Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans has presented the first EU rules for organizing a business and revenue model for carbon farming. This so-called certification marks the first legal step towards limiting CO2 emissions as set out in the Climate targets of the Green Deal.
The European Commission aims for a combination of different methods to capture carbon dioxide. This includes the use of building materials made from mineralized carbon dioxide, such as wood or stone. Additionally, agroforestry and the re-irrigation of dried and compacted peatlands are also considered.
“We want carbon removal to provide new and additional sources of income for the many farmers who want to do more for biodiversity but struggle to find the necessary funding to do so,” said Timmermans.
The EU Commission distinguishes between short-term and long-term stored carbon dioxide. Carbon farming is likely one of the forms of short-term storage. Therefore, certificates for carbon storage in agriculture are only allowed to be valid for a limited time.
For granting permits for tradable carbon certificates, Brussels applies at least four criteria. First, the amount of stored carbon dioxide must be verifiably determined. The EU Commission hopes to utilize modern satellite monitoring for this purpose.
Second, agricultural practices that are already common today cannot be certified: it must involve new techniques and methods. This condition is already facing protests from agricultural umbrella organizations because it poses an obstacle for innovative farmers currently experimenting with carbon storage. Their efforts might no longer qualify in the future.
For agriculture in particular, a key aspect of the proposed certification is that carbon dioxide must remain in the soil for at least 10 to 20 years, and the permits granted are equally temporary. Moreover, new carbon farming practices must not endanger biodiversity or species protection.
The European Commission has not yet commented on financing because this certification period is only the beginning of the implementation phase: many details still need to be addressed. Furthermore, EU governments and the European Parliament committees must still provide their input. Afterwards, an expert committee will further develop the carbon certificates in a second step.