New alliance forms to accelerate ocean-based CO2 removal

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new global alliance — the Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) Coalition — has officially launched to accelerate progress in ocean-based CO₂ removal technologies
• Chaired by the Carbon Business Council and the World Ocean Council, the Coalition brings together leaders from industry, academia, and non-profits to coordinate research, share knowledge, and boost investment in this nascent but increasingly critical cleantech sector

🔭 The context: Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) includes techniques that enhance the ocean’s natural carbon sink function
• While the IPCC has stated that carbon removal is essential to meet Paris Agreement targets, most current market activity remains focused on land-based nature-based solutions
• The mCDR Coalition — whose founding members include Equatic, SeaO2, Vycarb, and Vesta — represents the first formal body dedicated exclusively to advancing ocean-based pathways

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Covering over 70% of Earth’s surface, the ocean holds immense potential for durable carbon removal at gigatonne scale. mCDR could complement terrestrial efforts and play a vital role in achieving net-zero emissions
• Yet, concerns around ecological risks and regulatory gaps have limited mainstream adoption
• By coordinating science, policy, and private-sector involvement, the Coalition aims to shape high-integrity standards and ensure responsible scaling

⏭️ What's next: The Coalition will serve as a policy and collaboration hub, supporting EU-backed initiatives and global research frameworks
• As interest from innovators and funders — such as the $100 million XPRIZE for carbon removal — accelerates, the mCDR Coalition is positioned to influence international climate dialogues, voluntary carbon market standards, and national climate strategies
• Future focus areas include durability metrics, environmental safety, and carbon accounting protocols tailored to ocean-based removal

💬 One quote: “Net-zero is now regarded as impossible without carbon removal… The ocean offers the scale and potential needed to achieve climate goals,” — Jill Storey, Marine CDR Advisor to the World Ocean Council

📈 One stat: The IPCC estimates that 6 gigatonnes of CO₂ must be removed annually by 2050 to limit global warming to safe levels — highlighting the scale of innovation and investment needed across all removal pathways

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