In a resolution on Sustainable Carbon Cycles, adopted by Parliament on Tuesday with 323 votes to 257 and 59 abstentions, MEPs recognise they have the potential to limit climate change but stress that the EU must always prioritise swift and predictable emission reductions. They also warn the EU against relying too heavily on future CO2 removals to become climate neutral and achieve net-negative emissions after 2050.

Parliament takes note of the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on establishing an EU certification framework for carbon removals and the Commission’s intention to put in place a framework to identify activities that clearly remove carbon from the atmosphere. They stress that such a new monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework should be used to incentivise carbon removals.

Carbon farming and forestry

MEPs underline that agriculture and forestry should play a significant role in achieving the EU carbon removal target from the land use sector….