In the context of the EU’s climate objectives, terrestrial ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by acting as carbon sinks. Achieving the EU’s climate neutrality target requires not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also enhancing the current carbon dioxide removal through land-based solutions such as afforestation and sustainable soil management. The recently approved Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 aims to ensure transparency and reliability in carbon accounting, supporting carbon markets and land-based removals. However, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of these removals remain challenging due to ecosystem variability and land management complexities. While multiple technologies exist to support carbon accounting, selecting the most appropriate method for different contexts is not straightforward. This review evaluates five key carbon monitoring technologies: flux towers, satellite sensors, aerial light detection and ranging platforms, terrestrial laser scanning, and in situ internet of things devices. Their suitability for different application scenarios, specifically in forests and woody crops, is analyzed using an evaluation framework that takes into account spatial scale of observation, temporal resolution, accuracy, costs, and limitations. Although each technology offers specific advantages, no single method is universally optimal. By offering a comparative assessment of advantages and limitations of each technology, this review aims to assist land users, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in selecting the most effective solutions to ensure reliable MRV in carbon farming projects.

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