CRCF: Europe’s New Certification Framework for Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming

Oct 09, 2026

With Regulation (EU) 2024/3012, the European Union has established a voluntary certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, soil emission reductions and carbon storage in products.

The Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation has been in force since December 2024 and is being progressively operationalised through certification methodologies, requirements for certification schemes and certification bodies, as well as registry structures.

The CRCF framework goes beyond the certification of individual quantities of CO₂. Its objective is to establish a common European quality framework that combines requirements for quantification, additionality, long-term storage and sustainability with transparent monitoring and independent assessment processes. In doing so, the European Commission aims to strengthen the comparability and integrity of carbon removal and carbon farming activities while creating the conditions for a robust European market.

For permanent carbon removals, certification methodologies are already in force for Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS), Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage (BioCCS) and Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR). In July 2026, the European Commission also adopted certification methodologies for agriculture and agroforestry on mineral soils, the rewetting and restoration of peatlands and other organic soils, and afforestation. According to the Commission, these carbon farming methodologies will become applicable once the respective Delegated Regulation enters into force.

Key Terms
CRCF – Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming	The EU framework for the voluntary certification of permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, soil emission reductions and carbon storage in products.
DACCS – Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage	Removal of CO₂ directly from ambient air followed by permanent geological storage.
BioCCS – Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage	Capture of biogenic CO₂ followed by permanent geological storage.
BCR – Biochar Carbon Removal	Carbon removal through the production and durable storage of carbon in biochar.
MRV – Monitoring, Reporting and Verification	Processes used to collect, document and independently assess relevant data and results.
SBTi – Science Based Targets initiative	An initiative developing standards and criteria for corporate science-based climate targets.
BVCM – Beyond Value Chain Mitigation	Climate mitigation activities undertaken outside a company’s own value chain.
DG CLIMA – Directorate-General for Climate Action	The European Commission department responsible for EU climate policy.

Certification Provides Assurance – but Does Not Answer Every Question About Use

For companies, one distinction is particularly important: the certification of a carbon removal or carbon farming activity under the CRCF and the use of the resulting units in a corporate greenhouse gas inventory, towards climate targets or for environmental claims are separate questions.

The CRCF primarily defines requirements for the quality and certification of the relevant activity and the units generated from it. However, this does not automatically mean that a CRCF-certified unit may, without further assessment:

be deducted from a company’s Scope 1, Scope 2 or Scope 3 emissions;
count towards a science-based target;
be used to neutralise specific emissions; or
substantiate a claim such as “climate neutral” or “carbon neutral”.

The appropriate treatment depends on the applicable accounting, target-setting and communication framework, as well as on the company’s specific role within or outside the relevant value chain.

Interface with Corporate GHG Accounting

The rules governing the accounting treatment of carbon removals are also evolving. In 2026, the GHG Protocol published its Land Sector and Removals (LSR) Standard, its first dedicated standard providing requirements and guidance for the accounting and reporting of land-related emissions and CO₂ removals. The Standard becomes effective on 1 January 2027.

Under certain conditions, it allows land-related activities and carbon removals to be reflected within corporate greenhouse gas inventories and also introduces requirements relating to traceability, storage and accounting integrity.

At the same time, corporate GHG accounting and the certification of carbon removal activities or carbon credits remain distinct layers. A certification framework determines whether an activity and its results meet defined certification requirements; a corporate accounting framework determines how emissions and removals may be accounted for and reported by an organisation.

This highlights an important question for the years ahead: how can CRCF-certified activities and units be made interoperable with corporate GHG accounting requirements without conflating different accounting and certification logics?

CRCF and Science-Based Targets

A differentiated view is also required for companies with targets under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The SBTi distinguishes between emission reductions within a company’s value chain, mitigation activities beyond the value chain and the neutralisation of residual emissions.

The SBTi published its Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 in June 2026. The Standard further develops the role of carbon removals within corporate net-zero strategies. However, this does not mean that acquiring a CRCF-certified unit can automatically be counted towards an SBTi emissions-reduction target. The applicable SBTi requirements concerning the role, type and use of removals must be considered separately.

Target validation under Version 2.0 is scheduled to open in February 2027. During the transition period, companies may continue to develop and submit targets under Version 1.3 while preparing for the requirements of Version 2.0.

