Ocean CDR

11 posts

New Report on Liability Considerations for Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal in the U.S.

The burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are continuing to cause rapid temperature rise. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and the planet’s 10 warmest years since 1850 have occurred in the past decade. Achieving global climate goals will require rapid and dramatic greenhouse gas emissions reductions, […]

International Governance of mCDR: Small Steps Forward, but Much More Work to do

Late last year, members of the international community convened in London to discuss issues relating to implementation of the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (“London Convention”) and the 1996 Protocol to that Convention (“London Protocol”). Among the topics up for […]

Navigating the Legal Landscape of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement: Federal Preemption and State Authority

  The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underscores the need for carbon dioxide removal (“CDR”) to complement emissions reductions in meeting global climate targets. Ocean-based CDR strategies, which aim to increase the ocean’s natural carbon sink capacity, are gaining attention. One such strategy, ocean alkalinity […]

Carbon Dioxide Removal through Coastal Blue Carbon: A Review of Commitments in Nationally Determined Contributions

This blog post was authored by 2024 Sabin Center Summer Intern, Arpana Giritharan, with input and supervision from Johanna Lovecchio, Director of Program Design for Climate Action and Adjunct Professor at Columbia Climate School, and Romany Webb, Deputy Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. ‘Coastal blue carbon’ […]

Upcoming Developments in International Governance of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

The next week has the potential to bring important developments for international governance of marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR). That’s because the parties to the London Convention and London Protocol are meeting from October 28 to November 1 in London to discuss, among other things, governance of ocean alkalinity enhancement […]

International Governance of Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Recent Developments and Future Directions

Ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is attracting increased attention as a possible climate change response strategy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made clear that, while CDR cannot substitute for rapid and deep cuts in emissions, its use is “unavoidable” if the worst impacts of climate change are […]

Executive Actions to Ensure Safe and Responsible Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal Research in the United States

The Sabin Center published a new report today recommending actions that federal agencies could take to ensure safe and responsible permitting and regulation of ocean carbon dioxide removal (CDR) research in U.S. waters. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that CDR will be needed, alongside deep emissions cuts, […]