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Consensus Study Report MARCH 2021 HIGHLIGHTS Consensus Study Report MARCH 2021 HIGHLIGHTS Reflecting Sunlight: Recommendations for Solar Geoengineering Research and Research Governance Climate change is creating impacts that are wide- a research program, a research agenda, and mecha- spread and severe—and in many cases irreversible— nisms for governing this research. for individuals, communities, economies, and eco- systems around the world. Without decisive action CURRENT LANDSCAPE FOR SOLAR and rapidly stabilizing global temperature, risks from GEOENGINEERING RESEARCH AND a changing climate will increase in the future, with RESEARCH GOVERNANCE potentially catastrophic consequences. Meeting the challenges of climate change requires There is currently no coordinated or system- a portfolio of options. The centerpiece of this portfolio atic governance of solar geoengineering research. should be reducing greenhouse gas emissions, along Solar geoengineering research to date is ad hoc and with removing and reliably sequestering carbon from fragmented, with substantial knowledge gaps and the atmosphere, and pursuing adaptation to climate uncertainties in many critical areas. There is a need for change impacts. Concerns that these options together greater transdisciplinary integration in research, link- are not being pursued at the level or pace needed to ing physical, social, and ethical dimensions. Research avoid the worst consequences of climate change have to understand the potential magnitude and distribu- led some to suggest the value of exploring additional tion of solar geoengineering impacts—on ecosystems, response strategies, including solar geoengineering. human health, political and economic systems, and While solar geoengineering could potentially help other issues of societal concern—is in a particularly reduce surface temperatures and ameliorate some nascent state. risks posed by climate change, it could also introduce While research to date has answered some an array of potential new risks—for instance, those important questions about solar geoengineering, related to critical atmospheric processes, aspects of scientific understanding remains limited. Research on regional climate, or numerous environmental, social, the efficacy and impacts of the three solar geoengi- political, and economic factors that can interact in neering strategies considered suggests the following: complex ways. This report provides an update to Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI). Sub- Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth stantial modeling and empirical evidence (using vol- (NRC, 2015) regarding the understanding of three canic eruptions as a natural analog) indicate that SAI proposed solar geoengineering strategies (see Figure can induce cooling at a global scale; but significant 1) and makes recommendations for how to establish uncertainties remain regarding the cooling potential FIGURE 1. SOLAR GEOENGINEERING STRATEGIES Solar geoengineering refers to attempts to moderate warming by increas- ing the amount of sunlight that the atmosphere reflects back to space or by reducing the trapping of outgoing thermal radiation. This study considers the following solar geoengineering strategies: Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is a strategy for increasing the number of small reflective particles (aerosols) in the stratosphere in order to increase the reflection of incoming sunlight. Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is a strategy for adding particles to the lower atmosphere (near the surface), in order to increase the reflectivity of low-lying clouds over particular regions of the oceans. Cirrus cloud thinning (CCT) is a strategy for modifying the properties of high-altitude ice clouds, increasing the atmosphere’s transparency to outgoing thermal radiation. and with regard to the amount of injected aerosols, should be a minor part of the overall U.S. research location, and type, and regarding the effects of an portfolio related to climate change, and it should increased aerosol burden on atmospheric chemistry, focus on advancing understanding of options for transport, and resulting regional and local effects on responding to climate change risks and developing climate. Such uncertainties contribute to uncertainty policy-relevant knowledge, rather than advancing a in climate response and resulting impacts around path for deployment. the world. A transdisciplinary domestic research program, Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB). Adding established in coordination with other countries, aerosols to marine clouds can increase cloud reflectiv- can help build the foundation of scientific insights ity in some circumstances, as is observed in studies of and information that will help decision makers and ship tracks. However, limited understanding of aero- stakeholders faced with choices about possible future sol/cloud interactions leads to significant uncertainty implementation of solar geoengineering. To this end, regarding where and by how much cloud albedo can the committee envisions an integrated framework be modified and whether feedback processes will (see Figure 2) that would enable research governance mask or amplify some of the effects. Key processes and research activities to evolve hand-in-hand, with occur at scales too small to include directly in global ongoing mechanisms for stakeholder engagement climate models, and these process uncertainties will and input. A research program needs to be sufficiently need to be reduced in order to develop reliable large- flexible to allow for improvements and adjustments scale climate impact projections. as our understanding grows. Cirrus cloud thinning (CCT). The efficacy Building an effective, transdisciplinary research of CCT is currently unknown due to very limited program will require coordination across multiple understanding of cirrus cloud properties and the agencies, national laboratories and cooperative insti- microphysical processes determining how cirrus tutes and coordination with other countries. The U.S. may be altered. Existing climate model simulations Global Change Research Program, charged with coor- of CCT have yielded contradictory results. dinating global change research across the federal science agencies, is the most logical entity for orches- PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR trating a solar geoengineering research program. RESEARCH AND RESEARCH GOVERNANCE The program and its outcomes should be reg- Given the urgency of the risks posed by climate ularly reviewed and assessed by a diverse, inclusive change, this report calls upon the United States both panel of experts and stakeholders (including consul- to implement a robust portfolio of climate mitigation tation with international counterparts) to determine and adaptation strategies and to establish a national whether continued research is justified and, if so, how solar geoengineering research program. This program goals and priorities should be updated. FIGURE 2. Schematic of solar geoengineering research and research governance environment. The stepwise, iterative nature of this framework is paramount. GOVERNANCE FOR SOLAR • Context and goals for solar geoengineer- GEOENGINEERING RESEARCH ing research, which includes research on the The recommended national solar geoengineer- goals and social context for solar geoengineering ing research program should operate under robust research, developing modeling scenarios, strate- research governance, and should support the devel- gies for decision making under uncertainty, and opment of international governance mechanisms. the capacity needed for all countries to engage The goals of research governance include advanc- meaningfully on this issue. ing and coordinating appropriate research, facilitat- • Impacts and technical dimensions, including ing inclusive and equitable public and stakeholder the properties of injected reflective particles and engagement, and addressing physical risks together their interactions with clouds and atmospheric pro- with social, ethical, and legal concerns. cesses, possible climate outcomes and subsequent A research governance program should include impacts on ecological and societal systems, tech- the following elements: a research code of con- nical requirements for advancing these technolo- duct, a public registry for research, regular program gies, and advancing monitoring and attribution assessment and review processes, permitting systems capabilities. for outdoor experiments, guidance on intellectual • Social dimensions, including research on public property, inclusive public and stakeholder engage- perceptions of and engagement with solar geoen- ment processes, mechanisms for advancing interna- gineering; domestic and international conflict and tional information sharing and collaboration (within cooperation; effective governance of solar geoen- research teams, among national scientific agencies), gineering; and integration of justice, ethics, and and establishment of an expert committee to advance equity considerations into work on this issue. discussions about international governance needs and strategies. Considerations for Outdoor Experiments Limited outdoor experimentation could help AN INTEGRATED AGENDA FOR advance the study of certain atmospheric processes SOLAR GEOENGINEERING RESEARCH that are critical for understanding solar geoengi- The research agenda for the U.S. solar geoen- neering. Such activities, however, are controversial, gineering research program should encompasses a with significant likelihood for public concerns and diverse array of 13 “research clusters”. As the
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