Governing Solar Radiation Management

Governing Solar Radiation Management

A Report from the Academic Working Group on Climate Engineering Governance

In 2016, the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment convened a group of fourteen global governance experts to study the governance of solar radiation management (SRM) and offer recommendations for policymakers and civil society.  This Academic Working Group on Climate Engineering Governance spent two years studying SRM and deliberating about the best way to govern it. Their report, Governing Solar Radiation Management, explains the need for governance and offers twelve essential, actionable recommendations for governing SRM in the near term.

Report Highlights

• An introduction to the issue argues that even as SRM research is moving forward, the world is not yet ready to govern that research or the technologies it could create. In light of the risk-risk trade-offs involved in researching and governing SRM, the time to begin building better governance is now.
• The Working Group lays out four objectives of SRM governance:
  • Keeping mitigation and adaptation first
  • Thoroughly and transparently evaluate risks, burdens, and benefits
  • Enable responsible knowledge creation
  • Ensure robust governance before any consideration of deployment
• The Working Group offers twelve actionable recommendations for governing SRM out to 2025, which fall into three clusters:
  • Create politically legitimate deliberative bodies
  • Leverage existing institutions
  • Make research transparent and accountable

About the Academic Working Group

The Academic Working Group consists of fourteen academics with deep expertise in global governance. Starting in March 2016, the Working Group gathered for five meetings to consider and define the challenges and opportunities associated with SRM technologies and to craft a set of specific, actionable governance recommendations. During these meetings, the group heard from established experts on SRM as well as experts in the governance of other emerging technologies. Between meetings, group members delved into and contributed to the academic literature on SRM and related policy conversations. You can read more about the Working Group members here and download summaries of each of their five meetings here.

Netra Chhetri	Dan Chong	Ken Conca	Richard Falk	Al Gillespie	Aarti Gupta	Sikina Jinnah
Prakash Kashwan	Myanna Lahsen	Andrew Light	Catriona McKinnon	Les Thiele	Walter Valdivia	Paul Wapner

Event Archives

On October 30th, 2018, FCEA collaborated with the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University to host a panel discussion in Washington, DC. Meaghan Parker, executive director of the Society for Environmental Journalists, moderated as the audience learned about key findings of the AWG’s report on governing SRM; heard AWG member Andrew Light, Walter Valdivia, and Paul Wapner reflect on the report; and had the opportunity to inquire about the findings and writing process of the report. Genevieve Maricle of the World Wildlife Fund framed the report in the context of international climate governance.

For more information

For more information about the Working Group or their report, please contact david@ceassessment.org.