Workshop Kleinman Center Event

Harmonizing MRV Protocols for Scalable and Equitable Carbon Dioxide Removal

Monday, September 29, 2025 | 8:30AM - 4:30PM

Event Details

Location

Energy Forum at the Kleinman Center
220 S. 34th St.
Fisher Fine Arts Building, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104

The Kleinman Center will host an invite-only workshop on harmonizing Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) protocols for carbon dioxide removal. Sessions will address technical MRV harmonization across pathways, integration with LCA/TEA, and downstream uncertainties, as well as governance, equity, and Article 6 alignment. Through panels, table discussions, and report-outs, participants will identify gaps, innovations, and recommendations for scalable, equitable MRV frameworks.

This event is invite-only. If you are interested in attending, please contact Abby Lunstrum: lunstrum@seas.upenn.edu

Event Summary

This workshop will focus on advancing Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) standards for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), considering two key objectives:

  • Technical MRV Harmonization: Coordinate efforts to develop modular, standardized MRV protocols for multiple CDR pathways, including integration with life-cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and integrated assessment modeling.
  • International Governance and Integration: Discuss alignment of MRV frameworks with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, equitable participation, and national climate policy integration.


    • Discussion will consider both upstream MRV challenges (e.g., LCA, energy use, process emissions) and downstream challenges (e.g., losses and uncertainties in open systems, data gaps, and long-term monitoring). We will also highlight key uncertainties in current research and implications for protocol development and registry alignment.

    Agenda

    8:30–9:00 AM — Arrival & Registration

    Coffee and informal networking.

    9:00–9:30 AM — Opening Remarks

    Workshop objectives, significance, and how today’s outcomes will feed directly into the ongoing MRV proposal workstreams.

    • Jennifer Wilcox (Kleinman Center, Isometric, WRI)
    • Steve Hamburg (EDF)

    Morning Session — Technical MRV Protocol Development & Harmonization

    9:30–10:30 AM
    Panel 1: Science-Based MRV for CDR — From Upstream LCA to Downstream Fate

    Explore how protocols can address the full MRV chain — upstream and downstream — and embed uncertainty ranges into crediting.
    Key Discussion Points (Panelists to be confirmed):

    • Integrating downstream loss factors into MRV and registry protocols.
    • How to assign losses when understanding is incomplete and empirical data is scarce.
    • Modeling approaches for different pathways (ERW, OAE, biochar) given varying complexity and data availability.
    • Registry alignment and transparency — responding to EDF’s call for more open assumptions and datasets.

    10:30–11:15 AM
    Facilitated Table Discussions

    Mixed groups (Labs, NGOs, registries, buyers, investors) map MRV methodological gaps (upstream & downstream) and propose steps to close them.

    11:15–11:35 AM — Break

    11:35–12:15 PM
    Report-Out: Technical MRV

    Tables share consensus, divergences, innovations, and recommended next steps.

    12:15–1:00 PM — Lunch

    Afternoon Session — MRV Governance, Policy, and Market Integration

    1:00–2:00 PM
    Panel 2: Governance, Markets, and Equitable MRV Implementation

    Examine how technical MRV advances can be embedded in governance and market frameworks, with particular focus on Global South participation and Article 6 alignment.

    Key Discussion Points (Panelists to be confirmed):

    • Aligning MRV standards with Article 6.2 & 6.4 — avoiding fragmentation.
    • Policy and incentive structures for incorporating downstream uncertainty.
    • Equity safeguards and capacity-building for Global South integration.

    2:00–2:40 PM
    Facilitated Table Discussions

    Identify governance levers, policy tools, and data transparency mechanisms to operationalize MRV harmonization globally.

    2:40–3:00 PM — Coffee Break

    3:00–3:40 PM
    Report-Out: Governance & Integration

    3:40–4:15 PM
    Closing Session

    Group Discussion & Next Steps:

    • Synthesis of technical and governance insights.
    • Agreement on post-workshop deliverables:
      • Blog summarizing key takeaways (~1 week)
      • Co-authored perspective for EES journal (assign writing roles)

    Expected Outputs

    • Consensus Areas: MRV requirements for upstream & downstream processes.
    • Identified Gaps: Methodological, data, governance.
    • Emerging Innovations: Tools/methods for loss estimation, registry alignment.
    • Recommendations: Immediate and long-term MRV framework improvements.
    • Policy/Equity Actions: Practical steps to ensure equitable market integration.