The European Commission has proposed legislation to regulate the certification of carbon removals.

As the EU tries to reach net zero emissions by 2050 it is essential that robust carbon credits are traded and that removals that are being counted towards this goal are reliable. Trees, hedgerows and soil can all store carbon taken from the atmosphere, helping to offset carbon emissions an reach the net zero goal.

Speaking on the proposals, which were brought forward on 30 November, Fine Gael MEP for Midlands-North-West Colm Markey has said that it is still unclear how farmers will be rewarded for storing carbon and that the Commission needs to take a more proactive approach with farmers.

“The carrot is better than the stick but it seems the Commission wants to use both,” he said.

“While the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the certification of carbon removals is welcome - and overdue, I’m concerned that it doesn’t go far enough.

“From what I have seen, the plan simply isn’t robust enough to deliver the true value of carbon credits. It does not include an overall framework or centralised system - with key decisions being left to individual member states, which I believe to be a missed opportunity.

“While I welcome the role private sector funding could play as part of that process, there is still no real sense of how farmers will be remunerated.”