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Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) represents a new frontier in climate mitigation. The wide range of methods for increasing the ocean carbon sink have significant potential, but also present complex scientific, environmental, technological, legal, and ethical challenges. To navigate this complexity, this initiative aims to build a robust, inclusive foundation for future mCDR research by engaging a diverse range of stakeholders in the co-creation of mCDR research questions and priorities. Such a co-creative process is essential to ensure that emerging research pathways are responsive to societal needs, scientifically grounded, and aligned with broader ocean-climate governance norms.

This seed funding project aims to scope the key open scientific, political, economic, ethical and societal questions related to mCDR. The project will organize the field at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ to be able to optimally respond to an anticipated future call for transdisciplinary research on mCDR. Specifically, the focus will be on "Building a roadmap that envisions how a responsisble scale up of mCDR could be achieved by 2050, scrutinizing the feasibility and environmental impact distinct to geoengineering practices that are aimed at offsetting unavoidable emissions."

Past mCDR Events

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  21 January 2025 - Symposium on the science-industry interface of marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

  The Sustainable Ocean Community has made waves by organizing the second marine Carbon Dioxide Removal symposium together with the Arrhenius Program on 21st of January. The focus of the symposium was the science-industry interface of mCDR. Keynote speaker dr. Jaime Palter of the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ of Rhode Island kicked off the afternoon, followed by pitches from several mCDR companies and an inspiring talk on the legal framework by dr. Haomiao Du. We would love to sea you at the third symposium in September! This time, we will take a deep dive into the public opinion on mCDR. 

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  11 November 2024 - Symposium on the feasibility, challenges and ethics of marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

  Turning off the hose, learning to swim, and making the drain bigger - three ways to tackle climate change. Last Tuesday, we explored the latter at a symposium on marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR), the first meeting of a series jointly organised by the Sustainable Ocean Community and the Arrhenius Program. Experts, industry leaders, policymakers, and students gathered at NIOZ, Texel, to discuss the feasibility, challenges, and ethics of mCDR.