Notice2024-03758
Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Plan
Primary source
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Published
February 23, 2024
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF), on behalf of the White House National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Fast-Track Action Committee (MCDR-FTAC), requests input from all interested parties to inform the development of an implementation plan to advance a key recommendation of the Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) regarding marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) research. Marine CDR refers to efforts to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean, adding to the large, natural ocean carbon reservoir. The deployment of safe and effective CDR approaches is increasingly regarded in scientific assessments as necessary in the near future to meet climate goals. The implementation plan, hereafter referred to as the Marine CDR Plan, will advance three actions to enable marine CDR research that are called for in the Ocean Climate Action Plan: establish a comprehensive Federal marine CDR research program; clarify permitting, regulatory, and other standards and policies, and establish guidelines for marine CDR research; and establish a Marine CDR Initiative to enable public-private partnerships and establish mechanisms to strengthen interagency coordination and promote public awareness and engagement. Through this Request for Information (RFI), the MCDR-FTAC seeks input on each element of the Marine CDR Plan.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 37 (Friday, February 23, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13755-13757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03758]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Plan
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of request for information.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF), on behalf of the White
House National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Marine Carbon
Dioxide Removal Fast-Track Action Committee (MCDR-FTAC), requests input
from all interested parties to inform the development of an
implementation plan to advance a key recommendation of the Ocean
Climate Action Plan (OCAP) regarding marine carbon dioxide removal
(CDR) research. Marine CDR refers to efforts to increase the amount of
atmospheric carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean, adding to the large,
natural ocean carbon reservoir. The deployment of safe and effective
CDR approaches is increasingly regarded in scientific assessments as
necessary in the near future to meet climate goals. The implementation
plan, hereafter referred to as the Marine CDR Plan, will advance three
actions to enable marine CDR research that are called for in the Ocean
Climate Action Plan: establish a comprehensive Federal marine CDR
research program; clarify permitting, regulatory, and other standards
and policies, and establish guidelines for marine CDR research; and
[[Page 13756]]
establish a Marine CDR Initiative to enable public-private partnerships
and establish mechanisms to strengthen interagency coordination and
promote public awareness and engagement. Through this Request for
Information (RFI), the MCDR-FTAC seeks input on each element of the
Marine CDR Plan.
DATES: Responses are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 23, 2024.
Submissions received after the deadline may not be taken into
consideration.
ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit
comments electronically to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a6f2d4cfc5cfc788eb88eacfc1ced2e6c9d5d2d688c3c9d688c1c9d0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8fdbfde6ece6eea1c2a1c3e6e8e7fbcfe0fcfbffa1eae0ffa1e8e0f9">[email protected]</span></a> and include
``Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Plan'' in the subject line of
the email. Email submissions should be machine-readable (PDF, Word) and
should not be locked or password protected.
Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each individual or
organization is requested to submit only one response. Commenters can
respond to one or many questions. Submissions are suggested to not
exceed a total of five (5) pages in 12 point or larger font.
Submissions should clearly indicate which questions are being
addressed. Responses should include the name of the person(s) or
organization(s) filing the response. Responses containing references,
studies, research, and other empirical data that are not widely
published should include copies of or electronic links to the
referenced materials. Responses containing profanity, vulgarity,
threats, or other inappropriate language or content will not be
considered.
