CO₂ Value Europe responded to the European Commission’s proposal to enshrine in EU climate law a binding “reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions of 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels”.
As the voice of the Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) community, we strongly welcome this high ambition and, in particular, the direct reference to CCU in the proposal – a major recognition of its crucial role in delivering the EU’s climate goals.
However, we also underline a key message: high ambitions require high incentives. While EU rules on CCU have emerged in recent years, their complexity and constraints have slowed down faster investment and deployment. To fully contribute to the 90% net reduction, CCU must be properly recognised and advantaged over fossil feedstocks in in the EU climate strategy.
Through our recommendations, we highlight the need to:
🔵 Delineate the Role of Removals: Carbon removals are important, but they cannot substitute emission reductions – they should only complement them.
🔵 Cap International Credits: International carbon credits may contribute, but they must be carefully designed, defined, and capped.
🔵Adapt EU rules: Future legislations (e.g. a ‘Fit-for-90’ Package) must provide the right incentives and a strong impetus for CCU to scale up in line with Europe’s climate ambitions.
The path to climate neutrality by 2050 requires different technological solutions. With the right policy framework, CCU will be a cornerstone of Europe’s 2040 and 2050 climate strategy.
Find our detailed recommendations here.
