Changing solar radiation: EU must reject solar geoengineering and support non-use approach

BRUSSELS, December 3, 2024 — Ahead of the upcoming scientific consultation of the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisers on solar radiation modification, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) has called on the Commission to recognize and support the unacceptable risks of solar geoengineering growing political impetus for international non-use Mechanism.

Solar geoengineering contravenes numerous international legal obligations and principles, including human rights obligations, and is the subject of several restrictive international agreements. EU Member States are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and therefore must comply with it de facto global moratorium on geoengineering launched in 2010 and just confirmed at CBD COP16 last monthin response to concerns about the increase in uncontrolled outdoor marine and solar geoengineering experiments.

Commenting on the expected scientific advice, Mary Church, Geoengineering Campaign Manager at CIEL, said:

“As the EU has made it clear that solar geoengineering is not a solution to the climate crisis, we urge the EU to align its national and international stance on solar radiation modification (SRM) with a non-use approach and join forces with states. ” in Africa and the Pacific, advocating for a non-use mechanism and paving the way for an international framework to uphold this commitment.

“The precautionary principle must remain at the heart of the EU approach. As proponents of these dangerous technologies work to raise their profile, countries in the Global South are increasingly sounding the alarm and calling for an international mechanism to ban solar geoengineering. The EU should do the same, building on the precautionary approach and restrictive governance just reaffirmed at the CBD COP 16 in Calí. It should reject any outdoor experiments or research that could lead to technology development or harm ecosystems and communities in the EU or elsewhere.

“Attempting to cool the Earth by darkening the sun is inherently risky and should not even be considered as a tool to address the climate crisis. No amount of research or small-scale testing can ever reveal what would happen if these dangerous technologies were deployed on a global scale. And nothing in human history suggests that we could fairly and responsibly manage an endeavor like geoengineering, which would have to be sustained for hundreds of years.

“The European Union must continue to take a bold and unambiguous stance against solar geoengineering and reject any frameworks or initiatives that could legitimize or pave the way for its development or use.” At the same time, the EU must demonstrate its claimed climate leadership role, by presenting an updated climate target that reflects real ambition and fairness and demonstrates its commitment to real solutions based on rapid emissions reductions, fossil fuel phase-out and a just transition.”

Media contact

Niccolò Sarno, CIEL Global Media Relations: [email protected]

Note for editors

The The Commission has asked the chief scientific advisers for advice on issues related to research and governance, expected to be published in autumn 2024. The recommendation will be published together with an expert opinion, and a report from the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) is expected to be published at the same time.

The European Parliament has decided a decision last year calls for an international non-use mechanism.

Geoengineering refers to large-scale or planetary interventions in the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and soils with the intention of counteracting only some effects of climate change. These methods range from reflecting sunlight to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These highly speculative technologies cannot replace or complement real climate protection. Geoengineering would not address the root causes of climate change but would mask some of its impacts, creating significant new risks.