Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is gaining attention as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach that could be integrated into existing agricultural systems. Finely ground silicate rocks such as basalt are applied to soils, where weathering reactions can consume carbon dioxide and generate dissolved inorganic carbon that may be transported towards long-term storage. Translating that geochemical potential into a defensible carbon credit, however, is not straightforward.
A new Perspective published in Energy and Climate Management argues that the European Union should treat ERW as a promising but conditional soil-climate practice rather than as a ready-made carbon-credit product. The article, by Behrouz Gholamahmadi of Ibero Massa Florestal S.A. and the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, examines what would be needed for responsible certification, monitoring and governance of ERW in Europe.
“Applying rock to a field should not, by itself, trigger a carbon credit,” said Gholamahmadi. “Certification should follow verified net carbon removal, after lifecycle emissions, time lags, uncertainty and downstream carbon and alkalinity losses have been accounted for.”
The Perspective stresses that ERW involves a chain of processes rather than a single measurable event. Mineral dissolution in the amended soil is only the beginning. Carbon and alkalinity can move through deeper soils, groundwater, rivers and eventually the ocean, while the climate benefit may be delayed and some carbon or alkalinity may be lost along the pathway. Quarrying, grinding, transport and field application also generate emissions that must be deducted from gross removal.
To address this, the article proposes an ERW-specific methodology under the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework. It recommends distinguishing “potential CDR” from “certifiable CDR”, combining empirical near-field measurements with conservative modelling of far-field processes, and issuing carbon-removal units only after net removal has been generated and verified. Where time lags are long or uncertainty remains unresolved, issuance should be delayed or restricted to the fraction that can be conservatively supported by the evidence.
The paper also calls for strong feedstock and site safeguards. Mineral composition, particle size, contaminant concentrations, sourcing, transport burden, baseline soil conditions, hydrology and crop system can all affect whether an ERW deployment produces credible net removal without unacceptable environmental impacts. Potential agronomic co-benefits, such as improved soil pH or nutrient availability, should be reported separately from verified carbon-removal claims.
The European policy context creates an opportunity to build these safeguards before ERW crediting becomes widespread. The Perspective links future ERW certification to the EU carbon-removal framework, the Soil Monitoring Law and the Common Agricultural Policy. It argues that monitored pilots and farmer participation can be supported through agricultural and soil programmes even where tonne-for-tonne carbon crediting is not yet justified.
“Europe has a policy window now,” Gholamahmadi said. “The EU can establish an evidence-based methodology before large-scale crediting becomes established, while still supporting carefully monitored deployment and learning in the field.”
The article concludes that ERW could become a credible part of the EU climate portfolio, but only if certification follows verified net removal rather than tonnes of rock applied. Long-term field evidence, cradle-to-grave accounting and transparent treatment of uncertainty will be central to building trust in the pathway.
The Perspective was published on 30 September 2026 in Energy and Climate Management . The author acknowledges support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe C-SINK project, grant agreement No. 101080377.
D OI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/ECM.2026.9400040
Energy and Climate Management
Enhanced rock weathering in the European Union: Certification, monitoring and governance requirements for responsible carbon dioxide removal
30-Sep-2026