Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Coalition Launches, Creates Forum to Responsibly Grow the Field
The coalition unites marine carbon removal companies, nonprofits, and academics to advance research and the responsible development of the sector
August 21, 2025 — The Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Coalition (“mCDR Coalition”) launched today, bringing together global leaders across companies, nonprofits, and academic institutions to support the responsible growth of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). The coalition helps inform and advance research, support evidence-based policy engagements, and build relationships between leaders in science, conservation, and governance.
The mCDR Coalition provides a platform for knowledge-sharing and collaboration on mCDR across a variety of pathways and perspectives. Members of this group have been meeting for nearly two years to align on shared challenges and opportunities for the mCDR field. The formal launch enables expanded membership and a more active presence in the mCDR ecosystem, with opportunities for additional organizations to join as the coalition grows. Active members include Banyu Carbon, Captura, Capture6, Ebb Carbon, Equatic, Isometric, Limenet, Planetary, Puro.earth, SeaO2, Vesta, and Vycarb. Initial observers include Carbon180, Carbon Removal Canada, Cascade Climate, [C]Worthy, Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University, and Ocean Visions.
“Marine CDR approaches offer a critical opportunity to address the carbon already disrupting our climate and ocean ecosystems,” said Ben Rubin, Executive Director of the Carbon Business Council. “With this vertical coalition, we’re bringing together innovators, scientists, and policy leaders to ensure the field grows with environmental integrity, community engagement, and transparency at its core.”
The launch comes amid rising global focus on mCDR approaches. When responsibly developed and guided by science, mCDR has the potential to complement emissions reductions and contribute to global climate goals. Recent developments, including Planetary’s XPRIZE Carbon Removal award, underscore the sector’s technical promise. An issue brief from the Carbon Business Council provides additional context on the field, including the importance of robust environmental and social safeguards.
The coalition is co-chaired by the Carbon Business Council and the World Ocean Council, with Toby Bryce, Policy Advisor to the Carbon Business Council, serving as Chair.
“Net zero is now regarded as impossible without carbon removal,” said Jill Storey, Marine CDR Advisor to the World Ocean Council. “Covering 71% of the Earth’s surface, the ocean offers the scale and potential needed to achieve climate goals. The mCDR Coalition is working to responsibly advance this emerging and vital maritime sector while raising its profile globally.”
The mCDR Coalition is part of a broader initiative from the Carbon Business Council to support scaling carbon removal across a diversity of pathways. Each vertical is designed to foster deeper collaboration within individual approaches while reinforcing the sector’s collective strength as a unified carbon removal community. This launch represents the first dedicated forum of its kind for mCDR, strengthening collaboration within the field while creating a forum to engage with experts across academia, climate, community, and environmental organizations. It also serves as a key part of the World Ocean Council’s role in the EU Strategies for the Evaluation and Assessment of Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal (SEAO2-CDR) project, to expand international awareness, engagement, and participation in the sector.
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About the Carbon Business Council
The Carbon Business Council (CO2BC) is a coalition representing more than 100 carbon management companies across all major pathways who are united to build a more prosperous planet. Our coalition accelerates market development across sectors and continents through ecosystem building, policy engagement, and public affairs.
About World Ocean Council
The World Ocean Council (WOC) is the international alliance of ocean business leaders working together to build a thriving, sustainable blue economy. We connect companies across sectors — shipping, energy, aquaculture, seafood, tourism, technology, finance, and more — to advance corporate ocean responsibility through collaboration, leadership, financing and Innovation.
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Quotes
"At Planetary, we applaud CO2BC’s launch of the mCDR Coalition, uniting innovators, scientists, policymakers, and civil society to advance marine carbon removal responsibly. Together, we can engage with communities, align on policy, and deliver the large-scale impact needed for a sustainable future." Diana Philip, VP Community Relations, Planetary Technologies
“The range of CDR approaches developed today is highly diverse and even within marine CDR, methods can differ greatly. Yet these varied approaches share unique challenges and opportunities. We’re glad the mCDR Coalition provides a platform to address them collectively, learning from and working alongside peers.” Ruben Brands, Founder and CEO, SeaO2
"The Carbon Business Council's mCDR Coalition has been a fantastic resource for Capture6 over the last two years. The policy landscape is moving quickly, and being a member has kept us up to date on domestic and international issues. It's been a fantastic forum to meet other Coalition members and work jointly on outreach to decision makers and other key stakeholders. I look forward to seeing the Coalition and its impact grow." Jeanine Ash, Vice President of Carbon Storage, Capture6
“As one interconnected biosphere, the ocean and atmosphere are inextricably linked. That means, as we build pathways to remove atmospheric carbon at scale, the ocean must be integrated into climate strategies” said Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura. “The mCDR sector holds enormous promise to deliver large-scale, low-cost carbon removal, while also presenting unique scientific, communication, and policy challenges. The launch of this dedicated coalition is a great step toward giving mCDR the focused attention it deserves. By bringing together nonprofits, civil society, and industry, it can help accelerate progress in a way that’s coordinated, credible, and responsible. Captura is proud to support this effort by the Carbon Business Council, as well as its broader mission to advance the entire carbon removal ecosystem.”
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