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Climate Action
Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming

Reaching climate neutrality in Europe by mid-century requires minimising our greenhouse gas emissions and removing any unavoidable emissions from the atmosphere. Find out below how carbon removals and carbon farming can help the EU achieve its 2050 climate target.

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Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming in a nutshell

  • Carbon removals

    Innovative approaches to capturing CO2, directly from the atmosphere and from biogenic emission sources, before storing it in reservoirs such as geological formations, forests, soil or products for the long term.

  • Carbon farming

    Climate-friendly practices implemented by farmers and foresters to enhance carbon sequestration and storage in forests and soils, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions from soils.

EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification (CRCF) Regulation

The Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation (EU/2024/3012) was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 6 December 2024, creating the first EU-wide voluntary framework for certifying carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products across Europe. By establishing EU quality criteria and laying down monitoring and reporting processes, the CRCF Regulation will facilitate investment in innovative carbon removal technologies, as well as sustainable carbon farming solutions, while addressing greenwashing.

Explore the sections below to learn more about the specific activities covered by the CRCF Regulation.

The CRCF Regulation mandates third-party verification and the publication of certification-related information in an EU-wide registry and aims to streamline certification processes, making them cost-effective yet robust. It also introduces group certification, easing the burden for small farmers and foresters. Thanks to standardised baselines and remote sensing technologies, powered by the Copernicus satellite system, the Regulation will help cut measuring and reporting costs.

EU Expert Group on carbon removals

The Expert Group on carbon removals advises the Commission on the development of tailored EU certification methodologies. With around 70 members from different backgrounds, including national authorities, businesses, NGOs, and research institutions, it ensures broad representation of stakeholders. The Expert Group meets biannually in person and remotely, following Commission guidelines.

Carbon farming in the agri-food value chain

The widespread adoption of sustainable farming practices - supported by all actors in the agri-food value chain - can help improve farm resilience, income stability and food security, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon removals. 

The volatile context in which EU farmers operate calls for increased policy certainty and better solutions for a more predictable future. Market-based climate policies or standards could play an important role in achieving this goal. 

Such measures could unleash new potential business opportunities for sustainable agri-food value chains, while ensuring fairer rewards for farmers, as well as enhanced climate resilience and environmental integrity.