Carbon Removal Certification Framework

The document argues that the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) must prioritize deep emission reductions over removals and exclude the use of removal offsets to avoid carbon pricing or emission cuts. It calls for a strict definition of permanence in storage, the exclusion of short-term bio-based materials from permanent storage targets, and the removal of Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) from the CRCF's scope. The authors emphasize that certification should be limited to low-reversal risk approaches—such as geological storage and rewetted peatlands—while requiring robust social and environmental safeguards to prevent land grabbing and biodiversity loss.

• The CRCF must ensure that deep emission reductions take priority over carbon removals, and that removals are supplementary rather than a substitute for cuts. The framework should explicitly rule out the use of removal offsets to avoid carbon pricing or emissions cuts, and exclude the supply of credits to the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM).
• The framework should focus exclusively on actual carbon removals and exclude emission avoidance. It must distinguish between permanent storage (lasting centuries) and short-term storage, such as bio-based plastics or textiles, which should not count toward removal targets.
• Certification should be restricted to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods with low reversal risks, specifically rewetted peatlands, ecological forestry, and geological storage, while excluding high-risk methods like soil carbon sequestration.
• The CRCF must incorporate robust social and environmental safeguards to prevent detrimental impacts such as land grabbing, water use issues, or increased emissions from indirect land use change. Only the 'net' quantity of CO2 removed should be certified after accounting for the full production cycle footprint.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2022). Carbon Removal Certification Framework. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Open-letter-NGOs-to-Cabinets-on-CRCF-priorities.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. Carbon Removal Certification Framework. 2022. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Open-letter-NGOs-to-Cabinets-on-CRCF-priorities.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=Carbon Removal Certification Framework |date=4 November 2022 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Open-letter-NGOs-to-Cabinets-on-CRCF-priorities.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2022carbon, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{Carbon Removal Certification Framework}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Open-letter-NGOs-to-Cabinets-on-CRCF-priorities.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }