Global Coalition Launches Solar Geoengineering Research Governance Platform to Strengthen Transparency and Accountability

An international coalition of scientific, policy and civil society organisations has announced the launch of the Solar Geoengineering Research Governance (SGRG) Platform, a new initiative aimed at bringing clarity, consistency and public accountability to the governance of solar geoengineering research.

The Platform will introduce shared, voluntary tools designed to help research institutions demonstrate how decisions are made, risks are managed and public concerns are addressed, at a time when interest in solar geoengineering is accelerating amid rising climate risks.

SGRG is being developed through a partnership that includes the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Additional regional partners, laboratories and universities are expected to join as the initiative progresses.

Shuchi Talati, Executive Director at the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, said solar geoengineering research is advancing faster than governance systems can keep pace. She noted that the goal is to co-develop practical governance tools before research expansion limits public choice.

Janice R. Lachance, Executive Director and CEO of AGU, said the organisation’s Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention Research will inform the initiative. She added that AGU is serving as a founding nodal partner to promote inclusive and transparent research practices in a field with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Solar geoengineering research — including solar radiation management (SRM) approaches aimed at reflecting sunlight to reduce global warming — has gained momentum amid escalating climate impacts. However, recent controversies surrounding proposed field experiments have intensified political scrutiny and highlighted concerns that research without legitimate governance frameworks risks losing public trust.

While there is broad agreement that research in this area must adhere to standards of transparency, public engagement, scientific merit and accountability, proponents say there has been no consistent mechanism to operationalise these principles across institutions and borders.

The SGRG Platform seeks to address that gap by offering a voluntary, shared framework that makes governance practices visible and comparable. Rather than authorising or prohibiting research, the Platform focuses on strengthening responsible governance practices and enabling institutions to demonstrate compliance with agreed norms.

Key components under development include a living Research Governance Charter outlining baseline expectations on transparency, engagement, conflicts of interest and scientific standards; a public disclosure system for research plans and funding sources; guidance on stakeholder engagement, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent where Indigenous or directly affected communities are involved; and options for independent scientific merit review where no formal oversight exists.

The framework will also incorporate accountability measures related to liability, risk management, intellectual property norms and shared research outputs. A dedicated research question database will integrate concerns raised by communities, policymakers and civil society into future research agendas.

Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW, said governance must evolve alongside science to ensure credibility and inclusiveness, particularly for countries most vulnerable to climate impacts. Richie Kaur, Senior Advocate at NRDC, emphasised that strengthening governance is essential to ensure research serves public interests rather than private profits.

The UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), currently the largest public funder of solar radiation management research through its Exploring Climate Cooling programme, has indicated its intention to collaborate with SGRG. ARIA aims to become the first institutional adopter of the Platform’s governance principles and practices.

The announcement marks the beginning of a co-development phase, during which partners will finalise initial governance tools and confirm additional nodal participants. An in-person convening is planned to co-draft the Research Governance Charter and agree on early implementation pathways. The official launch of the SGRG Platform is scheduled for July 2026.

With formal multilateral governance pathways for solar geoengineering still evolving, the initiative positions itself as a proactive effort to close the gap between scientific advancement and governance infrastructure, reinforcing transparency and accountability as research in the field continues to expand.