02 de February de 2026
Cambio climático y gestión de recursos naturales
Resiliencia y competitividad
Biodiversidad y paisaje
The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather input on carbon agriculture certification methodologies.
The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather input on carbon agriculture certification methodologies.
The future certification will allow for the recognition, with supplementary payments, of agricultural practices that contribute to the climate transition
The European Commission (EC) has launched a key public consultation on the development of carbon agriculture (which includes farming, livestock, and forestry activities) to define how agricultural and forestry practices that contribute to carbon sequestration in agricultural soils and forests will be certified and recognized. This initiative seeks to lay the foundations for a voluntary certification system that will provide financial compensation for climate action, supplementing the income of farmers and livestock breeders.
A voluntary certification
The public consultation focuses on the certification methodologies that will be applied to carbon-friendly farming activities, defined as agricultural and forestry management practices that increase carbon sequestration or reduce emissions from the soil. These include, for example, soil protection measures, peatland restoration, agroforestry systems, and improvements in input efficiency.
The main objective of these methodologies is to ensure that certified practices meet common criteria throughout the European Union, such as reliable measurement of results, the additional nature of the actions and long-term monitoring of carbon capture, thereby reinforcing the transparency and credibility of the system.
Results-based payments for farmers and ranchers
One of the central elements of the initiative is the financial recognition of climate-friendly practices. The European Commission proposes that, through future voluntary certification, farmers, livestock breeders, and forest managers be able to receive supplementary payments based on results , so that their contribution to climate change mitigation can be recognized.
This approach is aligned with the results orientation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP ) and with the role of the agricultural sector as a key player in the climate transition, especially through practices that improve soil health and its carbon storage capacity.
A common European framework for carbon agriculture
The consultation falls within the framework of the European Union's voluntary framework for the certification of carbon removals , adopted in 2024, which establishes for the first time common standards for certifying carbon capture and storage, including carbon agriculture. This framework aims to facilitate the comparison and verification of initiatives across all Member States and strengthen confidence in these certification systems.
In this context, carbon agriculture is consolidating itself as a way to combine environmental sustainability and economic viability, contributing both to European climate objectives and to the strengthening of the agricultural sector.
Public consultation
The public consultation is open to farmers, livestock breeders, businesses, and other stakeholders and is being conducted through the European portal “ Tell us what you think .” The deadline for submitting contributions is February 19, 2026. The contributions collected will form the basis for the development of the final voluntary certification in the field of carbon agriculture.