The risks of solar geoengineering research

The authors warn that unilateral solar geoengineering research, particularly by the United States, risks deterring fossil fuel mitigation and concentrating power among elites. They argue that any such research must be multilaterally governed under the United Nations and preceded by inclusive public deliberations to avoid the militarization of planetary-scale climate interventions.

• Unilateral and preemptive research into solar geoengineering, conducted without global governance or broad public participation, may increase international conflict and hinder the transition away from fossil fuels.
• Solar geoengineering research carries significant social and political risks, including the potential to deter climate mitigation efforts and further concentrate power within elite groups.
• Current advocacy for solar geoengineering is dominated by a narrow demographic of white male scientists from the Global North, funded by elite philanthropy and tech-billionaires, which limits authentic public deliberation on the risks.
• Due to distrust of U.S. climate leadership and a history of unilateralism, U.S.-led solar geoengineering research increases the risk that such interventions will be securitized or militarized.
• The authors recommend that any solar geoengineering research be governed multilaterally through the United Nations and that the U.S. instead prioritize investments in reducing fossil fuel reliance and advancing climate justice.

APA

Stephens, J. C., Kashwan, P., McLaren, D., & Surprise, K. (2021). The risks of solar geoengineering research. Climate Social Science Network. https://cssn.org/letter-to-science-the-risks-of-solar-geoengineering-research/

Chicago

Stephens, Jennie C, Prakash Kashwan, Duncan McLaren, and Kevin Surprise. The risks of solar geoengineering research. Climate Social Science Network, 2021. https://cssn.org/letter-to-science-the-risks-of-solar-geoengineering-research/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Stephens |first1=Jennie C |last2=Kashwan |first2=Prakash |last3=McLaren |first3=Duncan |last4=Surprise |first4=Kevin |title=The risks of solar geoengineering research |publisher=Climate Social Science Network |date=10 June 2021 |url=https://cssn.org/letter-to-science-the-risks-of-solar-geoengineering-research/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stephens2021risks, author = {Stephens, Jennie C and Kashwan, Prakash and McLaren, Duncan and Surprise, Kevin}, title = {{The risks of solar geoengineering research}}, publisher = {Climate Social Science Network}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://cssn.org/letter-to-science-the-risks-of-solar-geoengineering-research/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }