Full Title: Charting a Course for Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR): Policy Sequencing in mCDR Development
Author(s): Jasmine Yu and Savita Bowman
Publisher(s): Clear Path
Publication Date: March 3, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is an emerging set of technologies, practices and approaches to remove carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere and store it. Marine CDR (mCDR), a subset of CDR solutions, can potentially
complement the ocean’s natural carbon cycle and carbon storage capacity.
CDR pathways are recognized by the U.S. federal government, the International Energy Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the private sector, including companies like Microsoft, as a necessary tool for achieving net-zero commitments.
Examples of mCDR technologies include electrochemical processes, direct ocean capture, ocean alkalinity enhancement, as well as macro- and microalgae cultivation paired with carbon storage or production of marketable products. Currently, the U.S. is leading research and development (R&D) in the nascent mCDR sector, and enhanced regulatory clarity will keep mCDR innovators in the U.S.
This report (1) identifies policies to support each innovation stage of mCDR technologies: early-stage R&D, widescale deployment and commercialization, (2) highlights the growing U.S. federal engagement and resources for mCDR and (3) describes policies that could create the conditions for successful wide-scale mCDR deployment, dependent on the findings from R&D field trials.