The CDR Policy Scoop

What does the new Article 6.4 Standard on Non-Permanence and Reversals mean for carbon removal projects?

It has just been adopted by the Supervisory Body after lengthy deliberations and a huge inflow of stakeholder comments.

The new standard remains controversial. Some stakeholders welcome the adopted standard, given its improvements compared to the draft versions. Others highlight the negative impacts on the carbon markets due to pushing decisions on key elements (like the percentage of negligible risk and post-crediting monitoring period) down to the methodology level. 

How will the new standard impact c...

The EU carbon removal purchasing programme and potential integration of removals into the ETS have generated plenty of buzz. Yet these could just be a first step in a longer policy sequence.

Could a CDR Compliance System be the north star to aim for in the longer term?

Carbon Gap has just unveiled its new report looking at how to drive long-term demand for permanent carbon removals across Europe.

In it, they examine different options for a Removal Compliance System (RCS), looking at both traditional emissions-based obligations and economy-wide mandates. 

On 25 September, the European Commission convened its first Technical Workshop on Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) and Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) under the Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming framework (CRCF). This marks the formal beginning of the journey toward EU recognition of these technologies.

The context is clear: DACCS, BECCS, and biochar methodologies are soon settled, but permanent removals need more arrows in their quiver. The Commission is now turning to the next set of methods.

Key questions remain wide open:

– How mature is the science for robust MRV?

– How will...

The EU’s 2040 Climate Target debate is heating up. At stake: whether to allow international carbon credits at all - and if so, how many and what kind.

The European Union is split: some push to ban credits outright, while others want to allow plenty and as early as 2031. The current 3% proposal would mean up to 400 Mt of international credits by 2040.

Such a volume could literally ignite whole industries across numerous countries, with all the benefits that can bring to local communities. But the concerns centre around whether it would water down the EU...

Achieving the EU’s aspirational 2030 target of 5 MtCO₂-e  in permanent removals per year requires an €2.4–6.7 billion in investment. Fast forward to 2040, we’ll need to reach 75 Mt – or even as high as 280 Mt – according to Carbon Gap. The policy, funding, and market implications are enormous.

A well-designed EU purchasing programme can have a significant impact on making it happen.

Recently, the EU Commission released three (!) major reports charting the course for the forthcoming EU purchasing programme for permanent carbon removals. One of these reports provides an in-depth policy assessment and puts forward a policy bluepr...

At the end of August, the UK government released over 500 pages of documentation on how it plans to finance the scale-up of removals.

There is a lot to talk about: the UK has committed over £22B to CCUS (including CDR) over 25 years, of which £9.4B has already been allocated in the 2025 Spending Review.

It has also recently released its vision for how to integrate CDR into the UK ETS, potentially as early as 2029 (ahead of the EU).

Now it suggests 15-year carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs) for BECCS and DACCS pr...

Carbon rating agencies have increasingly become an indispensable pillar of carbon market infrastructure. While originally created to solve deep-seated quality and integrity concerns in the voluntary carbon markets, they are now also playing a role in compliance markets.

What really goes into rating carbon removal projects, and what are the expected future developments? With the ICVCM establishing Core Carbon Principles eligibility for some CDR methods, will project-based ratings still be necessary?

To help us untangle this, we’re excited to welcome Bojana Bajzelj, PhD, VP of Carbon Removal at BeZero Carbon, one of th...

Scoop School is back in session.

The second lesson: Who’s leading and who’s lagging in carbon removal (CDR) policy?

Yes, durable CDR policy is still in its early stages, but our in-depth looks at the UK, Switzerland, and Germany have proven there’s already a lot to discuss—and a lot others can learn from.

Sebastian has been tracking these policy trends closely and...

It may still be summer, but the new series, “Scoop School”, is now in session. First lesson: Carbon Removal Accounting. Which is not the same as MRV, and the lesson will get to that.

Countries are facing new and urgent questions regarding how to account for removals, whether it's within the context of the Paris Agreement’s Crediting Mechanism PACM, the EU’s CRCF, or incorporating removals into emission trading systems. 

All of this has a tangible impact on which carbon removal methods can be scaled via compliance markets, and oftentimes comes as a surpris...

Europe’s forests and soils have been acting as an indispensable cushion for our climate targets, currently offsetting around 6% of the EU’s GHG emissions. 

