CRCF: The future of voluntary climate compensation in the EU

I am Rüdiger Meyer, co-founder and Managing Director of eva service Gmbh, and today I would like to give you an insight into a topic that is particularly close to my heart and that of our entire team:

Just a few weeks ago, I was invited by a managing director to his company in NRW to talk about voluntary climate compensation and investments in CO2 certificates. It didn't take long for me to bring up the use of CRCF units. I was delighted by the openness of my counterpart, who interrupted me directly and told me without further ado that this "whole construct around EU directives and the transparency of the creation of CO2 certificates was mainly confusing for him".

I was not surprised! In this blog, I would like to give a structured account of the long conversation that followed and my comments on the subject for interested readers. In the hope of shedding some light on the jungle of regulations and certificates in Europe.

What are CRCF units and why are they important?

With the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF), the "EU Regulation (EU) 2024/3012" has created a uniform, legally binding framework for certifying permanent CO₂ removals, soil-related emission reductions and carbon storage.

These framework conditions offer companies the opportunity to use certified climate services to voluntarily offset their unavoidable emissions - in line with the EU climate targets. It is important to note that the use of these units does not constitute "double counting", as all climate services are recorded in the overall economic balances, similar to gross domestic product.

More on this in my article on double counting.

CRCF units (expected to be available from mid-2026) are a legally compliant and credible solution for companies that want to actively engage in climate protection. They offer several advantages:

• Legal certainty: An EU-wide harmonized framework with clearly defined requirements ensures that your investments in climate protection projects are actually recognized.
• Transparency and traceability: Each certified unit is clearly identified, registered and decommissioned when used - this prevents multiple use of certificates.
• Synergies for the future: companies not only make an internal contribution to reducing emissions with their voluntary offsetting, but also support the achievement of national and EU climate targets. This strengthens their commitment to sustainability and creates trust among investors and customers.

Companies must observe a number of conditions: In addition to a transparent declaration, each unit may only be used once and may not be used in international crediting systems (such as CORSIA). These requirements ensure that climate performance is not counted twice - a decisive factor in making the success of our joint climate protection efforts measurable.

Our role as eva service GmbH

As a co-founder and active shaper of the European climate protection market, our aim is to offer companies a future-proof and EU-compliant framework for their investments in voluntary climate action.

We at eva are currently preparing to register as a recognized Certification Scheme Owner under the CRCF from 2026. Our standards are already aligned to meet the strict requirements of the CRCF.

This means that companies benefit from a tried-and-tested system that not only complies with current but also future disclosure and reporting requirements (such as the CSRD or the Green Claims Directive).

A look into the future

The operational implementation of the CRCF and its integration into other EU regulations, such as the Green Claims Directive, will be further fleshed out in 2025 and 2026 - and tradable CRCF units could be available on the market from mid-2026. I am convinced that this step will make a decisive contribution to further advancing voluntary climate protection in Europe. I said the same thing to my interlocutor in NRW as I said to you today: "Use this opportunity to lay the foundations for a sustainable, legally compliant and transparent climate strategy today!"

The voluntary climate protection market may not yet be finally defined within the EU. I am also certain that regulations will change and further requirements for companies will be added. However, none of you are alone with this responsibility.

Together, we can actively contribute to ensuring that climate protection is not just lip service, but is translated into measurable and credible performance. With CRCF units, you as a company are focusing on responsibility, transparency and future security. Let's take the path to a climate-friendly future together now - for our environment, for our society and for future generations.

I look forward to the exchange and your questions on this exciting topic. Together, we can drive forward climate protection and strengthen European initiatives in the long term. You can reach us personally at any time via our contact form.

Best regards,
Rüdiger Meyer
Managing Director eva service GmbH