Sustainable finance

Removal Unit (RMU)

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Definition

A removal unit is a Kyoto Protocol accounting unit equal to one tonne of CO₂ removed, issued by Annex I (developed country) parties for net removals from land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities — principally afforestation, reforestation and, where elected, forest management — during the protocol's commitment periods. RMUs formed part of the Kyoto units system alongside AAUs, CERs and ERUs.

References

Source organisationSupporting reference

This reference provides supporting context for how “Removal Unit (RMU)” is defined and used.

unfccc.intBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Overview

How it is used

The term appears in Kyoto Protocol accounting, registry documentation and analysis of how land-sector carbon has been treated in international climate agreements.

Why it matters

RMUs are a key piece of carbon-market history: the first attempt to make forest removals a tradable compliance asset, whose design lessons echo in current removal-crediting debates.