Biochar Carbon Removal Standards: A comparative assessment of the EU CRCF, ICVCM and Article 6.4
Following the rapid growth of the voluntary carbon removal market, and the need to scale high-integrity, internationally recognised standards, the EU has developed a Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) (2024/3012) for DACCS (direct air carbon capture and storage), BioCCS (biomass with carbon capture and storage) and biochar. The UK Government has signalled its intention to align British Standards Institution (BSI) greenhouse gas removal (GGR) standards with the EU Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF), including for biochar carbon removal, to avoid duplication and divergence as both markets develop. This report provides a timely assessment of whether the CRCF biochar methodology meets the requirements of internationally recognised, high-integrity carbon crediting frameworks and informs considerations around potential UK–EU carbon market compatibility.
Murali Thoppil, Natasha Martirosian, Carol Morris, Evangelos Mouchos, Catherine Price, Colin Snape, Nicoletta Brazzola, Leo Mercer, Jo House, CO2RE, 2026.