UCS Position on Solar Geoengineering

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) asserts that emission reductions and adaptation are the primary responses to climate change. While opposing the deployment of solar geoengineering due to environmental, ethical, and geopolitical risks, UCS supports computer modeling and the study of natural events like volcanic eruptions. The organization opposes large-scale stratospheric tests and maintains that small-scale outdoor experiments must be subject to transparent, inclusive, and independent governance mechanisms involving climate-vulnerable communities.

• The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) strongly opposes the deployment of solar geoengineering because the technologies involve significant geopolitical, ethical, and environmental uncertainties, risks, and challenges.
• UCS opposes large-scale stratospheric tests of solar geoengineering that could measurably impact the Earth's surface climate, but supports computer modeling and the monitoring of natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, to better understand the risks and efficacy of such technologies.
• Small-scale outdoor experiments should only proceed if they are overseen by transparent, inclusive, and independent governance mechanisms that ensure high scientific value, negligible risk, and meaningful engagement with civil society and climate-vulnerable communities.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2019). UCS Position on Solar Geoengineering. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/gw-position-Solar-Geoengineering-022019.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. UCS Position on Solar Geoengineering. 2019. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/gw-position-Solar-Geoengineering-022019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=UCS Position on Solar Geoengineering |date=February 2019 |url=https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/gw-position-Solar-Geoengineering-022019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{unionofconcernedscientists2019ucs, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{UCS Position on Solar Geoengineering}}, publisher = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/gw-position-Solar-Geoengineering-022019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }