A webinar series on marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) Sponsored by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

Please join us for a webinar series hosted by the Aotearoa Marine Carbon Forum (AMCF) and funded by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO to build understanding around marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), and if, and what its potential role may be in Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate change response. The AMCF is a UN Ocean Decade GEOS Endorsed Project.

Should our ocean be part of the solution to climate change?

The ocean has absorbed one-third of all the carbon dioxide we’ve emitted to date and, with the current lack of ambition in reducing emissions, there is considerable international interest (and finance) in enhancing this marine sink. Our large Exclusive Economic Zone represents a potential opportunity to make a meaningful commitment to the Paris Agreement goals, whilst also reducing expenditure and reliance on offshore carbon credits and forestry. However, mCDR techniques, including enhancing coastal blue carbon sequestration, open ocean fertilisation and liming, have inherent risks and also challenges of scaling up and permanence. Consequently, a carefully considered national strategy is required to assess their pros and cons, so maximising the use of Aotearoa New Zealand research, funding and resources whilst reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and maintaining marine ecosystem resilience.

About the Aotearoa Marine Carbon Forum (AMCF)
The AMCF is an informal voluntary steering group of researchers and practitioners with the vision to support:

"An informed and robust assessment of the potential role of Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal seas and oceans that includes a mātauranga Māori (te Ao Māori and tikanga) approach in our climate change response."

The AMCF and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO are hosting a series of monthly webinars to be held April - August (please see dates/times for each webinar below). These will feature perspectives from science, legal, te ao Māori, and governance, finance and investment. They will provide an opportunity to learn about these issues, meet those in this field and explore your questions.

The webinars are:

Introduction to Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) and the Aotearoa Marine Carbon Forum (30 April 2025)
Open Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal (19 May 2025)
Coastal Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (23 June 2025)
Governance, Social and Financial Perspectives on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) (28 July 2025)
Where to from here – summarising the webinar series and feeding back to the community of interest (18 August 2025)

All webinars are at 3pm -4.30pm. Speaker details will be made available closer to each webinar. Each will have time for Q&A.

Note: mCDR encompasses a variety of techniques that aim to use marine systems to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and includes both coastal blue carbon and open ocean techniques.