CO2 Value Europe released 7 Policy Guidelines

Net Zero Emission Labs by Rohrdorfer are a member of CO2 Value Europe, the international, non-profit association representing the entire carbon capture and utilization (CCU) value chain in Europe.

On April 16th CO₂ Value Europe released 7 Policy Guidelines to accelerate the deployment of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) through an adequate policy framework during the new EU political cycle (2024-2029).

The guidelines contain specific recommendations on how the EU and Member States can support the green transition and create a legal framework for the deployment of clean technologies, including CCU.  While the EU is already setting ambitious targets for the deployment of CCU, it must also provide industry and businesses with legal certainty and incentives to invest in the green transition.

The 7 guidelines take stock of the results of our recentquantitative assessment of the contribution of CCU to climate neutrality, the European Commission’s Industrial Carbon Management Strategy (ICMS), as well as the EU Climate Target 2040, and call on all political parties to:

1. Support the scaling up of carbon capture. The ICM estimates that 280Mt CO₂ will be captured in 2040 and 450Mt CO₂ in 2050. This can only be achieved if the EU supports the deployment of carbon capture technologies as a whole.
   
2. Embrace the concept of carbon circularity with the reuse of unavoidable carbon, biogenic carbon or carbon from the atmosphere as a key lever to move away from fossil resources.
   
3. Reinforce and synchronise support of CCU technologies at the EU and Member State level through dedicated instruments (e.g. Innovation Fund) and encourage Member states to include the deployment of CCU projects as strategic activity in their national plans (e.g. NECP).
   
4. Create new legal obligations to use alternative carbon feedstock (i.e. quotas), including captured carbon, in the production of chemicals and mandate targets for renewable materials in essential products (e.g. packaging, textiles, etc.).
   
5. Set up market uptake mechanisms (e.g. public procurement) and strong certification frameworks to incentivize CO₂ mineralisation projects.
   
6. Reinforce and unblock the role of CCU fuels (both renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels).
   
7. Develop strong standards and applicable compliance mechanisms to complement domestic manufacturing of CCU products with imports outside Europe.

CO2 Value Europe brings together more than 90 organisations worldwide from diverse sectors (including industries, start-ups, universities, research and technology organisations, and regional clusters), and develops a large network of many more organisations and individuals who share the vision that CCU technologies are necessary to help the EU reach climate targets.