This Communication outlines the urgent need to establish sustainable and climate-resilient carbon cycles to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The document emphasizes three key actions: drastically reducing reliance on carbon through efficiency improvements and renewable energy, recycling carbon from waste streams and sustainable sources, and upscaling carbon removal solutions to capture and store CO2 from the atmosphere. Carbon farming is highlighted as a crucial business model for increasing carbon sequestration in ecosystems. This involves rewarding land managers for practices that enhance carbon capture and storage in biomass and soils. The Commission aims to address barriers to carbon farming, such as financial burdens and lack of standardization, by providing public funding, standardizing monitoring and reporting methodologies, and improving knowledge and advisory services for land managers. To support industrial carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS), the Commission plans to develop methodologies for quantifying climate benefits, support research and innovation through Horizon Europe, and create a robust certification framework for carbon removals. These actions aim to ensure the transparent identification and verification of carbon removal activities, fostering trust and enabling market-based solutions to contribute to the EU’s climate goals.
2021-12-15