Turning the Tide? The Potential Role of Marine-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal in Combatting Climate Change

In the ensuing years after the entry into force of the Paris Agreement, it has become increasingly obvious that achievement of its temperature objectives will require both aggressive emissions reduction initiatives and large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal/negative emissions technologies to either avoid passing critical climatic thresholds or address temperature “overshoot” scenarios. While much of the early research of carbon dioxide removal methods focused on terrestrial approaches, there has been increasing attention to the potential role of the world’s oceans given both sustainability considerations and the fact that oceans already serve as a huge carbon sink, with much additional potential for storing carbon. These options include ocean iron fertilization, ocean alkalinization enhancement, ocean upwelling/downwelling, and ocean biomass sinking.

However, research in this context, as well as the potential large-scale deployment of such options, also poses potentially substantial risks to marine environments and key economic stakeholders. Moreover, there is likely to be a substantial public backlash to research absent the existence of a sound regulatory framework for risk assessment, monitoring, and public deliberation.

This presentation will include the potential risks and benefits posed by different ocean-based carbon dioxide removal options. It will also include a discussion of regulatory efforts to date by international treaty regimes, and other potentially pertinent regimes, including those with a marine regulatory focus, as well as the potential role of the UNFCCC/Paris Agreement.