There has recently been an increase in interest in large‐scale ocean fertilization as a tool for sequestering significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphre.
• Along with the growing interest in this field, however, concerns have been raised about the potential risks to the marine environment that such activities might pose. Although the weight of scientific evidence indicates that these concerns can be addressed through appropriate project design measures, there is a clear need to move forward carefully in light of the sensitivity of marine ecosystems. Concerns have also been raised about the risks that might be posed by unscrupulous operators that do not adhere to minimum scientific or regulatory standards, about the lack of clear global regulatory guidance applicable to these activities, and about the difficulty of applying regulatory standards to ocean‐related activities that necessarily take place, for operational reasons, on the high seas in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In addition, concerns have been raised about the efficacy of iron fertilization and the permanence of CO2 seque stration from this technique.
• In response to these concerns, ClimosTM has offered a draft Code of Conduct that sets minimum environmental and operational standards for iron fertilization activities. An important goal of this effort is to encourage a broader process involving stakeholders from multiple sectors. |
