Options for the responsible governance of research on solar radiation modification - EU Parliament

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2026)789310

Author: Gregor Erbach

28 May 2026

Abstract 

Methods to reflect sunlight, known as solar radiation modification (SRM), have received growing attention as a potential complementary approach to address climate change, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) removal and adaptation. SRM could lower temperatures by reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface. In 2024, the EU's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors issued a scientific opinion on SRM, followed in October 2025 by reports from the United Kingdom's (UK's) Royal Society and the French Academy of Sciences. Also that October, an Israeli-US startup received US$60 million (€51 million) of funding for SRM research and experiments. In May 2025, the UK launched a £56.8 million (€66 million) programme to explore the feasibility, safety and governance of climate cooling approaches. While various international agreements apply to it, there is no comprehensive framework to regulate SRM. It is also unclear which international organisation should be in charge of developing such a framework. The Convention on Biological Diversity decided on a de-facto moratorium on outdoor SRM activities, while the United Nations (UN) Environment Assembly discussed the governance of SRM without reaching a consensus. The EU insists on application of the precautionary principle to SRM and supports related risk assessments. The European Parliament calls for an EU-wide moratorium on the use of SRM and advocates a global SRM governance framework based on a firm stance of non-deployment. This briefing summarises the state of knowledge about various proposed SRM methods and associated risks, explains their potential role in global climate action, gives an overview of the existing rules for SRM research and development, and outlines options for the future governance of SRM research.

Source: Think Tank European Parliament