Please note that MCDR-FTAC agencies may post responses to this RFI,
without change, on their websites. NSF, therefore, requests that no
business proprietary information, copyrighted information, or
personally identifiable information be submitted in response to this
RFI. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response
preparation, or for the use of any information contained in the
response.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please
contact: Tricia Light, Office of Science & Technology Policy. Phone
(202) 881-7242; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0652746f656f67284b284a6f616e7246697572762863697628616970"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="81d5f3e8e2e8e0afccafcde8e6e9f5c1eef2f5f1afe4eef1afe6eef7">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Climate change is an existential threat that is causing rising sea
levels, melting glaciers and record-setting temperatures, as well as
more extreme events, like severe flooding, heatwaves, serious droughts,
costly storms, and widespread wildfires. The emissions of carbon
dioxide that contribute to climate change are also acidifying the
ocean. Rapid and deep reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions are
essential to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences. However,
reducing emissions alone may not be enough. Carbon dioxide emitted over
the last 170 years has accumulated in the atmosphere to such an extent
that ``large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR)''
approaches will also be needed to keep warming below 1.5 [deg]C.\1\ CDR
is the process by which carbon dioxide is removed and stored away from
the atmosphere. Potential CDR approaches include altering land
management practices to increase carbon in soils and forests, coupling
bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration technologies, and a
range of possible ocean-based approaches, including accelerating
weathering to increase the flow into the sea of naturally occurring
carbon dioxide-absorbing minerals and fertilizing certain regions of
the ocean with iron to stimulate the growth of marine organisms that
consume carbon.\2\
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\1\ IPCC, 2018: Summary for Policymakers. In: Global Warming of
1.5 [deg]C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming
of 1.5 [deg]C above pre-industrial levels and related global
greenhouse has emission pathways, in the context of strengthening
the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable
development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V.,
P. Zhai, H.-O. P[ouml]rtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A.
Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. P[eacute]an, R. Pidcock, S. Connors,
J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T.
Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)]. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 3-24. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157940.001">https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157940.001</a>
\2\ National Research Council. 2015. Climate Intervention:
Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration. Washington, DC:
The National Academies Press. <a href="https://doi.org/10.17226/18805">https://doi.org/10.17226/18805</a>.
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The United States Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) \3\ recognizes
the ocean as a powerful tool to address the climate crisis. The ocean
is one of the largest natural reservoirs of carbon on Earth. It already
removes much of the carbon dioxide that people produce, and it may have
the potential to do much more.\4\ It may be possible through marine CDR
approaches to safely enhance the natural capacity of the ocean to
absorb carbon dioxide through a variety of physical, geochemical, and
biological processes. Some of these approaches may even have other
beneficial effects, such as locally reducing ocean acidity, which is
also caused by carbon dioxide emissions. A variety of potential marine
CDR approaches are now under active investigation by Federal agencies,
academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations. As of yet,
however, no marine CDR methods are considered ready for full-scale
deployment or commercial application. Significant questions remain,
including how well marine CDR approaches will work and for how long,
how much they will cost, and what other impacts--beneficial or
adverse--they may have.\4\ The OCAP calls for a substantial ramp up in
marine CDR research investments to answer these questions and ensure
that necessary field tests are appropriately regulated. In response,
the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), a Cabinet-level
council and the principal means for the President to coordinate science
and technology policies across the Federal Government (Executive Order
12881),\5\ established the Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Fast Track
Action Committee (MCDR-FTAC).\6\ The MCDR-FTAC provides guidance and
direction to the NSTC through the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and
Technology (SOST) regarding marine CDR research and policy.
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\3\ Ocean Climate Action Plan (2023), <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ocean-Climate-Action-Plan_Final.pdf">https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ocean-Climate-Action-Plan_Final.pdf</a>.
\4\ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(2022). A Research Strategy for Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal
and Sequestration. The National Academies Press. <a href="https://doi.org/10.17226/26278">https://doi.org/10.17226/26278</a>.
\5\ Executive Order 12881: Establishment of the National Science
and Technology Council (1993), <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/WCPD-1993-11-29/pdf/WCPD-1993-11-29-Pg2450.pdf">https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/WCPD-1993-11-29/pdf/WCPD-1993-11-29-Pg2450.pdf</a>.
\6\ Charter of the Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Fast-Track
Action Committee (2023), <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-10/mCDR_FTAC_charter_2023_09_19_approved.pdf">https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-10/mCDR_FTAC_charter_2023_09_19_approved.pdf</a>.
