Who opposes solar geoengineering – and why?
Solar geoengineering is attracting growing attention as a possible response to climate change. Yet as interest in these speculative technologies grows, so too does opposition. Critics are often portrayed as fearful of innovation or insufficiently informed. Our recent research suggests otherwise. Across governments, civil society organizations, and academic networks, opposition to solar geoengineering is growing and is grounded in serious legal, political, ethical, and scientific concerns. We identify eight recurring rationales for rejecting the development and potential future use of these technologies, and we show how this opposition is increasingly coalescing around the language of “non-use”.
Precaution Means Non-Use: A Response to UNEP’s Working Paper on Solar Radiation Modification
On 12 May 2026, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a working paper presented as a synthesis of the current state of scientific knowledge on solar radiation modification (SRM). Its headline finding is unequivocal: SRM is not “a viable climate response” (key finding 1). The paper is clear and candid about the severe limitations […]