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

The document examines the governance gaps surrounding solar radiation modification (SRM), warning that the current dominance of Global North institutions and private entities creates a risk of unilateral deployment. It advocates for the UNFCCC to formally engage with SRM to democratize decision-making and prevent the exacerbation of global inequalities.

• Solar radiation modification (SRM) is characterized by low technical and financial barriers to deployment, which increases the risk of unilateral action by private actors or individual nations before global governance is established.
• Private entities have already attempted unauthorized SRM activities, including sulfate aerosol releases in Mexico by the startup Make Sunsets and a marine cloud brightening experiment off the coast of California that was shut down by local governments in May 2024.
• The United Kingdom has made the largest public investment in SRM research to date, committing USD 75 million through the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) for small-scale outdoor experiments.
• Global South participation in SRM research is lagging and concentrated in a few nations like India and China, leaving many vulnerable countries without the technical expertise or resources to influence international deliberations.
• The UNFCCC has historically avoided formal engagement with SRM, creating a governance vacuum that may be filled by ad-hoc efforts or private interests.
• International consensus on SRM governance is currently fragmented, as evidenced by the failure of a Swiss-led resolution at the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in February 2024 to establish a scientific expert group on SRM.

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} }