The Global South Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Coalition has called on the European Union to formally integrate international carbon removal into its climate legislation, arguing that the EU cannot meet its ambitious climate targets without high-quality removals sourced from beyond its borders.
In a new policy paper titled Advancing EU Climate Goals Through High-Integrity International CDR, the coalition urges European policymakers to recognize carbon removal credits under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement within the EU Climate Law. According to the coalition, doing so would unlock climate investment flows into developing countries while ensuring adherence to stringent EU standards for monitoring, verification, and permanence.
The report stresses that the EU’s current approach, which prioritizes domestic carbon removal, is insufficient. The European Commission’s own modelling shows that meeting the 2040 climate target will require 447 million tonnes of CO₂ removals within the bloc. Yet globally, between seven and nine gigatonnes of removals per year will be needed by 2050 to stay within the 1.5°C goal. The coalition argues that the Global South — which supplied nearly 45 percent of durable carbon removals worldwide between 2022 and 2024 — must be part of the solution.
“International carbon removals are a vital piece of the climate puzzle, and Europe cannot afford to ignore them,” said Axel Reinaud, Co-Founder and CEO of NetZero, winner of the Xprize. “By embracing high-integrity CDR projects from abroad, the EU can accelerate its path to net zero while supporting innovation and climate action in the Global South. It’s a win–win for global climate leadership.”
The policy paper highlights that Global South countries are already delivering large-scale, low-cost, and durable removal solutions, from biochar and enhanced weathering to direct air capture. Many of these projects involve smallholder farmers who bear the brunt of climate change but contribute least to its causes. “Partnering with them is an opportunity to deliver climate justice and lasting impact for potentially millions of people,” noted Shantanu Agarwal, CEO of Mati Carbon, also an Xprize winner.
Members of the coalition, which represents organizations across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, insist that their projects meet the highest integrity standards, aligning with EU and international frameworks. As Fiona Mugambi, Head of Policy at Kenya’s Octavia Carbon, put it: “This is far from charity, it’s about smart, science-based climate governance. We need global solutions for global challenges, and the EU has a real opportunity to lead by recognising the role of high-integrity removals beyond its borders.”
The coalition’s recommendations focus on three priorities: strengthening EU–Global South partnerships, recognizing the credibility of Article 6.4 credits, and embedding international removals directly into EU climate law. By doing so, it argues, Europe could set a global benchmark through its Carbon Removal Certification Framework, transforming it into a standard for high-quality removals worldwide.
As negotiations on amendments to the EU Climate Law move forward this year, the coalition plans extensive outreach to Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and national delegates. “Quality has to be at the heart of carbon removal,” said Sebastian Manhart, Lead Policy Advisor and founding member of the coalition. “By aligning Global South projects with EU durability and verification standards, Europe can confidently expand its portfolio of removals without compromising on integrity. At this stage of the climate crisis, every ton of CO₂ removed counts.”
The paper, which marks the coalition’s first direct intervention in EU policymaking, signals an assertive push for inclusion in global climate governance. The Global South CDR Coalition has invited policymakers, investors, and civil society stakeholders to review its findings, available via its LinkedIn page, and to join the debate on how international carbon removals can help the EU meet its net-zero targets while advancing climate justice.
