Dear colleagues, For the *Geoengineering Our Climate?* Working Paper Series, Arunabha Ghosh (Council on Energy, Environment and Water, India) has written a Working Paper titled: *"Environmental Institutions, International Research Programmes, and Lessons for Geoengineering Research"*.
I attach the abstract here: The existing landscape of multilateral environmental agreements varies in terms of their relevance to governing (largely, prohibiting) the deployment of geoengineering technologies. There is, however, a governance gap regarding R&D activities on geoengineering. No existing institution appears to have the mandate or capacity to govern the upstream process of laying down proactive research and governance mechanisms. Meanwhile, research activities are gaining momentum, even though the vast majority of researchers might currently be concentrated in a few developed countries, thus raising questions about the legitimacy of the research and exposing governance deficits. Is there a case for an internationally coordinated scientific research programme? This paper outlines several conditions why international coordination of scientific research could make sense, including the scope of the research, funding requirements, political imperatives, and the need to win public acceptance. Secondly, what lessons do research programmes from the past offer for the governance of geoengineering research? Drawing on examples of the World Climate Research Programme, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, among others, the chapter argues that several key characteristics define successful research endeavours. These include: research scope and precautionary principle, inclusiveness, transparency and review, and public engagement. Thereafter, the chapter discusses operational aspects of international research programmes, namely research capacity, flexible funding, ways to establish liability, and rules for intellectual property. Finally, the governance of coordinated research requires international cooperation. The chapter concludes by suggesting that alternative institutional designs are possible (to originate a research programme, establish its scope, and institutionalise transparency measures). The challenge is that international cooperation over governing research is not a given and would depend on the mix of material interests and ethical concerns for research partners as well as those countries outside the scope of research programmes. The article can be read and downloaded at: http://geoengineeringourclimate.com/2014/02/25/environmental-institutions-international-research-programmes-and-lessons-for-geoengineering-research-working-paper/ Best wishes to all, Sean Low -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
