A new Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles from the European Commission includes a ‘Carbon farming challenge’ to help achieve the EU’s proposed 2030 climate target for carbon capture in the land sector.
By 2030 carbon farming initiatives should contribute 42 Mt CO₂eq of storage to Europe's natural carbon sinks according to the new Communication. Furthermore, every land manager should have access to verified emission and removal data by 2028 to enable a wide uptake of carbon farming.
Referring to the Communication’s ambition, Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said: “Carbon farming will strengthen the contribution of farmers and foresters to the decarbonisation of our economy, by providing extra income for farmers, while protecting biodiversity, making farms more resilient to natural disasters and ensuring food security. Research and innovation will also contribute to this goal, providing further solutions to farmers and foresters.”