https://www.c2g2.net/un-ocean-conference-2022/?utm_content=210623810
Marine Cloud Brightening – A Governance Dilemma Join the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G) <https://www.c2g2.net/un-ocean-conference-2022/c2g2.net> and the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) <http://www.gesamp.org/> at the virtual joint side event, ‘*Marine Cloud Brightening – A Governance Dilemma*‘ on 1st July 2022, 11:00-12:15 WEST; taking place during the UN Ocean Conference <https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022>, being held between 27 June-1 July 2022. Actions and commitments made by countries under the Paris Agreement are insufficient to keep the global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid catastrophic climate change, some vulnerable places in the world are already facing greatest impacts – the Great Barrier Reef has been severely damaged by marine heatwaves caused by climate change and is currently suffering its sixth mass bleaching <https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/25/australia/australia-reef-bleaching-climate-intl-hnk/index.html>. The IPCC 1.5 SP report <https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/SR15_SPM_version_stand_alone_LR.pdf> predicted that up to 70% – 90% of coral reefs will have disappeared at 1.5oC, more than 99% would be lost at 2oC. To reduce bleaching on the reef, a group of Australian researchers and engineers are <https://www.savingthegreatbarrierreef.org/team> exploring and conducting outdoor experiments to test marine cloud brightening (MCB) locally which seeks to whiten clouds over the ocean to reflect solar radiation back into space in order to achieve cooling. MCB, as one type of solar radiation modification approaches, may have the potential to protect the marine environment by reducing climate hazards, but it could create novel risks, ethical and governance challenges – particularly if scaled up in a global climate intervention. An outstanding challenge is the governance of its research, in particular concerns about research that might put society on a “slippery slope” towards deployment and create distractions from the essential focus on emission reductions and removals. Meanwhile, scientists, policymakers and societies across the world do not know enough about its potential benefits or risks to be able to make well informed decisions about its potential development or use. How to deal with this dilemma? How do we weigh up those concerns and the risks of not knowing whether or not solar radiation modification might be a potential additional climate response option? Can society learn from the MCB project that might advance the governance of solar radiation modification research? This event aims to bring together guest speakers from different backgrounds to share their insights on these challenging questions as a contribution to the thematic 3: Minimizing and addressing ocean acidification, deoxygenation and ocean warming. Speakers Miranda Boettcher, Associate, German Institute for International and Security Affairs Simone Borg, Ambassador for Malta on climate change issues Daniel Harrison, Principal Investigator of the Marine Cloud Brightening for the Great Barrier Reef project, Sydney Institute of Marine Science Jan McDonald, New Star Professor of Environmental and Climate Law, University of Tasmania Janos Pasztor, Executive Director, Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G) Chris Vivian, GESAMP, Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) Phillip Williamson, Honorary Reader, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CAKSzgpancdP5WskX4JYQV2DsHWfiPT-KwY-xdrEgbE_n3XuQ1Q%40mail.gmail.com.
