CB in the European Union

We entered the EU space in 2023 through targeted advocacy on Article 23 of the Net Zero Industry Act, which elevated it into law and demonstrated that long-term carbon storage obligations can shape EU climate policy.

Now, as the political landscape shifts, we’re working to influence how Article 23 is implemented, ensure robust 2040 climate targets, and engage on new initiatives like the Clean Industrial Deal. Our 2025 focus includes expanding our presence in Brussels, building academic-policy partnerships, and embedding durable storage policy in the EU’s next wave of industrial legislation.

Our EU priorities

  • Holding the EU's oil & gas sector accountable

    Article 23 of the Net Zero Industry Act is the world’s first policy requiring oil and gas producers to contribute to carbon storage. We are tracking its implementation closely, working to close loopholes, clarify compliance obligations, and shape the regulation’s long-term future as a cornerstone of EU industrial decarbonisation.

  • Unlocking long-term funding through storage obligations

    The EU lacks scalable funding mechanisms for permanent CDR. We’re exploring how storage obligations, rooted in extended producer responsibility, can evolve into credible, compliance-grade tools that drive investment in durable removals and help the EU reach net zero and net-negative.

  • Align the 2040 target with geological net zero

    In 2025, the Commission will recommend the EU’s 2040 climate target. We’re advancing proposals to ensure that the target reflects geological net zero principles, balancing any fossil and industrial production with permanent storage. Our goal is to anchor net zero in legislation that is transparent, accountable, and truly Paris-aligned.

Publications

Publications
Consultation Response: Amendments to the European Climate Law
Consultation
Consultation Response: Amendments to the European Climate Law
Consultation

Response to the European Climate Law proposal to include a net 90% emission reduction target by 2040, as an intermediary target towards climate neutrality in 2050.

Consultation
Call for Evidence: EU’s global climate and energy strategy for 2025-2029
Consultation
Call for Evidence: EU’s global climate and energy strategy for 2025-2029
Consultation

Submission to Call for Evidence on the EU’s global climate and energy strategy for 2025-2029, in view of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil and beyond.

Consultation
Call for Evidence: EU ETS and the Market Stability Reserve
Consultation
Call for Evidence: EU ETS and the Market Stability Reserve
Consultation

Submission to Call for Evidence on the EU emissions trading system for maritime, aviation and stationary installations, and market stability reserve.

Consultation
More Publications

EU Updates & News

Featured
Open letter against international credits integration into the EU 2040 climate target and NDC
Open letter against international credits integration into the EU 2040 climate target and NDC

Open letter on separate targets and Article 6 in 2040 climate framework

Who should pay for net-negative in the EU? Invite-only workshop
Who should pay for net-negative in the EU? Invite-only workshop

Event announcement: Invitation-only workshop exploring how Extended Producer Responsibility could help finance net-negative emissions and address the EU’s climate overshoot challenge

From obligation to opportunity: implementing the EU’s CO2 storage target
From obligation to opportunity: implementing the EU’s CO2 storage target

Event announcement: In-person EU event exploring policy solutions for implementing Article 23’s CO₂ storage obligation, hosted by CATF, Bellona Europa, and Carbon Balance Initiative.

New project from Carbon Balance Initiative, CATF and Bellona Europa to strengthen EU’s oil and gas accountability for CO2 storage under Article 23
New project from Carbon Balance Initiative, CATF and Bellona Europa to strengthen EU’s oil and gas accountability for CO2 storage under Article 23

Press release: New project to strengthen EU’s oil and gas accountability for CO₂ storage under Article 23

Open letter on separate targets in 2040 climate framework
Open letter on separate targets in 2040 climate framework

Open letter on separate targets in 2040 climate framework