ECR Carbon Sinks Working Group

The ECR Carbon Sinks Working Group (ECR CSWG) initiates and advances policies promoting the removal of carbon from the atmosphere.

The global cumulative emissions produced since the pre-industrial period (roughly from 1850-1900) have caused a global temperature rise of approximately 1.1 °C. At present, annual global greenhouse gas emissions are over a dozen times that which are reabsorbed by carbon sinks, meaning that the concentration of CO2 in the ambient atmosphere is set to continue increasing.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report emphasises that our efforts in removing CO2 that has already been emitted into the atmosphere cannot only slow down — but also reverse — the negative effects of climate change.

Today’s greenhouse gas emissions must be balanced by promoting the removal of carbon carried out by natural carbon sinks and by developing technologies capable of removing carbon from the atmosphere, enabling its absorption or its innovative use in an ever wider variety of products and processes.

The ECR CSWG, a policy working group of the ECR Group of the European Parliament, is already hard at work:

• engaging in ongoing EU legislative processes, initiating revisions of existing EU legislation, and developing new EU policies,
• advocating at UNFCCC fora to encourage action from international partners,
• providing comments and analysis, organising events, and promoting knowledge and partnerships.