But the LULUCF sink - the EU’s natural carbon safety net - has dropped by 30% compared to the previous decade. Recent projections highlight a crucial gap between the climate target and the current sink.

Is Europe’s land carbon sink slipping away? What will it take to bring it back? Can smart and innovative policy design turn the tide on the EU’s carbon sink? 

Enter Asge...

The Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM, also known as the Article 6.4 mechanism) is going through another round of public consultations. One key document on the table is the draft standard on non-permanence/reversals, which has sparked a lot of questions.

What are the options on the table? What does it mean for different types of carbon removal projects? How are the various documents up for public consultation via the Methodology Expert Panel and the PACM Supervisory Body connected?

There is no better person to help with deciphering the content and process than Danny...

We’ve covered a lot of CDR policy developments in Europe and across the pond in the United States. But, truth be told, the UK is a bit of a blind spot for us.

The UK’s Net-Zero Strategy was one of the first to establish an engineered Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR aka CDR) target. And only days before our scoop, the UK government has confirmed its plan to integrate removals into the UK ETS by 2029, with legislation targeted for 2028.

Is the UK quietly and humbly leading the way in CDR? What will it t...

Like it or not, the “like-for-like” debate in carbon removal isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Conversations around temporary versus durable, conventional versus novel removals are increasingly diverging. 

Should carbon markets foresee separate roles for these removal types, or strive for a common ground that makes all removals comparable? Is true compatibility even possible?

Co-hosts Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme are delighted to welcome Gabrielle Walker, co-founder of Rethinking Removals and CUR8, as their guest. Scientist-turned-CDR powerhouse, Gabrielle has a deep understanding and passion for these topics like no other. 

Join the...

The first methodologies for permanent removals under the EU’s Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Regulation are being finalised.

The European Commission’s 8th Carbon Removal Expert Group meeting, held on 10 July, was dedicated to a draft delegated act on DACCS, BioCCS, and biochar.

Does this draft piece of legislation do justice to the CDR methods under consideration? Or does it fall short, and the Commission consultants should be sent back to the drawing board?

Join co-hosts Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme as they analyse the heated discussions in the expe...

Not one week passes without news of major developments coming out of Germany: earlier in the year, Europe’s biggest economy became the first country in the world to enshrine a net-zero target (2045) into its constitution.

Following the recent election, the ruling coalition then included carbon removal in its coalition treaty. More recently, a line dedicated to CDR was added to the federal budget and rumour has it that large sums of funding could soon be allocated to this as early as 2026.

Could Germany become the global powerhouse for CDR? And what will it...

A day after the European Commission published its legislative proposal for the EU’s 2040 climate target, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart sat down for a timely session to analyse the proposal.

Although the expected 90% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 (compared to 1990 levels) is the headline target, several key elements in the proposal have elicited strong reactions among stakeholders.

And what does it all mean for carbon removal?

The CDR Policy Scoop co-hosts cut through the noise and analyse how the proposal could evolve during the upcoming negotiations.

This gets to the core of the carbon market debate.

Reductions, including avoidance credits, currently account for over 95% of credits in the VCM. Meanwhile, removal credits are rapidly gaining momentum, with $6.5B in purchases to date, outpacing the growth of all other credit types.

In the Reductions corner, no less than Renat Heuberger, CEO at Terra Impact Ventures and Founder / former CEO at South Pole, who has been at the forefront of the VCM for nearly two decades.

In the Removals corner, the one and only Marta Krupinska, CEO at...

One of the world's first regulations to fight corporate greenwashing is on the final stretch. Or is it?

The final trilogue, the negotiations between the three EU institutions, was pushed back to June 23rd but was ultimately cancelled. A push by the German government and the conservative EPP group in Parliament has led the policy process off the rails, with the European Commission considering withdrawing its proposal.

Critics of the GCD highlight the increased complexity and costs for industry, which is already struggling across Europe. Proponents see it as an essential tool to...

Should the VCM shape or follow government policy?

The Voluntary Carbon Market is at a crossroads as governments ramp up climate ambition and explore carbon markets.

What would a genuine alignment between VCM and government policy look like? What are the risks and opportunities? How can the VCM support both national and global net-zero goals? 

To help us dig into these questions and more, we’re thrilled to welcome a leading voice in carbon markets and climate policy, Alexia Kelly from High Tide Foundation.

Join as co-hosts Eve...

