Climate Engineering and Geoengineering

Topic

Climate Engineering and Geoengineering

For the first time in Earth’s history, a living species is profoundly altering the planet’s climate. Humanity might take pride in this titanic achievement were it not accompanied by natural disasters, biodiversity loss, and climate-related conflicts. Rather than focusing solely on slowing and limiting climate change through reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, proposals are increasingly being developed to deliberately modify the climate through large-scale interventions, particularly Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Solar Radiation Management (SRM).

This seminar explores how the wide range of conflicts and challenges arising from climate and geoengineering can be analyzed and addressed. These include unintended side effects, as well as economic, industrial, military, and ethical concerns, extending to questions of international cooperation, governance, and regulation. The seminar also examines what a responsible approach to the development and potential deployment of these technologies might look like.