Carbon removal strategy – Is it needed and will it make a difference?
Euractiv Talks - A podcast by Euractiv's Advocacy Lab
European Union Member States have agreed to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and increase their level of ambition for 2030. This means that Europe needs to amend many of its climate policies. According to several climate stakeholders, emission reductions are not at the pace to meet Europe's more ambitious climate goals. In April 2021, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a provisional agreement on the first-ever EU Climate Law. But negotiations on whether carbon removals should be counted towards the 2030 target were difficult. The final target sets a cap on removals, effectively separating targets for emission reductions and carbon removals. The Commission has many other legislative actions in place - the LULUCF Regulation, the Climate Action Regulation, the Emission Trading Directive, and new legislation containing a nature restoration target.Will these actions lead to an acceleration of carbon removal strategies? Collectively, are they enough to meet the EU’s climate targets?
