Climate intervention research requires guidance at local, regional, and global levels.

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