TY - JOUR
T1 - Seaweed Aquaculture for Carbon Farming:
T2 - An Assessment Under the EU's QU.A.L.ITY (Quantification, Additionality, Long-Term Storage, Sustainability) Framework
AU - Hughes, Adam D.
AU - Fendenko, Jeffery
AU - O'Dell, Alasdair
AU - Swanlund, Hayley
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Shell International Exploration & Production Inc and The Author(s). Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2025/1/16
Y1 - 2025/1/16
N2 - There is growing interest in establishing a seaweed farming industry in Europe, and this industry has the potential for being a mechanism for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR). The EU recognises the potential of CDR to help meet climate change targets, but also acknowledges the importance of creating credible markets for CDR ecosystem services (ES) through voluntary carbon markets to promote sustainable investment and to avoid claims of greenwashing. In response to this, the EU has proposed a framework (termed QU.A.L.ITY) for the establishment of CDR certification schemes, based on the four criteria of quantifiable, additionality, long-term storage and overall sustainability. While seaweed aquaculture holds potential for CDR and could meet the QU.A.L.ITY criteria on a generic level, specific projects face hurdles in data collection, standardized methodologies, sediment protection regulations, and applicability of the taxonomy. Robust certification frameworks like the EU's are crucial to avoid greenwashing and ensure credible climate action through seaweed CDR.
AB - There is growing interest in establishing a seaweed farming industry in Europe, and this industry has the potential for being a mechanism for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR). The EU recognises the potential of CDR to help meet climate change targets, but also acknowledges the importance of creating credible markets for CDR ecosystem services (ES) through voluntary carbon markets to promote sustainable investment and to avoid claims of greenwashing. In response to this, the EU has proposed a framework (termed QU.A.L.ITY) for the establishment of CDR certification schemes, based on the four criteria of quantifiable, additionality, long-term storage and overall sustainability. While seaweed aquaculture holds potential for CDR and could meet the QU.A.L.ITY criteria on a generic level, specific projects face hurdles in data collection, standardized methodologies, sediment protection regulations, and applicability of the taxonomy. Robust certification frameworks like the EU's are crucial to avoid greenwashing and ensure credible climate action through seaweed CDR.
KW - aquaculture
KW - blue carbon
KW - blue economy
KW - carbon dioxide removal
KW - CDR
KW - MRV
KW - nature-based solutions
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U2 - 10.1002/csr.3098
DO - 10.1002/csr.3098
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85214996085
SN - 1535-3966
JO - Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
JF - Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
ER -