Arens, Christof (Ed.) (2021): Ensuring longterm ambition. Paris-proofing of baseline setting as a means for alignment with the Paris Agreement’s long-term objectives. Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy. Wuppertal (Carbon Mechanisms Review, Vol. 9, No. 3). Available online at https://www.carbon-mechanisms.de/fileadmin/media/dokumente/Publikationen/CMR/CMR_03_2021_web_final.pdf.

"In this issue of the CMR, we take an in-depth look at the baselines discussion, starting with an analysis of the experience gained in the different carbon market arenas so far. We also present a Party perspective on the negotiation process and possible solutions for the associated agenda items. The cover feature is supplemented by a new proposal from the research community on how to technically solve baseline setting under the new Paris Agreement regime. Also in this issue, we look at how implementation of Article 6 activities can be promoted and assess actual capacity building needs. Finally, we explore the aviation sector and analyse the role of carbon markets in regulating GHG emissions from aviation as described in the European Commission’s recent “Fit for 55” proposal."

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Tamme, Eve; Beck, Larissa Lee (2021): European Carbon Dioxide Removal Policy: Current Status and Future Opportunities. In Front. Clim. 3, p. 2. DOI: 10.3389/fclim.2021.682882.

"Over the past two years, the European Union, Norway, Iceland, and the UK have increased climate ambition and aggressively pushed forward an agenda to pursue climate neutrality or net-zero emissions by mid-century. This increased ambition, partly the result of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's landmark findings on limiting global warming to 1.5°C, has also led to a renewed approach to and revitalized debate about the role of carbon capture and storage and carbon dioxide removal. With increasing climate ambition, including a mid-century climate neutrality goal for the whole European Union, the potential role of technological carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is emerging as one of the critical points of debate among NGOs, policymakers, and the private sector. Policymakers are starting to discuss how to incentivize a CDR scale-up. What encompasses the current debate, and how does it relate to CDR technologies' expected role in reaching climate neutrality? This perspective will highlight that policy must fill two gaps: the accounting and the commercialization gap for the near-term development of a comprehensive CDR policy framework. It will shine a light on the current status of negative emission technologies and the role of carbon capture and storage in delivering negative emissions in Europe's decarbonized future. It will also analyze the role of carbon markets, including voluntary markets, as potential incentives while exploring policy pathways for a near-term scale-up."

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"“Achieving net-zero” emissions by the middle of the century is a goal that few would fault. But when it comes to reaching a balance of greenhouse gases and carbon removal – as not all emissions from food and industrial production can be entirely prevented – views start to diverge. Many argue that it is high time countries start building up a new industry of CO2 removers, scale it up and drive down prices, or at least standardise the use of readily available nature-based carbon uptake options. Others warn that relying on removal methods, be they carbon storage in soils or capturing CO2 from industrial processes or directly out of the air and then storing it underground, only draws attention away from the really important task of avoiding emissions altogether. In Germany, the debate on negative emissions is picking up, as all projections show there won’t be a way around them in 2045. But a deep aversion to carbon capture and (underground) storage (CCS) is preventing an easy decision, while the European Commission is preparing carbon removal legislation and other players and nations are darting ahead planning the future carbon offset market and a CO2 infrastructure."

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"In a joint effort to help decarbonise industry and reach net zero emissions by 2050, energy giants Air Liquide and TotalEnergies are to collaborate on a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) solution at the Normandy area, France."

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