MEPs on the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development have pushed for a certification framework for carbon farming today (Wednesday, August 30).
An opinion on a voluntary framework for carbon removal across Europe which was proposed by the European Commission last year was adopted by 31 votes to six and two abstentions.
Carbon farming aims to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in soils and reward farmers for reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.
However, at this stage, the legislation does not go into how these certified removals could be monetised.
The legislation does not outline how the certified carbon removals should be traded. It sets out rules for certifying carbon removals that could be used in voluntary trading schemes.
Carbon farming
Amendments adopted by the MEPs seek to specifically include carbon farming in the commission’s proposal which aims to facilitate the deployment of carbon removals.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction linked to land and forest management, and farming and animal husbandry practices should be considered as carbon removal activities, MEPs said.
The committee seeks rewards for farmers for carbon removal units, with additional rewards for co-benefits, for example biodiversity protection or sustainable use of water.
A permanent carbon removal activity should have a “neutral” impact or generate co-benefits for agricultural productivity and farmer income, the committee suggests in its opinion.
Welcoming today’s vote, MEP Sean Kelly, who is the lead negotiator on behalf of the European People’s Party (EPP) group on the framework in the parliament’s energy committee, said:
“This is another important step in certifying carbon removal at farming level and should lead eventually to being monetised on behalf of farmers.
“The agricultural sector has faced considerable criticism, without recognition given to the amount of carbon stored and efforts being made to reduce emissions across the board.”
Next steps
Both the agri and the energy committee, however, can only give their opinions to the environment committee which is the lead committee on the proposed framework.
The environment committee will vote on a full report which will then, if adopted, be voted on by the full parliament in October 2023.
Discussions between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council will start thereafter.