The Justice and Governance of Solar Geoengineering: Charting the Path at COP29 and Beyond

This research paper examines the governance challenges of solar radiation modification (SRM), arguing that the current fragmented landscape risks unilateral deployment and the marginalization of the Global South. The authors advocate for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to formally integrate SRM into its agenda, specifically suggesting COP29 in Baku as a starting point to ensure that ethical, social, and justice-based considerations guide the technology's development.

• Solar radiation modification (SRM) is characterized by low technical and financial barriers to deployment, which increases the risk of unilateral or premature action by private entities or individual nations before global governance is established.
• The current SRM research and governance landscape is fragmented and dominated by Global North institutions, creating a 'governance vacuum' that limits the access of Global South countries to scientific information and decision-making processes.
• Private sector actors have already engaged in unauthorized or controversial SRM activities, including sulfate aerosol releases in Mexico by the startup Make Sunsets and a for-profit plan by Stardust Solutions to deploy reflective particles.
• While Global South participation lags, efforts like the UK-based Degrees Initiative have supported climate modeling and assessment studies in 22 Global South countries since 2018 to build local capacity.
• The UNFCCC has historically avoided formal engagement with SRM, but the authors argue that continuing to sidestep the issue risks leaving the technology to be dictated by private entities or select nations.
• International efforts to establish SRM governance at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) have faced failure due to a lack of consensus, specifically regarding a 2024 Swiss-led proposal for a scientific expert group.
• COP29 in Azerbaijan is identified as a strategic opportunity to elevate Global South voices in SRM discussions, partly because the host country has reduced the number of badges for large Global North corporate and civil society entities.

APA

Sipra, H., & Talati, S. (2024). The Justice and Governance of Solar Geoengineering: Charting the Path at COP29 and Beyond. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/the-justice-and-governance-of-solar-geoengineering-charting-the-path-at-cop29-and-beyond

Chicago

Sipra, Hassaan, and Shuchi Talati. The Justice and Governance of Solar Geoengineering: Charting the Path at COP29 and Beyond. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/the-justice-and-governance-of-solar-geoengineering-charting-the-path-at-cop29-and-beyond.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sipra |first1=Hassaan |last2=Talati |first2=Shuchi |title=The Justice and Governance of Solar Geoengineering: Charting the Path at COP29 and Beyond |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=11 November 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/the-justice-and-governance-of-solar-geoengineering-charting-the-path-at-cop29-and-beyond |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sipra2024justice, author = {Sipra, Hassaan and Talati, Shuchi}, title = {{The Justice and Governance of Solar Geoengineering: Charting the Path at COP29 and Beyond}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://afripoli.org/the-justice-and-governance-of-solar-geoengineering-charting-the-path-at-cop29-and-beyond}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }