and Bellona evaluating proposed carbon farming methodologies. While acknowledging minor improvements regarding risk profiles and operator liability, the group argues that the methodology remains flawed. Key concerns include the failure to mandate pesticide reductions, the lowering of uncertainty deduction factors, the lack of social safeguards against land speculation, and the omission of livestock methane emissions from associated emissions calculations.

• The authors identify several areas where the methodology is insufficiently addressed, including a requirement that pesticide use merely not increase rather than actively decrease, and a risk rate for buffer contributions that acts as a floor, potentially leading to disparity in project quality.
• The group advises against allowing biochar to generate additional carbon farming credits due to uncertainties regarding soil effects and the risk of double counting carbon across different methodologies.
• The statement highlights a weakening of integrity and robustness in the methodology, specifically noting that monitoring periods have been shortened and the uncertainty deduction factor has been reduced from 10% to 8%.
• The authors argue that the methodology fails to address critical risks and data sources, such as the lack of social safeguards against land speculation, the failure to include livestock methane emissions in associated emissions, and the omission of data from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to establish common practice.
• The group concludes that the current rules do not ensure the absence of negative effects and may significantly overestimate the climate benefits of the projects.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2026). Joint Statement. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Joint-statement-on-carbon-farming-methodologies.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. Joint Statement. 2026. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Joint-statement-on-carbon-farming-methodologies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=Joint Statement |date=23 April 2026 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Joint-statement-on-carbon-farming-methodologies.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2026joint, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{Joint Statement}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Joint-statement-on-carbon-farming-methodologies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }