Carbon removals in the EU elections

The Negative Emissions Platform’s Manifesto for the 2024 European elections

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has unequivocally declared that global net-zero necessitates the removal of up to 10 billion tonnes of CO2 per year by 2050. However, we are currently removing 2 billion tonnes per year of which the minority (0.1%) comes from highly-durable and permanent carbon removals.

In the next five years, the EU must seize the opportunity to assert itself as a global climate leader. This entails not only significantly reducing emissions but also drastically scaling up carbon removal efforts, setting an assertive precedent for the rest of the world.

Negative Emissions Summit

The upcoming European Parliament elections will shape climate policy for the next five years, offering a critical opportunity to integrate carbon removals into the EU's climate framework. With several pieces of legislation already in the pipeline (including the 2040 Climate Targets), this is the moment to set out policies and funding tools that spur growth in this climate-critical sector. In this event, we will hear from policymakers, NGOs and industry on what is needed in the next five years to scale up the sector so it can meet the EU’s climate objectives.

Here are the Negative Emission Platform’s five policy priorities to make that happen:

  • Establish a 2040 Climate Target that includes a separate carbon removals target

  • Ensure a credible, ambitious and tech-neutral EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework

  • Adopt an EU Green Claims Directive that allows for the use of carbon removal certificates to make company-level climate claims

  • Secure sustainable investment in supporting CDR in Europe

  • Enhance international cooperation and strengthen EU efforts within global forums to bolster carbon removals

“Urging the EU to lead, the Negative Emissions Platform calls for visionary policies in the 2024 elections. Let's set ambitious targets, foster trust with a tech-neutral certification framework, and pave the way for a sustainable future together.”

— Chris Sherwood, Negative Emissions Platform Secretary-General