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To advance the marine CDR objectives of the OCAP, the MCDR-FTAC
will develop a National Marine CDR Plan that will--
<bullet> Establish a comprehensive Federal marine CDR research
program. The Marine CDR Plan will establish a comprehensive Federal
marine CDR research program to accelerate the development of knowledge
needed to determine: (1) the climate-mitigation potential of marine CDR
approaches, including their efficacy, permanence, scalability, energy
and other resource demands, and costs; (2) the ability of marine CDR
approaches to provide co-benefits, such as mitigating ocean acidity;
and (3) the potential for marine CDR to have adverse impacts on the
marine environment, human health and communities, and other uses of the
sea. The research program will build on available recommendations, such
as those of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and
Medicine, and include research in the natural, engineering, and social
sciences. It will encompass theoretical, modeling, and
[[Page 13757]]
laboratory studies, and include at-scale tests in the field, ensuring
that ocean observations are robust, sustained, and verifiable. The
research program will support the effective regulation of marine CDR
and inform decisions about the possible deployment and commercial
application of marine CDR approaches in the future. It will identify
the most urgent research priorities for Federal support and take into
account related efforts by academia, industry, philanthropy, non-
governmental organizations, and other governments.
<bullet> Clarify permitting, regulatory, and other standards and
policies, and establish guidelines for marine CDR research. The Marine
CDR Plan will identify relevant domestic and international regulatory
frameworks and clarify how they apply to marine CDR research, including
at-scale tests in the field. The guidelines will identify
considerations for measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verifying
(MMRV) marine CDR to support permitting and regulation and the
development of standards for carbon accounting. The Marine CDR Plan
will also identify any critical gaps in knowledge and capabilities
necessary to effectively regulate marine CDR.
<bullet> Establish a Marine CDR Initiative to enable public-private
partnerships and establish mechanisms to strengthen interagency
coordination and promote public awareness and engagement. The Marine
CDR Plan will establish a mechanism or mechanisms to: (1) strengthen
the ability of Departments and Agencies across the Federal Government
to collaborate on marine CDR research and regulation; (2) facilitate
information sharing and stakeholder engagement, including with
Indigenous communities and communities that may be affected by marine
CDR; and (3) enable partnerships between the Federal Government and
academia, industry, philanthropy, non-governmental organizations and
other governments, including to fund research jointly, such as through
a Marine CDR Initiative.
In developing these three actions in the Marine CDR Plan, the MCDR-
FTAC will seek to harmonize and streamline existing Federal research
efforts, the regulatory process, and public engagement and partnerships
for marine CDR.
Questions To Inform Development of the Strategy
You may provide information for one or as many topics below as you
choose. Clearly indicate in your submission which questions are being
addressed. The MCDR-FTAC is seeking input from the public on the
following:
1. How would a Marine CDR Plan affect you, your organization, or
your community?
2. What questions or concerns do you have about the regulation of
marine CDR, including marine CDR research? What tools or resources
should the Federal Government provide to support the safety and
effectiveness of marine CDR research, including testing at scale in the
field? What knowledge exists, and what additional knowledge is needed
to inform the safe and effective regulation of marine CDR research?
What knowledge exists and what additional knowledge will be needed to
inform decisions about the readiness of any marine CDR approach for
full-scale deployment or commercial application?
3. Which marine CDR techniques or what aspects of marine CDR do you
believe the Federal Government should prioritize for research? Are
there particular marine CDR approaches that you believe are especially
promising with regard to climate change mitigation, ocean
acidification, or other benefits? Are there particular marine CDR
approaches that you believe are particularly more or less risky with
regard to the environment, public health and communities, or other uses
of the sea?
4. What kinds of information about marine CDR would be most helpful
for the Federal Government to make available to the public, research
community, and other stakeholders? How should the government engage
marine CDR stakeholders and the public, including Indigenous
communities and communities that may be affected by marine CDR?
5. What are the most significant marine CDR efforts being
undertaken by academia, industry, philanthropy, non-governmental
organizations, and other governments that the Federal Government should
be aware of? What factors should the Federal Government take into
account when considering potential partnerships between these entities
and the Federal Government? What are the biggest challenges that the
Federal Government and potential partners may face in collaborating,
and how could the Federal Government help overcome these challenges?
What examples of partnerships are most relevant to potential marine CDR
partnerships?
6. What else would you like the Federal Government to consider as
it develops a Marine CDR Plan?
Dated: February 20, 2024.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2024-03758 Filed 2-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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