From Science to Policy: Navigating the Complexities of Emerging Climate Techniques in the Americas

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), in partnership with the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG) and the Degrees Initiative, is organizing a workshop series for policymakers and negotiators in the Americas. The program aims to build scientific and governance capacity regarding solar radiation modification (SRM) to ensure equitable participation in multilateral climate deliberations as global temperatures exceed 1.5°C and emissions pledges remain insufficient.

• Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) consists of large-scale interventions to cool the planet by increasing sunlight reflection, with Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) and Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) being the most prominent techniques. SAI involves dispersing particles into the upper atmosphere, while MCB uses sea salt in the lower atmosphere to brighten clouds.
• The deployment or rejection of SRM involves complex ethical and social challenges, including intergenerational justice, the risk of exacerbating existing inequalities, and the need for transparent decision-making processes to manage unintended consequences.
• Recent SRM-related developments in the Americas include Mexico's 2023 announcement to ban SRM experiments following an unauthorized outdoor test by the start-up Make Sunsets in Baja California, and the 2024 passage of a bill by the Tennessee state House and Senate to prevent technological climate interventions.
• International and regional bodies have recently issued guidance on SRM: the EU published three reports in December 2024 (Scientific Opinion, Ethical Opinion, and Evidence Review Report), and ECLAC published a background paper in October 2024 focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The Degrees Initiative has worked to shift the SRM narrative from the Global North to the Global South by funding 37 research projects across 23 developing countries, including 10 projects specifically in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, and Mexico between 2023 and 2024.
• The IAI, DSG, and Degrees Initiative are conducting a three-part workshop series in 2025 for government representatives and policy advisors. The series includes a science basics workshop on 16 April 2025, a governance and ethics workshop on 25 June 2025, and a multilateral negotiation simulation.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (n.d.). From Science to Policy: Navigating the Complexities of Emerging Climate Techniques in the Americas. http://www.archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20Note.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. From Science to Policy: Navigating the Complexities of Emerging Climate Techniques in the Americas. n.d. http://www.archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20Note.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=From Science to Policy: Navigating the Complexities of Emerging Climate Techniques in the Americas |url=http://www.archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20Note.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearchndfrom, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{From Science to Policy: Navigating the Complexities of Emerging Climate Techniques in the Americas}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {http://www.archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Concept%20Note.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }