Share this on social media
A sustainable carbons cycle or a vicious emissions cycle?
(EurActiv, 16 Dec 2021) The European Commission’s proposed carbon removal strategy, although it contains some good elements, is also problematic and confusing on other aspects, writes Wijnand Stoefs.
Wijnand Stoefs is policy officer at Carbon Market Watch, a not-for-profit association with expertise in carbon pricing policies.
On 15 December, the European Commission published its Sustainable Carbon Cycles Communication, which showcases its vision for carbon farming, industrial carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) and carbon capture and storage (CCS), and permanently removing carbon from the atmosphere.
The communication is meant to provide a blueprint for how carbon removals can compensate for any residual emissions for the EU to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and net-negative emissions after 2050, as mandated under the EU Climate Law.
Focus on emissions
Let’s start with the good news. The communication contains some great elements. It highlights numerous times that the EU’s priority is, and should remain, reducing emissions. This is critical as a tonne of carbon removed from the atmosphere and stored permanently cannot be considered equivalent to a tonne of carbon emitted for a number of reasons.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that a tonne removed likely has 10% less impact on atmospheric CO2 concentrations than a tonne emitted due to interactions with land and ocean carbon stocks. The same IPCC report highlighted that greenhouse gas pollution could have long-lasting repercussions on life on Earth that removals would not be able to “clean up” or “compensate” for.
External link
EurActiv, 16 Dec 2021: A sustainable carbons cycle or a vicious emissions cycle?
More Related News
Carbon market
18 Apr 2024: Carbon price fall deprives Europe's green funds of billions
13 Feb 2024: IEA head urges German government to introduce climate bonus payments for citizens
23 Jan 2024: Junk offset sellers push to enter new UN carbon market
21 Dec 2023: Countries go ahead with carbon deals despite Cop28 standoff
12 Dec 2023: With Africa's carbon sinks up for grabs, offset debate heats up
21 Nov 2023: Indian farmers rack up carbon credits with climate-conscious ways
5 Oct 2023: EU carbon price to hit €400 mark with 90% climate goal: analysts
26 Sep 2023: In-depth Q&A: Can ‘carbon offsets’ help to tackle climate change?
8 Sep 2023: A wolf in sheep’s clothing: why Africa should shun carbon markets
5 Sep 2023: UAE pitches itself as Africa’s carbon credits leader
18 Jul 2023: Will the voluntary carbon market survive mistrust and regulation?
7 Jul 2023: With EU blessing, Denmark aims to corner carbon capture market
12 Jun 2023: Carbon markets will not save our planet
2 May 2023: Can carbon markets help Africa meet its climate financing goals?
11 Apr 2023: In defence of nature-based carbon markets
3 Feb 2023: Voluntary carbon markets: a misunderstood climate solution
20 Dec 2022: Climate-conscious Indians tap carbon credits for greener fun
11 Nov 2022: Beijing city preparing businesses for carbon market expansion
14 Jun 2022: Rebooting China’s carbon credits: What will 2022 bring?
10 May 2022: Can the EU and China align their carbon markets?
28 Apr 2022: Widespread carbon capture in Southeast Asia unviable without carbon pricing: report
29 Mar 2022: Australian carbon traders defend troubled offset market against whistleblower claims
17 Mar 2022: Europe seeks breakthrough on climate change plans amid energy crisis
21 Feb 2022: The first year of China’s national carbon market, reviewed
11 Feb 2022: The price of polluting is soaring: report
9 Dec 2021: EU carbon price could hit €100 by year end after record run – analysts
30 Nov 2021: Carbon markets are booming. Here’s how to ensure they work
23 Nov 2021: Polluters face price pain as global carbon trading system moves forward
16 Nov 2021: Rights groups warn COP26 rules on carbon markets leave indigenous people exposed
15 Nov 2021: Comparing the EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ roadmap and the IEA’s net-zero scenario
