NOAA, White House, others release strategy for marine carbon dioxide removal research

Today the Biden-Harris Administration and NOAA released the National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy to advance safe and effective research on the benefits, risks and tradeoffs of marine carbon dioxide removal. The strategy outlines how the U.S. government can accelerate marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) research in a way that is safe and effective, and will help to determine if the emerging approaches are viable climate solutions. 

Marine carbon dioxide removal refers to activities that increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide absorbed and held by the ocean. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change offsite link considers carbon dioxide removal, along with rapid and deep emissions reductions over the next 10-20 years, critical to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

NOAA plays a critical role in mCDR research and development and has worked alongside the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in co-chairing the development of this national strategy. The new national strategy does not replace the need for rapid and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but does highlight how marine carbon dioxide removal could be another tool for climate action.  

“The urgency of addressing climate change cannot be overstated,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “We’re at a pivotal moment where science tells us that we must act swiftly and decisively.  This strategy reflects the importance of collaborative efforts across multiple sectors, including government, industry and academia, to unlock the potential of mCDR and supplement critical efforts to reduce emissions.”

The strategy covers all mCDR approaches, including biological and non-biological methods. Detailed descriptions of each approach are outlined in NOAA’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy, published in May 2023. 

“Our changing climate is already negatively impacting communities and ecosystems,” said Assistant Administrator for NOAA Research and NOAA’s acting Chief Scientist Steven Thur, Ph.D. “Research is needed to determine the benefits, risks and climate trade-offs of potential future marine carbon dioxide removal deployment. This work could foster a future where climate change impacts are reduced and our ecosystems are resilient.”

As outlined in the strategy, the federal government can strengthen interdisciplinary research to understand the efficacy of marine carbon dioxide removal, its effects on ecosystems and its possible environmental justice impacts and how all of these can be measured. There are opportunities for publicly and privately funded researchers, and tribal, state, territorial and local governments, to play important roles in this research. 

The Fast Track Action Committee on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal led the development of the strategy under the National Science and Technology Council. Fourteen federal partners contributed to the Fast Track Action Committee, including the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.