A new carbon removal approach in agriculture will contribute to stepping up Europe’s climate ambition, the European Commission reiterated at the launch of its massive plan to cut carbon emissions by 55% before the end of the decade.

The potential of the so-called ‘carbon farming’ to sequester CO2 emissions while regenerating degraded agricultural soil has been thoroughly considered in the Fit for 55 package presented [July 14]. 

In the communication, the Commission reinforced its commitment to present a carbon farming initiative – already announced in the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) – as well as a certification scheme for carbon removals.

As explained by an EU official familiar with the proposal, the change in the approach consists of moving towards combining the land-use change and forestry together with the emissions from agriculture because of the great potential for synergies of these sectors.

“We want to showcase that it is possible for these sectors, when combined, to become climate neutral balancing emissions and carbon removals,” the EU official continued.

This still does not mean emissions in the agriculture sector would be zero but that would be offset by enhanced carbon removals.

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