8 Nov 2021: COP26 carbon-market talks 'difficult'—but hopes for breakthrough, says Norway minister
4 Nov 2021: ‘Put a price on carbon, nature cannot pay,’ EU’s von der Leyen tells COP26
27 Oct 2021: ‘Chess game’ as negotiators seek elusive carbon market deal at Cop26
26 Aug 2021: How can China’s national carbon market contribute to reducing emissions?
30 Jul 2021: Global initiative aims to bring transparency to voluntary carbon markets
19 Jul 2021: China steps up climate fight with emissions trading scheme
12 Jul 2021: G20 recognizes carbon pricing as climate change tool for first time
21 Jun 2021: Global carbon price floor would limit global warming - IMF staff
28 May 2021: To meet net zero by 2050 we need a long-term vision for carbon pricing
28 May 2021: China’s national ETS needs high-level political support to succeed
6 May 2021: EU carbon price hits record €50 per tonne on route to climate target
15 Apr 2021: In a pandemic year, China and the rest of Asia push ahead on carbon markets
15 Apr 2021: Four key issues to watch in the EU’s carbon market reform
9 Apr 2021: Climate change cannot be abated without effective carbon pricing
8 Apr 2021: How Joe Biden could effortlessly boost aviation climate action
25 Mar 2021: Carbon markets are proving resilient to the coronavirus pandemic
19 Mar 2021: Global airline emissions plan falls short of EU goals, Brussels advised
18 Mar 2021: ‘Without a carbon cap, you can’t provide strong support for a carbon peak’
12 Mar 2021: EU Parliament votes to retain free CO2 quotas for industry
4 Mar 2021: Carbon pricing expands in Canada, making slower progress in the United States
22 Feb 2021: How much does climate change cost? Biden expected to raise carbon’s dollar value
22 Feb 2021: Getting the social cost of carbon right
8 Feb 2021: Q&A: What is China’s carbon trading scheme?
2 Feb 2021: China says ‘more consultation’ needed on EU carbon border levy
2 Feb 2021: China’s national carbon market is about to launch
25 Jan 2021: As US renews climate relations with EU and China, carbon pricing raises tensions
18 Jan 2021: France's Total quits top U.S. oil lobby over climate policies
11 Jan 2021: China launches world’s largest carbon market for power sector
21 Dec 2020: Japan to mull bolder emissions target, carbon pricing scheme next year - vice minister
30 Nov 2020: Fixing EU carbon market crucial to airlines ‘building back better’
5 Nov 2020: Emissions from energy sector likely to rebound from COVID-19, Capgemini warns
30 Oct 2020: UK negotiator: Countries must resolve carbon market dispute to step up ambition
23 Oct 2020: Official: EU taking first steps to bring forestry into carbon market
1 Oct 2020: Despite socialist scepticism, Cuba shows interest in carbon trading
1 Oct 2020: Fate of UN-led carbon market to be decided behind closed doors
15 Sep 2020: Shippers balk at EU carbon market plan
11 Sep 2020: ‘EU carbon market not the right policy for cars, says Timmermans
22 Jun 2020: Zero-carbon takeaway? Spanish delivery start-up Glovo targets greener future
2 Jun 2020: UK proposes own carbon market, remains coy on link with EU ETS
21 May 2020: German cabinet agrees CO2 price of €25 from January 2021
27 Mar 2020: EU sticks to carbon reporting deadlines, rejects industry calls for coronavirus delay
26 Mar 2020: EU carbon market ‘the first victim’ as electricity demand collapses
17 Dec 2019: Germany to raise carbon price to 25 euros in 2021 after pressure -sources
11 Jul 2019: German coalition divided over carbon pricing
28 Jan 2019: Carbon pricing and digital tax find traction in Davos
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
12 Apr 2024: EU Parliament approves deal on world’s first carbon removal certification scheme
9 Apr 2024: Forest carbon accounting allows Guyana to stay net zero while pumping oil
2 Apr 2024: ExxonMobil accused of ‘greenwashing’ over carbon capture plan it failed to invest in
4 Mar 2024: France strikes CO2 storage deal with Denmark
1 Mar 2024: Germany to adopt 2060 target for net-negative greenhouse gas emissions
27 Feb 2024: Berlin launches ‘milestone’ strategies to capture and remove CO2 permanently
6 Feb 2024: Q&A: The EU industrial carbon management strategy
1 Feb 2024: German carbon capture row heightened by EU’s draft 2040 climate plan
30 Jan 2024: EU Commission wants captured CO2 to become ‘tradeable commodity’
19 Jan 2024: What to make of Europe’s upcoming carbon management strategy
11 Jan 2024: German industry joins forces with green groups on CO2 capture
11 Dec 2023: COP28: Can 'carbon capture' keep fossil fuels viable?
28 Nov 2023: German Greens make way for European carbon management plan
24 Nov 2023: EU tables new regulation to track climate threats to forests using satellites
14 Nov 2023: UK sued for counting wood burning with carbon capture as ‘negative emissions’
30 Oct 2023: Heavy industry turns to carbon capture to clean up its act
27 Oct 2023: ‘Carbon gamble’? EU lawmakers back CO2 removal certification scheme
26 Sep 2023: Green NGO supports controversial CCS to ensure e-fuels reach CO2 neutrality
21 Sep 2023: Industrial carbon capture: Only for truly ‘unavoidable emissions’
