Call for input: Industrial Removal Certification Methodologies

On the 30th of November 2022, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a voluntary framework to reliably certify high-quality carbon removals. To ensure the quality and comparability of carbon removals, the proposed regulation establishes four QU.A.L.ITY criteria, which are explained in more detail in the accompanying Impact Assessment:

• Quantification: Carbon removal activities need to be measured accurately and deliver unambiguous benefits for the climate;
• Additionality: Carbon removal activities need to go beyond existing practices and what is required by law;
• Long-term storage: Certificates are linked to the duration of carbon storage so as to ensure permanent storage;
• Sustainability: Carbon removal activities must preserve or contribute to sustainability objectives such as climate change adaptation, circular economy, water and marine resources, and biodiversity.

The Commission, supported by an Expert Group, is working on developing tailored certification methodologies for carbon removal activities.

Scope

Numerous initiatives have emerged in the last years to provide and certify industrial carbon removal activities (i.e. activities capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in geological formations, reactive minerals or in long-lasting products). Some examples include:

• Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)
• Direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS)
• Atmospheric or biogenic carbon stored in materials
• Wooden Construction products
• Enhanced rock weathering
• Biochar

Objective

The objective of this questionnaire is to obtain a comprehensive overview of existing certification methodologies for industrial carbon removal practices and to understand how (and whether) they ensure that carbon removals are accurately quantified and additional, that carbon is stored for the long-term, and that carbon removal activities are sustainable. The survey is structured along the proposed QU.A.L.ITY criteria and is aligned with Annex I, which lists the elements that a certification methodology shall include in the future Delegated Acts. At the beginning of each section, there is a short explanation of each criterion; this is only to provide contextual information, and the replies do not necessarily need to show alignment with the proposed QU.A.L.ITY criteria.

The results of this survey will be presented during a meeting of the Expert Group on Carbon Removals, which is planned for the 25 and 26 October 2023.

Audience

We are seeking responses from actors in the field of industrial carbon removals that can provide technical information about how existing certification methodologies address the challenges behind the four QU.A.L.ITY criteria.

We thank you in advance for your valuable input. Please note that you do not have to reply to all questions if some of them are not applicable to the certification methodology that you are describing. If you want to provide information about several certification methodologies, you will be able to fill in the survey multiple times. You may upload any relevant documentation at the end of the survey.

DEADLINE: 23.59, 15 September 2023

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