Comprehensive Industrial Carbon Management calls for fast and coherent implementation of policy measures

Following the European Commission’s recent communications on Industrial Carbon Management (COM (2024) 62 final) and the 2040 climate target (COM (2024) 63 final), the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) released a new position paper titled “Towards an ambitious Industrial Carbon Management for the EU”. In the paper, RCI positively acknowledges the included focus on CCU, defossilisation and inclusion of carbon as a feedstock. At the same time, RCI wants to capitalise on these developments by calling for a speedy and coherent implementation of further policy measures

Main positions

Expanding the Scope of Carbon Management

The current focus on industrial CO₂ management is insufficient. To fully achieve climate targets and ensure a secure supply of sustainable carbon, a broader perspective and terminology are required. RCI advocates for a comprehensive approach that includes the management of all forms of industrial carbon. This approach will help decouple industry from fossil fuels and promote the use of renewable carbon sources such as biomass, CCU, and recycling. It is essential that the Commission clearly defines and distinguishes between CO₂ management and carbon management for effective policy development and implementation.

Defossilisation and Decarbonisation

While reduction of fossil fuel dependency and long-term requirements of carbon as a feedstock are addressed in the recent communications, there are as of yet no supporting mechanisms incentivising a shift to renewable carbon for the chemical and material industries. By treating carbon as a raw material, comprehensive carbon management can help defossilise the chemical and material sectors and decarbonise the energy sector. This approach is vital for achieving sustainable carbon cycles and meeting the EU’s climate targets. The reduction of fossil fuel dependency and the long-term requirements of carbon as a feedstock must be supported by mechanisms incentivizing a shift to renewable carbon for the chemical and material industries.

A stronger emphasis on creating sustainable carbon cycles is needed

The regulatory framework has progressed significantly for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) but not to the same level of extent for CCU. This is contrary to circular economy principles and opposes the creation of sustainable carbon cycles – CCU supports a circular carbon economy and should be considered as a critical technology to achieve sustainable carbon cycles, while CCS is a valuable tool for mitigating hard-to-abate sectors but perpetuates a linear economy. 

Develop and implement regulation to deploy renewable carbon

Application specific regulation that pushes for renewable-carbon based material content needs to be considered and enabled already now to ensure the solutions are fully scaled and readily available in time. RCI calls on the EU to introduce regulations by the end of 2025 that accelerate the deployment of circular carbon technologies and create legally binding targets for an increasing share of renewable carbon. Such regulations should:

• Create market demand to facilitate competitiveness and the build-up of renewable carbon (e.g., via targets, quotas, or other mechanisms).
• Be technology and feedstock-neutral, allowing the best solutions from biomass, CCU, and recycling to emerge, including food and feed crops, fossil and biogenic point sources, and chemical recycling technologies.
• Set sub-targets for carbon capture and utilisation for 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, and 2050 to level the playing field with CCS.
• Designate responsibility for Member States to develop renewable carbon activities.
• Address barriers to the development of facilities to capture and use recycled carbon (e.g., sunset clause).

As a concrete example, RCI highlights the revised PPWR, The omission of CO₂-based packaging materials in the revision of the PPWR was a missed chance, in contrast to the ambitious recycled content targets and the initiated review process of biobased plastic packaging. Future regulatory framework should be designed in a way that enables all non-fossil materials.

You can download the full position of the RCI at: https://renewable-carbon.eu/publications/product/towards-an-ambitious-industrial-carbon-management-for-the-eu-a-call-for-speedy-and-coherent-implementation-of-policy-measures-pdf/

Disclaimer

RCI members are a diverse group of companies addressing the challenges of the transition to renewable carbon with different approaches. The opinions expressed in these publications may not reflect the exact individual policies and views of all RCI members. 

About RCI 

The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) is a global network of more than 60 prominent companies dedicated to supporting and accelerating the transition from fossil carbon to renewable carbon (bio-based, CO2-based and recycled) for all organic chemicals and materials. Its work focuses on scientific background reports, position papers, advocacy and networking.

Source

Renewable Carbon Initiative, original text, 2024-07-03.

Supplier

European Commission
Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI)

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