The Paris Agreement's carbon markets could be worth up to $250 billion annually and reduce or remove gigatons of CO2.

But how do we operationalise it? How can countries start trading durable removals under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.2 mechanism?

Norway and Switzerland have just agreed on the first durable removals transaction under this framework. For their pilots, planned to be executed pre-2030, they aim to transfer up to 10 Kt of BECCS from Norway and up to 1 Kt of mineralised CO2 from Switzerland.

Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart are joined by th...

A European CDR Purchasing Programme for Permanent Carbon Removal?

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it may become a reality soon.

On May 21st, the European Commission held a dedicated workshop on “A Purchasing Programme for CRCF Permanent Carbon Removal Credits”.

As stated in its own excellent pre-read, Europe will need to fund CDR with up to €6 billion by 2030 to achieve its indicative target of 5 Mt/year.

But where should this money come from? How should a purchasing programme be designed? And should it fund specific CDR te...

Many projects want to blend public funding with revenue from voluntary carbon markets as carbon removal scales up.

Meanwhile, governments have different approaches to it. And sceptics keep questioning whether it makes sense in the first place - what about additionality, corresponding adjustments, and real climate impact?

We’re excited to welcome Erik Rylander, the Head of CDR at Stockholm Exergi, to share his immense experience in innovative funding for their successful BECCS project. We will dig into the real-world lessons from Stockholm Exergi’s journey and explore what policymakers and project developers need...

Against all odds, the Liberal Party just won the Canadian general elections. Mark Carney’s party explicitly campaigned to turn Canada into a global leader in carbon dioxide removal.

Canada plans to do so by - among other things - extending its investment tax credit to 2035, supporting a broad range of CDR tech, and introducing dedicated CDR targets for 2035 and 2040.

This all sounds incredibly promising. But will Canada be able to realise this ambition?

No better person to answer this question than Na'im Merchant, Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, an...

It's out: the European Commission published a consultation to gather feedback on what the world's largest emission trading system - the EU ETS - should look like after 2031.

For carbon removals, integration into the EU ETS represents one of the most promising paths to predictable demand at scale. Whether and how that will happen is still up for debate.

A unique opportunity to get involved with such a crucial legislative process from the get-go.

Join Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart for a punchy 30-min discussion that dives into the consultation...

Are we scrubbing the smokestacks and skies of a waste gas, or creating a valuable resource for a net-zero world?

As carbon management technologies like CCS, CCU, DACCS, and BECCS advance, policymakers and markets are narrowing down on CO₂’s role.

In this CDR Policy Scoop, we dive into:

We’re thrilled to welcome seasoned carbon management expert Rachael...

How can the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism help scale carbon dioxide removal?

Designed to put a price on imported carbon and prevent leakage, but could it also act as a catalyst for scaling CDR?

This CDR Scoop cuts through the noise to explore this critical link. We're digging deep to uncover the potential synergies and challenges.

To ensure we cover all angles, we're thrilled to welcome leading CBAM expert Dan Maleski from Redshaw Advisors. Get ready for unparalleled insights from someone truly in the know!

Join...

A fun, interactive, first-of-a-kind live debate with over 1000 attendees signed up.

We picked two real heavyweights: DAC, the poster-child of CDR, with over 200 DAC companies founded to date. On the other hand, biochar, responsible for a whopping 84% of all durable CDR deliveries to date.

In the DAC corner: Martin Freimüller is the Co-Founder and CEO of Octavia Carbon – the first DAC company in the Global South and fifth largest in the world. He moved his life to Kenya in 2021, upon realising it's the world's best place for DAC.

In the...

On March 31st, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra floated various ideas for how Europe’s expected 90% emission reduction target for 2040 could be achieved.

One of them: letting EU countries purchase United Nations Article 6 credits to meet EU's 2040 climate target. Similar suggestions are currently being proposed by the upcoming German government.

This would require undoing a core principle of Europe’s Climate Law: only European reductions and removals shall count towards climate neutrality.

The backlash has been significant, especially in civil society and environmental groups.

But could this - wi...

8,000 companies have emission reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Only around 50 of them have so far purchased durable carbon removal.

Imagine if all of them purchased CDR? The impact could be >50Mt of demand. Per year. Starting from 2030.

On March 18th, the SBTi released the draft net-zero standard 2.0 which marks a potential inflection point. Will it:

To make sense of...