20 Jul 2023: Spanish EU Presidency draws criticism on carbon capture technology
26 May 2023: UN advises against offsets for carbon removal technologies
25 May 2023: ‘Worthless’: Chevron’s carbon offsets are mostly junk and some may harm, research says
12 May 2023: After court blocks renewables push, US promotes carbon capture & hydrogen
11 May 2023: Is 2023 the year when carbon capture and storage finally takes off?
9 May 2023: Nations split over fossil fuels and carbon capture
28 Apr 2023: Mitsubishi bets on carbon removal while keeping coal plants
21 Apr 2023: US carbon capture incentives leave EU ‘lagging behind’, biofuel makers warn
20 Apr 2023: Volcanic microbe eats CO2 ‘astonishingly quickly’, say scientists
4 Apr 2023: The Guardian view on carbon offsetting: an overhaul is overdue
24 Mar 2023: EU says ‘not banning carbon offsets’ in greenwashing crackdown
20 Mar 2023: EU sets world’s first target for underground CO2 storage capacity
13 Mar 2023: Sunak to focus on carbon capture and mini-nuclear reactors in energy policy
3 Mar 2023: Japan’s ‘green transformation’ would derail the energy transition in Asia
21 Feb 2023: Corporations push “insetting” as new offsetting but report claims it is even worse
10 Feb 2023: Denmark to put CO2 in seabed in step towards carbon negativity
27 Jan 2023: The Guardian view on carbon offsetting: a model with dangerous flaws
12 Jan 2023: Fossil fuel producers must be forced to ‘take back’ carbon, say scientists
23 Dec 2022: Carbon farming explained: the pros, the cons and the EU's plans
2 Dec 2022: EU Commission wants farmers, landowners to lead carbon removal push
25 Nov 2022: Could hemp be a key tool in fight against climate change?
22 Nov 2022: EU readies certification of carbon removals to help tackle climate change
15 Nov 2022: Deal reached on EU law regulating CO2 removals from forestry, land use
7 Nov 2022: Europe rapidly losing its forest carbon sink, study shows
28 Oct 2022: EU energy chief announces ‘strategic vision’ for CCUS in 2023
25 Jul 2022: EU could catch up with North America on carbon removal, experts say
5 Jul 2022: Payment for carbon farming: Towards an ambitious and pragmatic certification scheme
24 May 2022: Big tech’s growing embrace raises the stakes for CO2 removal
22 Feb 2022: Europe aims to scale up infrastructure for permanent carbon removals
31 Jan 2022: Carbon offsetting is not warding off environmental collapse – it’s accelerating it
17 Dec 2021: Commission’s carbon farming ambition just buries the problem, stakeholders warn
7 Dec 2021: Old UK oilwells could be turned into CO2 burial test sites
3 Dec 2021: A powerful and underappreciated ally in the climate crisis? Fungi
30 Nov 2021: EXPLAINER: What is 'net zero' and why does it matter?
4 Nov 2021: Forget net-zero: meet the small-nation, carbon-negative club
26 Oct 2021: Deforestation continues unabated ahead of COP26
4 Oct 2021: Cop26 must urgently get specific on carbon removal in net-zero pathways
17 Sep 2021: EU plans certification scheme for carbon dioxide removals
17 Sep 2021: EU plans certification scheme for carbon dioxide removals
10 Sep 2021: World’s largest plant capturing carbon from air starts in Iceland
27 Jul 2021: Indonesia to burn coal well into the 2050s, under updated climate plan
27 Jul 2021: Indonesia to burn coal well into the 2050s, under updated climate plan
4 Jun 2021: Bill Gates and EU pledge $1 billion boost for green technology
31 May 2021: Climate change: six priorities for pulling carbon out of the air
10 May 2021: Dutch govt grants $2.4 bln in subsidies to huge carbon storage project
4 Mar 2021: The climate crisis can't be solved by carbon accounting tricks
8 Feb 2021: Elon Musk puts up $100 mln for global carbon reduction competition
14 Jan 2021: Carbon capture and storage won’t work, critics say
14 Jan 2021: China pushes technical solutions in race to meet climate goals
14 Dec 2020: 10 myths about net zero targets and carbon offsetting, busted
29 Oct 2020: BP leads energy companies preparing two major UK carbon capture projects
15 Oct 2020: Microsoft in deal with Equinor for Norway CO2 storage project
8 Oct 2020: Carbon capture 'moonshot' moves closer, as billions of dollars pour in
28 Sep 2020: Growing momentum behind carbon capture can make it a new clean energy success story
24 Sep 2020: What is carbon capture, usage and storage – and can it trap emissions?
22 Sep 2020: EU Commission defends 2030 climate target against ‘accounting trick’ critique
21 Sep 2020: Seas and forests are muddying the carbon budget
21 Sep 2020: Norway to spend $1.8 bln on world's first full-scale CCS chain
14 Sep 2020: EU commission accused of 'cheating' on net-zero emissions accounting
4 Sep 2020: World’s first ‘carbon-capture at sea’ set for shipping trials
9 Jun 2020: The hyping of negative emissions
28 May 2020: There is space for carbon storage underground
23 Apr 2020: Could Microsoft’s climate crisis ‘moonshot’ plan really work?
13 Mar 2020: Tropical forests may be heating Earth by 2035
6 Mar 2020: World can avoid catastrophic global warming with climate solutions in hand today – study
10 Feb 2020: Do you have it in green? The living fabrics that can help clean the air
