Carbon Direct, in partnership with Microsoft, has announced the release of the 2024 edition of the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). This latest edition builds upon work initiated in 2021 to address quality challenges in the voluntary carbon market by establishing rigorous, science-based standards for carbon dioxide removal projects. The Criteria aim to provide project developers with updated guidance to ensure project quality and offer carbon removal credit buyers a framework to assess the quality of their portfolios.
Jon Goldberg, CEO of Carbon Direct, said that the ongoing mission is to set benchmarks that guide project developers in delivering high-quality carbon removals that will enhance buyer confidence and drive market demand for these crucial climate mitigation tools.
The 2024 edition sets essential principles for high-quality carbon removal and updates benchmarks across various removal methods including direct air capture, reforestation, and biomass-based solutions. It introduces new guidance on addressing environmental impacts, emphasising environmental justice, procedural equity, and social impacts. Additionally, it clarifies aspects of measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification to align with industry standards.
Katie Sierks, Microsoft’s CDR Science and Quality Lead, said, “The science-based criteria provide widely applicable quality benchmarks for project developers to design and develop effective carbon dioxide removal projects.”
Looking ahead, Carbon Direct and Microsoft plan to refine these guidelines further, with future iterations potentially addressing emerging carbon removal pathways like peatland restoration and marine carbon removal.