The carbon offsetting market needs clear and strict rules based on a new relationship between institutions and operators in the sector. With this objective in mind, the European Commission, on 30 November, adopted a proposal for a regulation to set up a voluntary carbon offset certification scheme based on uniform European standards and high-quality criteria.
Although the specific standards for the certification scheme have yet to be defined, it is nonetheless important to understand the context, principles, characteristics and critical issues of the Carbon Removal Certification Regulation, especially at this time of strong debate on whether or not it is possible to generate credits from forest products with a long life cycle. A choice that will inevitably strongly impact how European forests are managed.