Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal and U.S. Policy: What Decision-Makers Need to Know

​This panel session is intended for policymakers, government relations professionals, and other policy experts in the ocean community and will include time for audience Q&A. Please join us for coffee, small bites, and networking beginning at 9:30am. The session will begin at 10am and run for 90 minutes.

​The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes that stabilizing the climate and restoring ocean health requires both deep emissions cuts and large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Ocean-based CDR, also known as marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), refers to approaches that enhance the ocean’s natural ability to absorb and store excess carbon for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

​With the ocean covering 70% of the Earth and holding 42 times the carbon in the atmosphere, mCDR has vast potential, if proven effective and safe. Because mCDR is a nascent field, and is garnering increasing scientific, governmental, and private sector interest, additional research is necessary to address uncertainties related to efficacy, ecosystem impacts, and governance, which decision-makers must understand to determine if and how mCDR approaches should be scaled responsibly.

​In this session, attendees will hear from Carbon 180, Carbon to Sea, Ocean Visions, and World Resources Institute on the state of mCDR, U.S. policy and regulatory developments, and priority research gaps. The discussion will also highlight resources, reports, and frameworks that can help decision-makers engage thoughtfully in this emerging policy space.