Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Jennifer González-Colón (R-PR), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) recently introduced the Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans Act (ReSCUE Oceans Act), a landmark bill to strengthen American leadership in ocean carbon dioxide removal research (oCDR, also referred to as marine CDR). The legislation includes new grants to spur innovation, strengthens interagency coordination, and helps ensure there are appropriate environmental safeguards.

Congresswoman Bonamici and Congressman Tonko emphasized the importance of this bill and the need for U.S. government leadership and investment in oCDR.

“Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) is a promising strategy that leverages the ocean’s role as a natural carbon sink to sequester emissions from the atmosphere, but mCDR research and development in the U.S. has been hampered by a lack of consistent federal funding and guidance,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “We need more research about mCDR as a climate solution, and this bill would provide a roadmap to understand how to safely deploy it.”

“Scientists have made it clear — we need to explore every innovative tool available to address the climate crisis, and that includes marine carbon dioxide removal,” said Congressman Tonko. “As we experience record-breaking heat, wildfires, and extreme weather driven by climate change, reducing atmospheric carbon has never been more urgent. I’m pleased to join Congresswoman Bonamici, Congresswoman González-Colón, and Senator Schatz in introducing the ReSCUE Oceans Act, which empowers us to invest in critical research to determine whether marine CDR can be a viable component of our climate strategy.”

This legislation marks an exciting step forward in ocean-climate research, aligning with the federal government’s recently released National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy. The ReSCUE Oceans Act aims to establish a government-wide framework for responsible research to inform the scientific evaluation, development, and regulation of oCDR strategies. It further provides direct federal resources through research grants to NOAA and other agencies to study the safety and efficacy of oCDR technologies. 

“The Rescue Oceans Act represents an exciting and critical step forward toward advancing responsible governance and funding for ocean-based carbon removal research,” said Diane Hoskins, Policy Director at Carbon to Sea. “Enacting this legislation can help fulfill this vision and represents another exciting indicator of growing bipartisan support for oCDR strategies. We commend Senator Schatz, Congresswoman González-Colón, Congresswoman Bonamici, and Congressman Tonko, for their leadership.”

“Marine-based carbon dioxide removal could potentially extract billions of tons of carbon dioxide annually, but we need to better understand how effective various approaches are at removing and storing carbon and their potential impacts on local communities and the environment,” said Christina DeConcini, World Resources Institute’s Director of Government Affairs, U.S. Climate in a statement. “The ReSCUE Oceans Act demonstrates there is bipartisan support for solving this challenge by directing more federal funding to conduct research and at-sea testing to better understand which approaches can be responsibly developed and deployed. We encourage other members of Congress to join their colleagues in seeking bipartisan climate solutions like the ReSCUE Oceans Act and advance this bill in the next Congress.”

In addition to investing in the research and development of ocean carbon dioxide removal, the bill ensures robust monitoring and protection of coastal and marine ecosystems. In doing so, the ReSCUE Oceans Act prioritizes environmental responsibility and helps us understand the ecological and economic impacts of oCDR. 

“It is vitally important – for the sake of the ocean and all of the communities who depend on it – that we invest in carefully overseen research and monitoring as these methodologies are increasingly explored,” said Anna-Marie Laura, Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Climate Policy in a statement. “The ReSCUE Oceans Act is a critical piece of legislation that will establish a plan to fund and carry out safe and effective research on marine carbon dioxide removal. We are thrilled to see Congress coming together across the Hill and across the aisle to support climate solutions, and urge Congress to pass this legislation.” 

As the new Congressional session begins, we urge lawmakers to pass the ReSCUE Oceans Act and join their bipartisan colleagues in advancing critical climate science.

Learn more with the links below:

Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/gwW7_HEw

Additional statements of support: https://lnkd.in/gCU5Rtws

See a summary of the bill: https://lnkd.in/gCD8hrcs

One-pager: https://lnkd.in/gbC2z3Mi