Octavia Carbon Co
OC
The Green Claims Directive (GCD) establishes a framework for substantiating environmental claims made by businesses to consumers in the EU single market.
ID: 211161196975-38
Lobbying Activity
7 Jul 2025
The Global South Carbon Dioxide Removal (GS CDR) Coalition welcomes the EUs continued climate leadership and supports the ambition of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040. Our Coalition includes leading carbon removal suppliers from the Global South working across durable, high-quality approaches such as biochar, enhanced weathering, and direct air carbon capture and storage. Our members are already delivering permanent carbon removals at scale, aligned with the quality standards to be set under the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) and widely applied in the voluntary carbon market. As the EU updates the Emission Trading System (ETS), we urge policymakers to allow the use of international carbon removal credits, provided they meet the quality criteria set by the CRCF regulation. 1.Carbon removal is necessary to meet Net-Zero and to clean up historic emissions. While emissions reductions must remain the EUs top priority, science is clear: carbon removals are necessary to address residual emissions and achieve net-zero by 2050. The IPCCs Sixth Assessment Report confirms that all 1.5°C-aligned pathways rely on carbon dioxide removal to counterbalance hard-to-abate sectors and to deliver net-negative emissions after mid-century. Like many industrialised regions, Europe carries a significant carbon debt due to its historical contribution to atmospheric CO levels. Addressing that legacy requires durable carbon removal. The European Commissions 2040 Climate Target impact assessment estimates that the EU will require 447 MtCOeq of removals per year by 2050. Globally, the 2024 State of Carbon Dioxide Removal Report finds that 3.34.8 GtCO /year of durable, novel removals will be needed to stay within the 1.5°C limit, requiring a scale-up of over 1,000-fold from current levels. This level of deployment takes time. Delayed action could result in a supply-demand mismatch that undermines compliance and cost-efficiency. 2.Hard-to-abate sectors need carbon removals for compliance. Industries covered by the ETS will need access to carbon removals where full decarbonization is not feasible. Including removals offers a cost-effective and credible route to meeting targets while safeguarding competitiveness. The ETS should follow a like-for-like principle, ensuring that permanent removals neutralise fossil emissions equally. This protects environmental integrity and signals that the ETS values durability. 3.International removals expand supply, reduce costs, and reflect global equity. The EUs projected need of 447 MtCOe annually by 2050 represents a sizable share of the global durable removal requirement. Many Member States face land, energy, or infrastructure constraints. Meanwhile, Global South suppliers are already delivering permanent removals at scale in the voluntary market. Despite being fewer in number (17 vs. 70 in the EU), they have delivered 183,492 tonnes, compared to 105,851 tonnes from EU-based actors (CDR.fyi, 2024). These projects often benefit from surplus renewable energy, residual biomass, and lower operational costs, delivering more net-negative impact per Euro spent. Including international removals that meet CRCF standards in the ETS would expand supply, reduce compliance costs, and improve market liquidity. The climate benefit of removing CO is not limited by geography. What matters is the durable net-negative impact per tonne delivered. 4.Technology neutrality is key to scale, innovation, and resilience. The CRCF commits to a performance- and science-based approach. This must carry through into the ETS. All verifiably permanent CRCF-certified methods should be eligible, with safeguards as needed. The 2024 CDR Report warns that no single method will scale fast enough on its own. A portfolio approach supports innovation, regional diversity, and avoids systemic lock-in. Maintaining technology neutrality will ensure fair competition and help deliver the EUs long-term climate goals
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