Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Co-CREATE (Conditions for Responsible Research of SRM – Analysis, Co-Creation, and Ethos (Co-CREATE))
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-01-01 do 2025-06-30
Climate change is a present and growing threat around the world. At the current level of global mitigation efforts, temperature rise is projected to be almost 3°C of warming by 2100, with devastating consequences.
In this context, some scientists and policymakers are exploring additional approaches to prevent climate risks from getting out of hand. One of these is Solar Radiation Modification (SRM), a set of ideas for reflecting a small fraction of sunlight to cool the planet—creating a planetary sunshade so to speak. Examples include injecting aerosols into the stratosphere, brightening marine clouds, or thinning cirrus clouds. While SRM could in theory reduce numerous climate risks, it also raises profound uncertainties and potential dangers for the environment, society, and global governance.
Should SRM be studied in computer simulations and through small-scale outdoor experiments? Under what conditions and rules would such research be responsible? Current frameworks for answering these questions and assessing proposed experiments are fragmented, and existing research ethics were not designed for the specific challenges of this issue: Research should not distract from necessary efforts to cut emissions, nor should it automatically lead to deployment.
The Co-CREATE project seeks to strengthen SRM research governance. It aims to co-develop principles and guidelines to help policymakers and funders weigh the pros and the cons of various kinds of SRM experiments and their responsible governance. The project combines legal, ethical, technical, and social science perspectives for a comprehensive analysis, and it listens to stakeholders and rightsholders in the Global South and in the Arctic.
The project’s decision-support tools should enable Europe and the international community develop transparent, inclusive, and responsible SRM governance. Such clarity will help safeguard climate action, strengthen the EU’s leadership in global climate governance, and contribute to protecting future generations.
In this context, some scientists and policymakers are exploring additional approaches to prevent climate risks from getting out of hand. One of these is Solar Radiation Modification (SRM), a set of ideas for reflecting a small fraction of sunlight to cool the planet—creating a planetary sunshade so to speak. Examples include injecting aerosols into the stratosphere, brightening marine clouds, or thinning cirrus clouds. While SRM could in theory reduce numerous climate risks, it also raises profound uncertainties and potential dangers for the environment, society, and global governance.
Should SRM be studied in computer simulations and through small-scale outdoor experiments? Under what conditions and rules would such research be responsible? Current frameworks for answering these questions and assessing proposed experiments are fragmented, and existing research ethics were not designed for the specific challenges of this issue: Research should not distract from necessary efforts to cut emissions, nor should it automatically lead to deployment.
The Co-CREATE project seeks to strengthen SRM research governance. It aims to co-develop principles and guidelines to help policymakers and funders weigh the pros and the cons of various kinds of SRM experiments and their responsible governance. The project combines legal, ethical, technical, and social science perspectives for a comprehensive analysis, and it listens to stakeholders and rightsholders in the Global South and in the Arctic.
The project’s decision-support tools should enable Europe and the international community develop transparent, inclusive, and responsible SRM governance. Such clarity will help safeguard climate action, strengthen the EU’s leadership in global climate governance, and contribute to protecting future generations.
Co-CREATE has already advanced the conversation and analysis across multiple fronts. The project has mapped existing knowledge about SRM, consolidating technical information on leading techniques such as stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and cirrus cloud thinning. It has produced plain-language overviews of how these methods work, the risks and uncertainties they raise, and the past, current, and planned field experiments.
The project has examined the legal and ethical dimensions of SRM. Researchers have identified the legal regimes that could apply to SRM research—from human rights and Indigenous rights law to environmental, climate, space, and liability law. They also explored the ethical dimensions to identify gaps in current frameworks especially regarding legitimacy, oversight, and public participation.
Co-CREATE has developed case studies of potential field experiments combining technical details with governance challenges and environmental considerations. These cases help anticipate the kinds of questions that policymakers will face. In parallel, the project has reviewed past SRM field experiments and highlighted key lessons on feasibility, reversibility, monitoring, and contingency planning.
Another major area of work focuses on assessing risks and governance lessons. Research is underway to build benefit–risk assessment frameworks and scenario analysis, while also drawing lessons from the governance of other contested technologies such as nuclear energy, genetically modified organisms, and artificial intelligence.
Co-CREATE has conducted more than 30 interviews with experts, stakeholders, and rightsholders to capture views on SRM governance. It has consulted its Advisory Board and organised workshops, roundtables, online Seminars, and online exchanges through its Stakeholder Forum to facilitate inclusive dialogue, with efforts to include voices from Indigenous peoples and the Global South.
Finally, the project is weaving these strands together into a set of guidelines and decision-support frameworks. These are informed by synthesis workshops and policy dialogues with EU institutions, researchers, and civil society, ensuring that outputs are grounded in evidence, governance experience, and societal values.
The project has examined the legal and ethical dimensions of SRM. Researchers have identified the legal regimes that could apply to SRM research—from human rights and Indigenous rights law to environmental, climate, space, and liability law. They also explored the ethical dimensions to identify gaps in current frameworks especially regarding legitimacy, oversight, and public participation.
Co-CREATE has developed case studies of potential field experiments combining technical details with governance challenges and environmental considerations. These cases help anticipate the kinds of questions that policymakers will face. In parallel, the project has reviewed past SRM field experiments and highlighted key lessons on feasibility, reversibility, monitoring, and contingency planning.
Another major area of work focuses on assessing risks and governance lessons. Research is underway to build benefit–risk assessment frameworks and scenario analysis, while also drawing lessons from the governance of other contested technologies such as nuclear energy, genetically modified organisms, and artificial intelligence.
Co-CREATE has conducted more than 30 interviews with experts, stakeholders, and rightsholders to capture views on SRM governance. It has consulted its Advisory Board and organised workshops, roundtables, online Seminars, and online exchanges through its Stakeholder Forum to facilitate inclusive dialogue, with efforts to include voices from Indigenous peoples and the Global South.
Finally, the project is weaving these strands together into a set of guidelines and decision-support frameworks. These are informed by synthesis workshops and policy dialogues with EU institutions, researchers, and civil society, ensuring that outputs are grounded in evidence, governance experience, and societal values.
Co-CREATE goes beyond existing governance frameworks for SRM research in several important ways. It provides the first integrated and interdisciplinary mapping of SRM research, legal frameworks, and governance challenges and it anchors the conversation in a clearly defined set of research cases providing a common reference point on technical, ethical, and legal dimensions of field experiments.
The project also introduces a common framework for assessing key aspects of experiments—including their feasibility, monitoring, and contingency planning. This moves previous discussions toward practical decision-support tools that can be used by funders, policymakers, and regulators.
Its ethical analysis identifies gaps in current frameworks on legitimacy, public participation, and justice. It is grounding governance recommendations in diverse cultural contexts, through an inclusive stakeholder dialogue involving Arctic and Global South stake- and rightsholders.
Perhaps most significantly, the project’s applied governance principles and guidelines are tailored to the European research and policy context, while also aligning with international frameworks. This represents a step toward institutional adoption in contrast to more general frameworks.
The project also introduces a common framework for assessing key aspects of experiments—including their feasibility, monitoring, and contingency planning. This moves previous discussions toward practical decision-support tools that can be used by funders, policymakers, and regulators.
Its ethical analysis identifies gaps in current frameworks on legitimacy, public participation, and justice. It is grounding governance recommendations in diverse cultural contexts, through an inclusive stakeholder dialogue involving Arctic and Global South stake- and rightsholders.
Perhaps most significantly, the project’s applied governance principles and guidelines are tailored to the European research and policy context, while also aligning with international frameworks. This represents a step toward institutional adoption in contrast to more general frameworks.