Written question – Risks of negative-emissions technologies – E-001993/2025

Question for written answer  E-001993/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
César Luena (S&D)

According to Commission’s own communication on Europe’s 2040 climate target, many negative-emissions technologies, such as direct air capture and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, are not yet mature and pose significant risks: impact on biodiversity, competition for land use and a lack of guarantees regarding the permanence of the carbon removed. Including such technologies in the emissions trading system (ETS) without a solid framework in place could undermine incentives to cut emissions at source and produce false climate solutions.

In the light of the above:

• 1.How can the Commission ensure that the possible inclusion of negative emissions in the ETC will not be used to divert attention away from real emissions reductions and that only solutions with demonstrable, permanent climate benefits which do not harm biodiversity or ecosystems are accepted?
• 2.Given the risk of technologies that are not ready for use being used as shortcuts to avoid making real reductions, does the Commission not believe that introducing them into the ETS prematurely could undermine the system’s environmental integrity and generate counterproductive market signals?

Submitted: 19.5.2025