American Geophysical Union (AGU), in conjunction with a global panel of experts, has facilitated the development of Ethical Framework Principles for Climate Intervention Research. 

The newly published report provides guidance for ensuring responsible research, climate justice, inclusive public participation, transparency, and informed governance.

The purpose of the guidelines is to provide guidance for researchers, funders, and policymakers in the current situation where interest in climate intervention, or geoengineering, rapidly grows in the urgency to address climate change. The report states that “a robust body of scientific evidence about climate intervention, guided by an ethical framework, should be consulted as society weighs its options for addressing climate change”.

The ethical principles were prepared by a large number of experts in different roles. One of the invited contributors in this work was researcher Ilona Mettiäinen from the Arctic Centre.

– It is noteworthy that such ethical principles have been developed to guide climate intervention research in both the natural and social sciences, Mettiäinen says.

In addition to the established SRM (solar radiation modification) and CDR (carbon dioxide removal) categories, the report also acknowledges a third group: emerging climate intervention methods such as cryospheric climate intervention methods. One of these is the idea of building seabed anchored curtains to prevent the collapse of glaciers. This is also a remarkable step in climate interventions research, Mettiäinen sees.

Read more:
Ethical Framework Principles for Climate Intervention Research (available in English and several other languages)

Contact person at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland: ilona.mettiainen(at)ulapland.fi