For activities outside a company’s own value chain, the distinction from Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM) also remains important. Such activities complement rather than replace the decarbonisation of a company’s own operations and value chain.

New Requirements for Climate and Environmental Claims

In parallel with the development of the CRCF, the European legal framework for environmental communication has also changed.

Directive (EU) 2024/825, commonly referred to in connection with Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo), strengthens the rules applying to environmental claims made to consumers. Member States were required to transpose the Directive by March 2026, with the new provisions applying from 27 September 2026.

Among other requirements, product-related claims such as “climate neutral”, “carbon neutral” or “climate positive” are prohibited where they are based on the offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions outside the value chain of the product concerned.

The regulatory framework therefore distinguishes between the environmental characteristics or climate performance of a product and the financing of external climate mitigation activities. Communication about such activities remains subject to the applicable requirements for environmental claims and must not be misleading.

The same principle therefore applies here: a high-quality or CRCF-certified carbon removal unit is not automatically equivalent to a permissible climate claim. Certification, accounting and claims each need to be considered against their own applicable requirements.

From Regulatory Framework to European Market

Alongside the regulatory infrastructure, the European Commission is developing instruments intended to support market formation.

A key element is the EU CRCF Buyers Club, a voluntary market platform designed to bring together buyers and suppliers of CRCF-certified units and aggregate demand for carbon removals and carbon farming. The Commission provides the enabling framework and infrastructure, while participating buyers remain responsible for project selection, due diligence and purchasing decisions.

For 2026, the Buyers Club operates through a hybrid public-private model. A first track focuses on permanent carbon removals, with the Commission aiming for an initial set of purchases by December 2026. Dedicated activities for carbon farming are being developed in parallel.

In September 2026, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) provided a further public update on the Buyers Club. The webinar addressed recent EU policy developments, including the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the broader policy package expected towards the end of 2026 and next steps for both permanent carbon removals and carbon farming. The presentation and recording are available from the Commission.

Another important building block is the recognition of certification schemes. Certification schemes may apply to the European Commission for recognition for one or more CRCF certification methodologies that have already entered into force.

The Commission’s assessment covers, among other aspects, governance arrangements, internal monitoring, application of the relevant CRCF methodologies, audits by accredited or recognised certification bodies and registry requirements designed to ensure traceability and prevent double counting. Several recognition applications are currently undergoing technical assessment.

What Comes Next?

The CRCF is now moving from the establishment of the legal and methodological framework towards practical implementation.

Key next steps include:

the entry into force and practical application of further CRCF certification methodologies;
recognition of certification schemes by the European Commission;
further development of certification, monitoring and registry structures;
implementation of the first transactions under the EU CRCF Buyers Club;
further clarification of the interfaces with corporate GHG accounting, SBTi and other voluntary climate frameworks; and
establishment of the central Union Registry, which the European Commission is required to put in place by 27 December 2028 and which is intended, in particular, to strengthen the traceability of certified units and help prevent double counting.

The European Commission provides consolidated information on the CRCF Regulation, certification methodologies, certification schemes and the EU CRCF Buyers Club through its dedicated Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming pages.

CRCF_SysINT Research Project

The open interfaces between existing certification schemes and the emerging European CRCF framework are also being examined within the CRCF_SysINT research project.

DEKRA Certification and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences are examining, among other topics, existing certification schemes and methodologies, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and registry structures, as well as potential integration and transition models.

The project is intended to provide technical analysis and support a structured understanding of the emerging CRCF framework. It is conducted separately from any potential future certification activities of DEKRA Certification.

Helpful Links

For further information and the latest developments, please refer to the following official sources:

European Commission – Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF)
Overview of the CRCF Regulation, certification methodologies, certification schemes and the EU CRCF Buyers Club.
GHG Protocol – Land Sector and Removals Standard
Official standard and supporting resources for accounting and reporting land-related emissions and CO₂ removals.
Science Based Targets initiative – Corporate Net-Zero Standard
Current information and resources on the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0.
EU legislation – EUR-Lex
Official access to Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 and related delegated and implementing legislation, including Directive (EU) 2024/825 on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition.