In a resolution on Sustainable Carbon Cycles, adopted by Parliament on Tuesday with 323 votes to 257 and 59 abstentions, MEPs recognise they have the potential to limit climate change but stress that the EU must always prioritise swift and predictable emission reductions. They also warn the EU against relying too heavily on future CO2 removals to become climate neutral and achieve net-negative emissions after 2050.
Parliament takes note of the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on establishing an EU certification framework for carbon removals and the Commission’s intention to put in place a framework to identify activities that clearly remove carbon from the atmosphere. They stress that such a new monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework should be used to incentivise carbon removals.
Carbon farming and forestry
MEPs underline that agriculture and forestry should play a significant role in achieving the EU carbon removal target from the land use sector. Increasing the amount of carbon in the soil also brings multiple benefits, including improved soil quality and fertility.
Plenary asks the Commission to ensure verified emission and removal data from farms are available well before 2026 in order to use them in the framework of the Sustainable Food System legislation as well as in the next reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
According to MEPs, carbon farming is an opportunity for farmers to transform their business model and to better reward those who are voluntarily engaging in a transition towards agro-ecological and sustainable agroforestry practices that also promote biodiversity.
Industrial Sustainable Carbon
The resolution states that technologies such as direct air capture that are combined with permanent storage and are scientifically proven and environmentally safe can contribute to achieving EU climate neutrality.
MEPs also underline that solutions based on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and use (CCU) technologies can play a role in decarbonisation. They call on the Commission to establish a system to trace captured CO2, distinguishing between carbon capture on site and from the atmosphere in order to avoid double counting. They strongly encourage the Commission to clarify the issue of liability for harm caused