IMO Adopts Assessment Frameworks for Marine Geoengineering Research

The International Maritime Organization adopted new guidelines to ensure that marine geoengineering research avoids unacceptable impacts on the environment, amid growing interest in climate change mitigation technologies. The decision was taken by the Parties to the 1972 London Convention and its 1996 Protocol, meeting at IMO Headquarters in London.

The resolution establishes specific assessment frameworks for three techniques: ocean fertilization, which involves adding nutrients to seawater to stimulate phytoplankton growth and thereby absorb carbon dioxide; ocean alkalinity enhancement, which seeks to increase the ocean's capacity to absorb atmospheric carbon and counteract acidification; and biomass sinking, which involves deliberately depositing plant-based biological material, whether marine or terrestrial, into the ocean to store carbon.

According to the sources, these frameworks will help governments determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether proposed activities constitute legitimate scientific research and whether they can be carried out without posing unacceptable risks to the marine environment. Each framework includes stages of initial screening, environmental assessment, risk management, decision-making, and post-project review, with the possibility of reassessment as new information emerges.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez welcomed the progress and noted that, at a time when marine geoengineering is attracting growing interest from the scientific, commercial, and public spheres, these frameworks provide regulators and researchers with rigorous and transparent tools to evaluate proposals and protect the marine environment. The Parties stressed that scientific knowledge of these techniques is still limited, and that research must therefore proceed with caution and prioritize environmental protection before considering activities that go beyond the research stage.

During the same meeting, the Parties also approved guidance on the end-of-life management of fibreglass-reinforced vessels and alternatives to their disposal at sea, developed jointly with UNEP, and agreed on intersessional work to examine the relationship between the London Convention and Protocol and the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The 48th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Convention and the 21st Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protocol were held at IMO Headquarters in London from 5 to 9 October 2026, chaired by Radia Razack of South Africa.