EU advisory board calls for rapid expansion of carbon dioxide removal

The EU Climate Advisory Board called in its report for a rapid expansion of methods to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Both carbon removal using nature-based solutions such as forests and modern technologies will be essential to stop global warming, the board said.

In its report, the board stressed that removing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere is necessary to offset emissions from sectors whose CO₂ output is difficult or even impossible to eliminate, such as cement production. It will also be key to ultimately achieving net-negative greenhouse gas emissions, which will be necessary in the long term to reverse climate change, the report said.

“The EU is legally committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and then pursuing net-negative emissions. To achieve these goals, the EU must drastically reduce emissions and also offset residual emissions from activities that currently have no or only limited mitigation alternatives through carbon dioxide removal. Carbon removal is essential for achieving net-negative greenhouse gas emissions and stabilising the global climate,” the board’s report says.

The board called for restoring the natural capacity to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, which, according to the report, has declined by about a third in the EU over the past decade. All current carbon removal depends on these natural methods, which therefore play a crucial role in the EU’s climate-neutrality scenarios, the scientists explained.

While plants provide temporary CO₂ storage, technological methods such as direct air capture (DAC) can be used to store it permanently in geological formations.

The authors also called on policymakers to set binding targets for both temporary and permanent removals and to monitor their achievement rigorously. In their view, CO₂ removal is no substitute for drastic emissions cuts, but is a necessary complement to them.

The scientists added that permanent CO₂ removal should be gradually incorporated into the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Reliable certification is needed for this. They also recommended expanding emitters’ responsibilities, for example by requiring them to pay not only for their greenhouse gas emissions but also for their subsequent removal.

Last year, the European Union presented a European strategy for carbon capture. The strategy sets out a package of measures to be adopted at EU and national level to create a single market for CO₂ in Europe and make the environment more attractive for investment in industrial carbon management technologies.