New CATF tool provides framework for self-assessment and strengthening of biomass carbon removal protocols 

A new interactive tool from Clean Air Task Force (CATF) provides a practical framework for the self-assessment and strengthening of biomass carbon removal (BiCRS) protocols to help ensure that carbon removal projects deliver measurable and durable climate benefits.  

The BiCRS Benchmark enables users to evaluate a protocol against 18 critical features that underpin high-quality carbon dioxide removal. The tool builds on CATF’s prior assessment of 25 publicly available BiCRS protocols, which convened an expert panel of scientists, engineers, and economists to evaluate 94 distinct protocol approaches across four core components of BiCRS systems: biomass production and transportation, pre-processing and bioconversion, long-term carbon storage, and overall system accounting. 

“Biomass carbon removal has the potential to play an important role in a portfolio of carbon dioxide removal approaches, but strong protocols are essential to ensuring real climate benefits and to helping the industry scale,” said Stephanie Herbstritt, Associate Director of Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering at CATF. “The BiCRS Benchmark tool gives developers, buyers, registries, and other stakeholders a transparent, science-based way to evaluate protocols, identify gaps, and strengthen methodologies.”  

The BiCRS Benchmark allows users to: 

• Evaluate a BiCRS protocol against 18 critical features using CATF’s science-based assessment framework; 

• Identify gaps by seeing where a protocol demonstrates strength and where additional rigor or information may be needed; 

• Benchmark results against CATF’s assessment of the highest-scoring approaches among the BiCRS protocols it evaluated; and 

• Strengthen protocols by using the results to inform methodology development, revisions, and ongoing improvements. 

As interest in carbon dioxide removal grows, robust protocols will be increasingly important to helping the removal industry scale by ensuring that carbon removal projects deliver the climate benefits they claim. BiCRS projects can involve multiple stages — from biomass production and transportation to conversion and long-term carbon storage — creating opportunities for carbon accounting to overlook emissions, double count benefits, or otherwise overstate the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere. 

CATF’s assessment of 25 publicly available BiCRS protocols found significant variation in how protocols address these issues, underscoring the need for greater rigor and consistency in protocol design. The BiCRS Benchmark translates the rubric developed through CATF’s protocol assessment into a self-scoring resource, providing a practical framework to support stronger protocols alongside CDR scaling, improve market integrity, and encourage continuous improvement across the BiCRS ecosystem. 

“Our initial assessment of carbon credit protocols represented a snapshot in time but protocols are routinely revised.” Herbsritt added. “Our new tool supports registries and others seeking to strengthen their methodologies.” 

Explore the tool here.