Third World Ocean Assessment, Section 5, Subsection 5a, Chapter 10: Geoengineering

This new chapter in the World Ocean Assessment outlines current understanding of and road maps for marine-based geoengineering. This is defined under the London Convention and Protocol as "a deliberate intervention in the marine environment to manipulate natural processes, including to counteract anthropogenic climate change and/or its impacts, and that has the potential to result in deleterious effects, especially where those effects may be widespread, long-lasting or severe".

This chapter takes a broad remit, including marine-based: CO2 removal (CDR): "human activity that captures CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it for decades to millennia" Ref 118, solar radiation modification (SRM) and structural engineering. Some countries are of the view that a cautious approach to SRM technologies is needed, as they carry numerous risks, not only for the environment but also with regard to geopolitical and security concerns.