*Published on [TheFutureEconomy.ca](https://thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/canada-must-invest-in-the-blue-economy-or-that-ship-may-sail-without-us/) October 4, 2024.* Removing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere is as essential to planetary health as drastically reducing emissions, and our oceans offer the most promising prospects. Covering 71% of Earth’s surface, the ocean is already doing the heavy lifting when it comes to countering the effects of global warming, absorbing [30% of the CO₂](https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification) and 90% of the heat. Those natural capabilities can be further enhanced by emerging technologies that aim to store atmospheric carbon, such as kelp farms that draw down CO₂ to the permanent storage of [captured carbon in the sub-seafloor](https://solidcarbon.ca/). Canada is in an ideal position geographically and scientifically to both advance new technologies and become a leader in [the Blue Economy](https://www.un.org/regularprocess/sites/www.un.org.regularprocess/files/rok_part_2.pdf), whose value globally could reach [$3 trillion USD by 2030](https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-ocean-economy-in-2030_9789264251724-en.html), according to pre-COVID figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. But while this country has the world’s longest coastline at [202,080 kilometres](https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/coastline/), which is roughly 10 times longer than that of the US coastline, Canada hasn’t kept up with investment in marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) innovation. And if we don’t dive in quickly, we’re going to be left behind, to the detriment of both the environment and our economy. # Ocean Covers Most of the Planet, Offers the Most Carbon Solutions