van den Burg et al. (2023): Seaweed as climate mitigation solution: Categorizing and reflecting on four climate mitigation pathways

Sander W. K. van den Burg, Sophie J. I. Koch, Marnix Poelman, Jeroen Veraart, Trond Selnes, Edwin M. Foekema, Romy Lansbergen IN: WIREs Climate Change, https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.868

It is necessary to distinguish between, and critically scrutinize, the various pathways seaweed-based climate mitigations can take. This article identifies four different climate mitigation pathways and critically reflects on each. First, carbon sequestration, occurring when grown seaweed is left in the seas or, second, purposefully sunk. Third, carbon emission reduction, resulting when seaweed-based products replace products with a higher carbon footprint, either fossil based products or other organic material. Fourth, carbon emission avoidance, taking place when seaweed products are used to avoid greenhouse gas emissions in other production processes. Each of these pathways requires specific methods to quantify their magnitude and comes with critical questions to ask.

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