Today, Isometric submitted its application to become an authorized Certification Scheme under the European Union's Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming regulation (CRCF).
Isometric fully supports the regulation of carbon markets, and the CRCF is, arguably, the crown jewel of carbon removal regulation. Not only because of the content of its methodologies, but because of the regulatory structure that it has created.
The CRCF Delegated Act sets out detailed methodologies across Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage (Bio-CCS), Direct Air Capture, and Biochar, but also enables Certification Schemes to innovate and go above and beyond. Question 82 of the Commission's FAQs asks this directly: “Can schemes apply requirements that go beyond CRCF minimum standards?” The answer, unequivocally, is Yes.
But the CRCF has a second function, to support standardization across the market. The question we’ve been grappling with is how best to support those dual objectives. Advancing standardization of MRV in carbon removal, while staying true to our principles and ensuring consistency for buyers across the globe. This is where Isometric’s Science Team comes in.
Our scientists started ‘bottom up’ from the CRCF and layered additional safeguards on top, contained in separate Isometric modules. The core quantification approach set out in the CRCF Delegated Act is applied first, and in full. Our modules then apply additional rigorous checks on top. This is how we can support standardization while ensuring every Isometric-certified credit meets the same bar for quality.
The CRCF is the most consequential set of regulations in carbon removal today, and many of its principles will be replicated around the world. We hope and expect that the CRCF will be the foundation for integrating carbon removal into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the next critical next milestone for this industry.
