Key Topics:

• As ocean-based carbon removal (oCDR) research advances, ocean governance frameworks are emerging at multiple scales. Understanding how these frameworks interact—and how they impact this new sector—is essential for scaling carbon removal while ensuring environmental integrity, community benefit, and transparent public oversight.
• At the international level, discussions on the London Convention and London Protocol (LC/LP) and the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) may both impact this sector. Under the UNFCCC, carbon removal increasingly features in nationally determined contributions and climate finance mechanisms. The EU, Canada, and State of California are advancing carbon market policies that shape project financing. Alongside national ocean and climate policies and publicly funded research, civil society is developing tools for data sharing, rigorous monitoring, and ensuring technology and emerging learnings can be widely shared. Understanding the interplay of policy, markets, and governance frameworks is critical to support the climate, the ocean, and responsible innovation. 
• This session brings together policy experts to discuss trends, opportunities, and areas for additional collaboration.