The Biodiversity Impacts of Geoengineering Techniques

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that geoengineering techniques pose severe risks to global biodiversity and human rights, potentially accelerating ecosystem collapse and species extinction. The author contends that these speculative interventions create a 'plan B' illusion that delays essential greenhouse gas emission cuts and advocates for a strict precautionary approach, including the enforcement of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity's de facto moratorium on geoengineering deployment.

• Solar radiation modification (SRM) techniques, such as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) and marine cloud brightening (MCB), could cause global ecological disruptions. These include 'termination shock'—an abrupt temperature rise if deployment stops—and uneven temperature changes that could cause stress species cannot adapt to. SAI specifically risks slowing the global water cycle, potentially decreasing mean precipitation by up to 2 percent, and weakening the ozone layer, which would increase harmful UV radiation.
• Marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods present significant threats to ocean ecosystems. Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) involves mining costs comparable to the global iron ore industry and risks burning marine species with caustic materials. Ocean fertilization may cause toxic algal blooms and oxygen depletion events that suffocate species. Biomass sinking—depositing seaweed, wood, or crop residues on the ocean floor—risks physical harm to delicate deep-sea life and causes 'bottom-up acidification' as the biomass decays.
• Land-based geoengineering would require massive land use and resource extraction. Biochar and bioenergy with carbon capture storage (BECCS) would require biomass plantations on more than twice the land currently cultivated, leading to massive biodiversity loss. Enhanced weathering (EW) would require mining on a scale similar to the iron ore industry. Direct air capture (DAC) is highly water-intensive; capturing 1 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions would require as much water as 144 countries consume domestically every year.
• Geoengineering poses unprecedented risks to human rights, particularly for Indigenous Peoples, rural communities, and fisherfolk. The UN Human Rights Council’s Advisory Committee has warned that these technologies could violate the rights of 'millions and perhaps billions of people,' including the rights to life, culture, and the rights of future generations, potentially creating 'sacrifice zones' that entrench the fossil economy.
• The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) established a de facto moratorium on geoengineering deployment in 2010, which was reaffirmed at the CBD COP16 in October 2024 due to concerns over uncontrolled experiments.

APA

Carlson, A. M. (2025). The Biodiversity Impacts of Geoengineering Techniques. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/geoengineering-biodiversity-risks/

Chicago

Carlson, Alana M. The Biodiversity Impacts of Geoengineering Techniques. Center for International Environmental Law, 2025. https://www.ciel.org/geoengineering-biodiversity-risks/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carlson |first1=Alana M. |title=The Biodiversity Impacts of Geoengineering Techniques |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=24 September 2025 |url=https://www.ciel.org/geoengineering-biodiversity-risks/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carlson2025biodiversity, author = {Carlson, Alana M.}, title = {{The Biodiversity Impacts of Geoengineering Techniques}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/geoengineering-biodiversity-risks/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }