Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies requirements and provides guidance for the calculation and modelling of changes in ocean carbon pools, carbon stocks and carbon fluxes caused by ocean negative carbon emissions (ONCE) activities. It covers the determination of quantification objectives and intended uses; the establishment of spatial, temporal and process boundaries; the establishment of baseline scenarios; the identification of relevant carbon pools and carbon fluxes; data selection, processing and quality assessment; the calculation of carbon stocks, carbon fluxes and net carbon changes; model selection, development, calibration, validation and application; sensitivity and uncertainty assessment; quality control; and the reporting and retention of results and records.

This document is applicable to scientific research, engineering assessment, implementation monitoring and effectiveness assessment of ONCE activities. It is also applicable to the quantification and modelling of ocean negative carbon emissions, ocean carbon sink enhancement, and changes in ocean carbon pools and carbon fluxes associated with maritime activities.

This document does not specify the engineering design of specific ONCE technologies, the assessment of impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, carbon credit eligibility criteria, carbon credit issuance or trading rules, or requirements for validation and verification bodies. It does not specify the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions from ship operations, transport chains, marine fuel life cycles, ship energy efficiency or port energy use.

Purpose

International need and issues to be addressed

The ocean carbon cycle includes carbon stored in seawater, marine organisms and sediments, as well as exchanges between the atmosphere, water column and seabed. Research and pilot activities related to ocean negative carbon emissions are now being carried out in different countries and marine regions. The methods used are not yet consistent. Projects often define system boundaries, baseline scenarios, carbon pools, data requirements and modelling procedures in different ways. Spatial and temporal extrapolation, model validation and uncertainty treatment also vary. This makes results difficult to compare and, in some cases, difficult to reproduce.

Because ocean processes extend across regions and national boundaries, a common international approach is needed. National or project-specific methods alone cannot provide sufficient comparability for international research, technical assessment or later methodology development. The Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions programme (Global-ONCE), endorsed under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, includes nearly 80 partner institutions from 33 countries. Its members have experience in ocean observation, experimental analysis, modelling, marine engineering and ecosystem management and can contribute practical knowledge to this work.

Existing standards and the standardization gap

ISO 14064-2 provides general project-level requirements for the quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions and removal enhancements. ISO 14080 provides a general framework for climate-action methodologies. ISO 14083 covers greenhouse gas emissions from transport-chain operations. These standards do not address many ocean-specific issues in sufficient detail. Examples include carbon pools in seawater, marine organisms and sediments; vertical and lateral carbon transport; air–sea CO exchange; transfers between carbon pools; comparison between baseline and activity scenarios; validation of ocean models; and extrapolation across time and space.

This document will complement these standards. It will not cover emissions from ship operations, transport chains, marine-fuel life cycles, ship energy efficiency or port energy use. It will also not set rules for carbon credit eligibility, issuance or trading, or requirements for validation and verification bodies.

Purpose and technical content

This document is intended for scientific research, engineering assessment, implementation monitoring and effectiveness assessment. It can also be used for maritime activities that involve ocean negative carbon emissions, ocean carbon sink enhancement or changes in ocean carbon pools and fluxes. This document will provide requirements and guidance for the calculation and modelling of carbon changes associated with ocean negative carbon emissions activities.

It will address:

a) quantification objectives and intended uses;

b) spatial, temporal and process boundaries;

c) baseline and activity scenarios;

d) selection of relevant carbon pools and carbon fluxes;

e) data selection, processing, quality evaluation and traceability;

f) calculation of carbon stocks, carbon fluxes and net carbon changes;

g) model selection, calibration, validation and performance evaluation;

h) uncertainty and sensitivity evaluation; and

i) quality assurance, reporting and record retention.

Global users and practical application

Likely users include marine research institutions, ocean-observation and environmental-monitoring organizations, marine engineering and ecosystem-management projects, data and modelling service providers, government authorities, standards organizations and methodology developers. These users need a common basis for defining boundaries and baseline scenarios, selecting carbon pools and fluxes, evaluating data quality, validating models and reporting results. A shared approach can reduce repeated work and make results easier to review and compare.

International contribution

This document will provide common terms and basic procedures for ocean carbon calculation and modelling. It will improve the comparability and reproducibility of results from different countries, marine regions and projects. It will provide an ocean-specific technical link to the ISO 14064 series and ISO 14080, with coordination maintained with ISO/TC 207/SC 7. It can also reduce repeated development of basic methods and provide a practical reference for countries and institutions with limited data or modelling capacity.

Technical, economic, environmental and social benefits This document can improve the use of ocean observations, data integration and modelling methods by setting common requirements for data, calculations, models and reporting. A common technical basis can reduce duplicated work in international research, engineering assessment, methodology review and technology transfer. It can also support more transparent and traceable assessment of oceanrelated climate activities.

This document may provide a technical basis for later project-specific methodologies, MRV systems and carbon-credit-related standards. It will not determine whether an activity is eligible under an international climate regime, a national greenhouse gas inventory, a nationally determined contribution or a carbon market.