There is an urgent consensus among researchers and global communities that climate change presents increasingly severe consequences if left unaddressed. Central to this discourse is the Ocean's pivotal role in absorbing a significant portion of anthropogenic CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. However, questions arise regarding the Ocean's enduring capacity and the ramifications of its evolving role amidst Earth's changing climate.
This IOI Alumni Continuous Professional Development (CPD) webinar explored the multifaceted relationship between the Ocean and climate mitigation. Drawing on insights from the World Ocean Review 8: The Ocean – A Climate Champion? How to Boost Marine Carbon Dioxide Uptake (WOR8), it provided a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue between IOI Alumni and three experts who contributed to drafting WOR8:
- Prof Andreas Oschlies (Head of the Biogeochemical Modelling Research Unit at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel): introduced the current approaches to Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and the role the Ocean could play;
- Dr Christine Merk (Deputy Director of the Global Commons and Climate Policy Research Centre at Kiel Institute for the World Economy): presented analyses of public perceptions of marine CDR approaches;
- Dr Lukas Tank (Postdoctoral Researcher in the Climate Ethics, Sustainability and Global Justice research group, University of Kiel): highlighted the Procedural Justice aspects of Marine CDR.
The interactive Q&A session in the second part of the webinar fostered a vibrant exchange of ideas, allowing participants to engage directly with the experts, share valuable insights, and discuss practical applications for their fields. This dynamic interaction helped explore actionable solutions to the complex challenges of enhancing the ocean's role in carbon sequestration, and amply met the goals of the CPD series in broadening knowledge horizons for IOI Alumni and all attendees.
