This post highlights resources buyers can use when purchasing carbon removal from abiotic marine carbon removal companies. This includes companies that focus on ocean alkalinity enhancement (both mineral and electrochemical), river or wastewater alkalinity enhancement, and direct ocean removal. The Frontier team used them in the diligence and contracting process for our offtake with CarbonRun. We’re sharing them in case it’s helpful to others.
Procurement principles
Early buyers of abiotic marine carbon removal can play an important role in setting a high bar for what safe and responsible deployment, and rigorous measurement look like. Frontier developed a set of principles prioritizing projects that advance scientific understanding, support ecosystem safety, and engage with local communities from day one.
Health and ecosystem impact rubric
In partnership with Ramboll, an environmental, safety and health sciences firm, Frontier developed a rubric reviewers could use to assess whether a proposed project (1) is set up for safe deployment and (2) has a best-in-class approach to monitor and mitigate any potential ecosystem and health and safety risks. We include these details in all signed marine carbon removal contracts, along with a community benefits plan (see CarbonRun’s community benefits plan as an example).
Measurement rubric
To evaluate the measurement protocol of prospective candidates, Frontier worked with scientists at the nonprofit [C]Worthy to propose a set of requirements that would give us confidence that a marine carbon removal project is responsibly, conservatively, and rigorously demonstrating removal from deployments.
If you have any comments or suggestions, we'd love to hear from you at info@frontierclimate.com.