Geoengineering the Climate: Science, Governance and Uncertainty

Abstract

The Royal Society has recently published a report on geoengineering - deliberately manipulating the climate. Their survey of the techniques and possibilities is useful and clear, and explores some of the complexities of policy in this area. The issues of moral hazard - whether researching geoengineering is actually dangerous because it distracts from emissions reduction - of side effects - whether these can be predicted, or calculated, and whether they are likely to be worse under a geoengineering scenario than a non-geoengineering scenario - and governance - the possibility of unilateral climate manipulation and the problems of multilateral climate management - are all touched upon. Geoengineering is potentially frightening, but some techniques, notably the use of sulphur aerosols, offer to return the global temperature to pre-industrial levels for just a few tens of billions of dollars a year. Contrary to the somewhat lukewarm approach of the report's conclusions this is something that deserves considerable attention and priority. It may well founder on the problems of side-effects, or be rendered superflous by successful emissions reduction, but it is still too early to say. On the basis of current evidence, geoengineering techniques such as the sulphur-based one are some of the most important contributions to climate policy and discussion of recent years and any serious policy approach to global warming requires engagement with their potential and risks.