Pioneering Research on Methane Emissions Offsetting with Temporary Carbon Sinks

Methane drives more than one fifth of current warming – yet much of it, especially from agriculture and waste, cannot be eliminated. What then is the solution to counterbalance the emissions that cannot be avoided?

Recent research from the Ithaka Institute (Schmidt & Hagemann 2026), Carbon Standards’ scientific partner, offers a rigorous solution. The study introduces a time-explicit method for calculating exactly how much CO₂ removal – and over what duration – is needed to offset the warming effect of a given methane pulse. 

The approach provides a clear, scientifically grounded method to differentiate between temporary and geologically permanent carbon removal – a distinction with direct relevance to the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation and Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. The findings highlight the potential role of temporary carbon sinks in delivering near-term climate mitigation while permanent carbon removal solutions continue to scale. 

Read the full study published by GCB Bioenergy below and learn more on the Ithaka Institute website.