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The first EU regulation that separates real carbon removal from greenwashing.

On 19 November 2024 the European Union adopted Regulation 2024/3012, the world's first binding regulatory framework establishing uniform criteria for certifying the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere. It is not a voluntary certification: it is the foundation on which European carbon markets and corporate climate reporting will rest for decades to come.

W H A T C H A N G E S

What changes with the CRCF.

For years the carbon market has lumped very different things together: forests at risk of fire, energy efficiency projects, agricultural practices that are difficult to measure. The result has been a widespread loss of trust.

The CRCF draws a clear line. A protected forest avoids a future emission, but the carbon is still in the atmosphere. A CRCF-certified Biochar project removes carbon already in the atmosphere and stores it for centuries in a verifiable way. These are two different things, and the regulation treats them as such.

For companies seeking to claim high-quality carbon credits in line with EU anti-greenwashing legislation, the difference is not technical: it is legal.

T H E F O U R P R I N C I P L E S Q U . A . L . I T Y

Four mandatory criteria. All of them are required.

Every bNeutral methodology is designed to meet all four of the CRCF’s QU.A.L.ITY principles. There is no trade-off between criteria: a project that excels in three areas but fails in one will not be certified.

Q · Quantification

Removals must be calculated using validated scientific methods, net of all emissions generated along the entire project supply chain. The calculation is conservative: under uncertainty, the least favourable value is always used.

A · Additionality

The project must demonstrate that removals would not have occurred without certification. If the activity was already required by law, already economically viable on its own or already standard practice in the sector, it does not generate additional credits.

L · Long-term storage

Carbon must remain stored for a relevant period. The CRCF distinguishes between permanent storage, such as Biochar or industrial technologies lasting centuries, and temporary storage, such as forestry or agricultural practices lasting decades with risk management. The risk of reversal must be quantified and covered.

ITY · Sustainability

The project cannot generate climate benefits at the expense of other environmental objectives. The 'Do No Significant Harm' principle of the EU taxonomy applies in full: biodiversity, water resources, soil health, labour rights and local communities must all be protected.

T H E F O U R C A T E G O R I E S

What can be certified through the CRCF.

Permanent carbon removal

Technologies that capture CO₂ from the air or bioenergy processes and store it in geological formations for hundreds of thousands of years. Examples: DACCS and BECCS.

Carbon storage in products

Carbon incorporated in durable materials that keep it stable for decades or centuries. Biochar belongs to this category and is Bneutral's first operational methodology.

Carbon farming

Agricultural and forestry practices that increase carbon in soils and biomass: no-till cultivation, agroforestry, reforestation. Decade-long storage with active risk management.

Soil emission reduction

Soil management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly nitrous oxide (N₂O). Not CO₂ removal, but net reduction within the CRCF framework.

R E T R O A C T I V E E L I G I B I L I T Y

Has your project already started?

It may already be eligible.

Carbon removal projects initiated on or after January 1, 2023, may, in certain cases, be certified retroactively. The retroactive eligibility assessment is free and takes 10 business days.

Check your project’s eligibility

Want to know which CRCF category applies to your project?

Our team can assess your activity against CRCF eligibility criteria in 10 working days, free of charge.

Start the certification