Setting the course for the novel marine carbon removal in the EU

Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) has the potential to become an important part of Europe's carbon removal portfolio and contribute to EU climate goals. However, although many mCDR approaches show promise, most still face a series of open questions around their real- world effectiveness, monitoring and verification, environmental and social safety, governance and scalability.

As the Commission evaluates the certification of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) and Direct Ocean Capture (DOCCS) under the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF), Europe must balance two risks: (1) rushing ahead while some uncertainties remain, and (2) inaction, further delaying and stalling the crucial innovation needed to move these methods forward. This paper goes beyond this binary choice and proposes a structured pathway to advance the evidence base, support coordinated research and the development of these methods, and, where appropriate, progress towards deployment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Europe needs a clear pathway and operating model to advance research and development on OAE and DOCCS. The CRCF framework can serve as a useful compass to coordinate research efforts, while keeping a pathway towards certification open as the science progresses.

• The challenge goes beyond scientific uncertainty. Fragmented research efforts, limited funding, and the absence of a mechanism to track progress hinder the responsible development of methods and their progressive integration into EU’s regulations.

• The current EU policy cycle offers an important opportunity to act. The next Framework Programme and the forthcoming EU Ocean and Water R&I Strategy can strengthen and coordinate research efforts, while the CRCF can help identify and prioritise the evidence gaps that these efforts should address.