Comparative assessment of BECCS carbon crediting methodologies
In this master thesis project you will evaluate different methodologies for the quantification of greenhouse gas mitigation of project activities building on bio-energy.
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We are looking for 1-2 master students who are interested in policy to combat climate change. In this master thesis project, you will evaluate different methodologies for the quantification of greenhouse gas mitigation of project activities building on bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). The quantification methodologies considered are used within certification programmes for the issuance of carbon credits.
About the master thesis
To reach a state of net-zero emissions globally, which is necessary to stabilize global temperature levels in accordance with the Paris Agreement, emissions must first and foremost be reduced rapidly and as much as possible. However, since all emissions cannot be eliminated, some emissions from hard-to-abate sectors will remain (so-called “residual emissions”). One example of a sector where emissions will remain even after emissions have been reduced as much as possible is the agricultural sector, since even low-emitting food options such as rice emits greenhouse-gases. These residual emissions must be counterbalanced by carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere to achieve net-zero emissions, otherwise greenhouse gas levels will continue increasing.
One of the most widely discussed carbon dioxide removal methods is bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). BECCS removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by capturing CO2 from the combustion of biomass (which contains CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis) and then storing it permanently in geological formations. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: How BECCS achieves carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. Bioenergy is (in principle) carbon neutral since CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere into biomass through photosynthesis, then released at combustion, only to be reabsorbed by new growing biomass. If the CO2 released at combustion is captured and permanently stored, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
Despite BECCS being an imperative technology in the global quest for net-zero, financing BECCS can be tricky. This is because permanent geological storage of biogenic CO2 is no natural “product” that any single person or entity naturally would be interested in buying. Rather, BECCS can be seen as “garbage treatment of the atmosphere”, i.e., a public good that benefits everyone equally, which also makes it difficult to pinpoint who should finance it. Some notable BECCS projects within the Nordics are by Stockholm Exergi (Sweden) and Ørstedt (Danmark), both of which are financed through a combination of state support and sales of carbon credits.
Countries as well as companies are setting net-zero targets aligned with the objective of the Paris Agreement and will need carbon dioxide removal to attain those targets. Some countries and most companies have limited capacity to achieve carbon dioxide removal by themselves. Their need for carbon dioxide removal can be solved through using carbon credits. Carbon credits are tradable certificates that, in the case of BECCS, represent the removal of one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. Carbon crediting programs certify and issue carbon credits using a set of clear rules (“methodologies”) to prove that the impact represented by the carbon credit is real. Two key concepts to prove this is “additionality” and “baseline”. The baseline represents what would have happened without the purchase of the carbon credit (e.g. business-as-usual) and determines how many tons of CO2 can be certified and issued as carbon credits. To be additional, it must be proven that the carbon removal happens because of the purchase of the carbon credits. If a project is not additional, it means that the carbon dioxide removal would have happened anyway (meaning that the purchase of carbon credits did not achieve any additional climate impact).
The aim of this master thesis project is to compile and compare existing and draft methodologies that are eligible to be applied to BECCS projects. You will apply methodologies to different financing scenarios (considering different combinations of state aid and the sales of carbon credits) to analyse how many tons of CO2 can be certified and issued as carbon credits under the different methodologies in the different scenarios. Similarities and differences between the methodologies will be identified and discussed, as well as potential implications for pricing, profitability and environmental integrity (i.e. if the carbon credits deliver the climate benefit promised). Situations where methodologies leave room for interpretation that could strongly affect the result are identified. Based on the analysis, recommendations for future improvements and standardisation will be made.
Contact
Kenneth Möllersten, kenneth.mollersten@ivl.se or Malin Dufour, msavelin@kth.se
Interested?
Submit your interest by clicking on "Registration of interest". #LI-DNP
- Department
- Politics and economics
- Locations
- Master thesis
- Remote status
- Hybrid
- Employment type
- Exjobb/Degree project
- Last application date
- 30 November, 2025

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