ATLANTA, Georgia, October 9, 2023 — The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has announced a new Fast-Track Action Committee on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal to evaluate merits and concerns about different types of marine carbon dioxide removal and shape relevant policy and research on safe and effective marine CO2 removal and carbon sequestration.
The committee fulfills one of the recommendations of the U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) released earlier this year. Among other actions, the OCAP calls for a substantial ramp up in federal research and development on marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to guide development and deployment decisions, and to protect human health, the marine environment, and potentially affected communities. Over the next year, the interagency Committee will develop an implementation plan to advance marine CDR and establish sufficient knowledge that can potentially guide CDR deployment decisions.
The Committee efforts build on a growing federal investment in marine CDR research as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda. Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) announced marine CDR research awards totaling $24 million.
Ocean Visions CEO Brad Ack has issued the following statement in response:
“Ocean Visions commends the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership in exploring the viability of marine carbon dioxide removal pathways as a potential climate solution. The new Fast-Track Action Committee on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal is a crucial step towards improving our collective ability to understand which, if any, marine carbon dioxide removal approaches may be safe, equitable, and feasible at scales that help address the climate crisis. Their forthcoming draft recommendations for policy, permitting, and regulatory standards, as well as their plans for a federal research and scaled testing program, are imperative in advancing the field responsibly. With robust investment in research and testing, there’s hope that we might develop solutions that can help restore both the ocean and our climate.”
The health of our ocean is central to the well-being of our species and our entire planet, but excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are driving dangerous ocean heating and acidification. In addition to reducing and eventually eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, large-scale carbon dioxide removal is part of every viable scenario to hold temperatures to a 1.5°C increase—the goal set out in the Paris Agreement.
Ocean Visions’ road maps outline pathways to accelerate the development and testing of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal approaches—including through the engagement of governments and the development of regulatory and governance structures.
ABOUT OCEAN VISIONS
Ocean Visions is a non-profit organization that catalyzes innovation at the intersection of the ocean and climate crises. We facilitate multisector collaborations from within our Network and beyond, working with leading research institutions, the private sector, and public-interest organizations to fully explore and advance responsible and effective ocean-based climate solutions. In short, we work to stabilize the climate and restore ocean health. To learn more, visit www.oceanvisions.org or follow @Ocean_Visions on X.
