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👇 The three-day workshop on the EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework (#CRCF) just ended. So what did we learn and where are we heading?
🗓️ Timelines: it is going to take longer than expected. First methodologies ready in 2026. Realistically, we will not have CRCF units available until late 2026 - early 2027. This could lead to a bifurcation of the market, with the CRCF only able to cover a small range of available removals in the voluntary carbon market (hashtag#VCM).
📋 Registry: by 2028, the EU Commission needs to set up a centralised European registry for the CRCF. VCM registries would hold CRCF units until 2028, but it remains unclear what model will be chosen after. The best option I heard came from Lukas May, recommending to model it after the banking sector, with customer-facing retail banks and a government-run central bank.
👎 Use cases: call me optimistic, but I was hoping for more discussion around what CRCF units would be used for. The Commission kicked this can down the road, which means that concepts such as the like-for-like principle will have to be built into each subsequent legislation, instead of a single time in the CRCF.
📚 Accounting: we already knew that CRCF units would have to contribute to the EU’s nationally determined contribution (hashtag#NDC). We now have additional clarity that double claiming would be allowed and encouraged, to ensure corporate financing of carbon removals. Further, CRCF units cannot be counted towards a non-EU NDC.
🌊 / 🪨 Novel CDR: important to note what was not / barely discussed, e.g. enhanced weathering (EW) or ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). The Commission only touched on these and promised to hold workshops in 2024 and 2025 to discuss how to incorporate these in the CRCF. More concrete timelines/plans will be shared “in due course”.
👷 Expert group dynamics: the lack of industry representation was evident. My guess is that NGOs took around 60-70% of the Q&A speaking time. The group would benefit greatly from more operators with practical experience. However, no more stakeholders will be allowed into the Expert Group, and I hope that the Commission will find other channels to include the industry’s voice.
🔜 So what’s next
Feedback on the Technical Assessment Paper (TAP) will be gathered until May 3rd
A Technical Scoping Paper for Biochar Carbon Removal (hashtag#BCR) will be released in May and a workshop on BCR held in June.
Online workshops on specific methodologies between now and September
Draft methodologies for DACCS, BECCS, and BCR will be released in September
Next Expert Group meeting in the w/c October 21st
First proposed Delegated Acts for methodologies in 2025
Further Expert Group meetings in 2025 to develop more methodologies
Start of CRCF certification in 2026/27
❓ What are your takeaways? Does the above resonate? What did I miss?
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