Aviation is responsible for almost 1Gt of CO2 emissions, or 2.5% of global emissions. Up to 4% when accounting for non-CO2 climate warming effects. And demand is only going up: 3-4% year-on-year.

Aviation is also notoriously hard to decarbonise: most hope is placed on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Given there will always be considerable residual emissions (ICAO: 200Mt-950Mt in 2050), carbon removal is central to aviation’s net-zero aspiration for 2050.

From a policy perspective, it is incredibly challenging to regulate, as 61% of aviation emissions are emitted on international flights and only 39% within a single country’s bo...

Will the EU need 2x as much CDR?

The highly anticipated 333-page milestone report on carbon removal by Europe's Scientific Advisory Board has landed, promising to be the most comprehensive analysis of CDR to date. 

Does this heavyweight report deliver the strategic guidance needed to shape effective EU CDR policy? What other crucial insights does it offer – and more importantly, what might it have missed?

Eve and Sebastian delve into the report and share their take.

Tune in to find out more.

Links:

In February 2025, all probationary contract staff at the Department of Energy were terminated, including the most incredibly talented and experienced people who had turned the U.S. into a CDR powerhouse over the previous years.

What does this - alongside the freezing of IRA and BIL funds - mean for CDR in the U.S. moving forward? How will DAC Hubs be affected? What about the Public Procurement Purchase Prize?

To make sense of this very difficult and sensitive situation, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart are joined by the one and only Noah...

Emission trading systems (ETS) are often touted as the largest potential source of demand for carbon dioxide removal (CDR), providing a large, predictable market worth billions. 

The EU ETS is by far the largest and most successful in the world, with its market size around 900 billion EUR and carbon price climbing over 80 EUR/t. 

2025 is the time when a lot of decisions to critical questions will need to be answered. From the design of such integration, to a selection of which CDR technologies, to the volume allowed.

Eve Tamme and Se...

In carbon removal policy circles, three simple words - like-for-like - seem to come up more and more. It is a simple and obvious concept that is actually incredibly complex and misunderstood.

Robert Höglund joins Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart in exploring like-for-like as a concept, why it is becoming a core pillar of CDR policy design and what net-zero targets should actually look like.

Tune in to find out more

Links:

On January 28th, the European Commission hosted a long-awaited workshop on public funding for permanent CDR. Expectations were high - maybe too high?

What came out of it and what is lined up for funding of CDR in Europe? Both Eve (in person) and Sebastian (remote) attended, and are bringing you all the insights you need to know.

Tune in to find out more

Links:

Donald J. Trump has been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. As soon as he took office, executive orders were signed affecting all areas of the U.S. society and economy, including climate and CDR. 

Joined by Erin Burns, the Executive Director of the U.S.’ leading CDR nonprofit Carbon180, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart try to make sense of a dynamic and fragile situation.

From the impact on the international stage, to how existing policy successes can be defended, to changes in narrative we might - or maybe abs...

What will be the main themes and developments this year?

2025 will likely be the biggest year for CDR policy to date. Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart compared and discussed their top 5 predictions, covering national, regional, and global CDR policy.

Tune in to get to know what to look out for in 2025.

Show notes:

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The EU’s 2040 Climate Target(s): hope in difficult times or empty promises?

In 2025, the European Union will attempt to formalise a binding target for emission reduction in 2040. This would complement the existing 55% reduction target for 2030 and a climate neutrality target for 2050.

As of today, the European Commission plans to recommend an ambitious 90% reduction target for 2040. In the current political landscape, this will be a contested proposal.

What about the role of carbon dioxide removal? Will we be seeing the much asked for dedicated durable CDR target? 

For...

The CRCF - the gold standard for CDR certification?

Some see it as the world's most important CDR policy, others just as an empty shell with no clear impact. 

In this CDR Policy Scoop, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart dive into this hot topic they both feel very passionately about.

Tune in to hear where it currently stands, what some of the sticking points are, and how it will fit into European climate policy (or not).

Find out more:

What will the Trump victory mean for CDR?

Speculation is rife - is this the end of CDR in the U.S., a blessing in disguise, or simply not that important?

In this CDR Policy Scoop, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart are joined by the one and only Jason Grillo to dig into what this Republican trifecta of control over the White House, House of Congress, and Senate means for CDR – on both federal and state level – and also the implications for the world at large. 

Find out more: