With both countries looking for ways to cut down on their carbon emissions, they can come together to develop a mechanism to conduct research and development in the geoengineering field
Climate woes are increasing every passing day globally. AP
The United Nations Climate Change Conferences (also known as the COP summits) is held each year bringing together various states from across the globe to tackle the ongoing challenges related to climate change and its potential impacts. With each state creating its own timelines for the reduction of carbon emissions, there arises the question of whether this might be too little too late for the planet. The climate change summits have also brought the concept of climate financing to the forefront with developing economies persisting with the need for both additional time and funding to tackle the climate crisis.
It is in this context that India and China, both traditionally on the opposite ends of the spectrum regarding most issues, are on the same page with regard to tackling the climate crisis. Being two of the top three net carbon-emitting countries in the world, both countries have a convergent view on all things climate change-related. The issue of the duration required to bring down the emissions and meet the global 1.5?C temperature threshold has been raised in both India and China. With the need to speed up the process of reducing carbon emissions, alternative solutions are being proposed to speed up the process itself. Here is where the concept of geoengineering comes into the picture.
What and why it matters
In layman’s terms, geoengineering refers to the human involvement made in the Earth’s natural processes to counteract the effects of climate change. It involves large-scale interventions of the planet’s functioning by human actions in order to mitigate the extent of the crisis. The main principle used in the process is reducing the CO2 content in the atmosphere through human intervention. This would result in trapping less heat in the atmosphere eventually slowing down the effect of global warming. It is considered both as an alternative to cutting carbon emissions and as a field of ‘scientific taboo’ due to its research infancy and any probable implications on the environment itself.
The main field of geoengineering is the concept of solar radiation management which involves reflecting a fraction of the incoming sunlight to cool a warming planet. There have been multiple attempts made in the past related to this field. In 1965, president Lyndon Johnson’s scientific advisory committee suggested sprinkling reflective particles across the oceans to reduce the absorption of sunlight. Another process is through ‘stratospheric injection’ which involves spraying reflective aerosols into the stratosphere. Attempts have also been made by Russian scientists in what they have called the SPICE Project. The scientists ended up pumping particles through a high-altitude balloon that would scatter them once reaching a specific height in the atmosphere.
However, these experiments were frowned upon by the majority of the scientific community. Fears were raised regarding how tinkering with natural processes might alter precipitation patterns and reduce crop growth in certain areas. Further damage to the ozone layer was also considered a possibility. This kind of blowback and the risk factor involved in the field had the potential to cause several other side effects and create unintended consequences for humanity as a whole. With no framework to govern the use of solar engineering methods, there is a need for someone to step in and ensure responsible development of the field.
Development vs deployment?
India and China currently have their task cut out while framing climate-related policies. This is due to the high population and the enormous volume of carbon emissions by both countries. Geoengineering and solar radiation management is a well-thought-out approach to building cost-effective models to tackle the effects of climate change. Natural phenomena and their subsequent aftereffects have buttressed the idea of this concept.
The eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991 led to the release of over 20 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas into the atmosphere. The gas acted as a reflector of incoming sunlight. Climate scientists then estimated that this event led to a decrease in global temperature of around 0.5C over the next two years. This showcases the ability of this kind of technology to act as a possible fast-track solution to the climate crisis.
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However, there have been recent calls to completely stop any solar radiation management research. The ‘International Solar Geo Non-Use Agreement’ was proposed by over 60 scholars (mostly from the West) arguing for a moratorium on research in the field. They claimed that the concept was still theoretical and that reflecting large amounts of sunlight can damage existing ecosystems and human settlements. While this might be true, the question of whether primary research in the field itself should be banned crops up.
India and China have the possibility of driving forward the conversation on continuing credible research in the field of geoengineering. Both countries have been torchbearers for the rest of the developing world at climate conferences and both can work together to formulate a well-rounded governance framework regulating the research and technology in the field. If this is indeed a fast-track solution to tackle climate change, developing countries can indulge in utilising these techniques to meet climate goals.
While ethical considerations should be taken into account, the two countries can develop a holistic model (that also looks at potential negative consequences of geoengineering techniques) to have solar radiation management as a probable climate policy option. National agencies can be set up for funding solar geo-tech research and also keep tabs on the experiments being conducted. Incentivising development in the field must be a priority for both countries.
However, considering the historical criticism of the field as well as the concept of unanticipated consequences of human actions, the framework must be robust enough to account for the pitfalls of the field itself. Advocating for responsible use of these techniques must be a priority for both nation-states. Ensuring that the degradation of the existing environment as a result of human intervention not taking place should be an integral part of any governing mechanism that deals with geoengineering processes and techniques. There must also be a mechanism to deploy these technologies when considerable research has been conducted and the potential effects of using these geoengineering techniques have been identified. It is in the interest of both India and China to advocate for an enhanced research environment in the geoengineering field. This can change the way states approach tackling climate change and meeting their climate goals.
The concept of geoengineering and solar radiation management has been widely debated already. But the responsible development of the field must not be stymied currently keeping in mind what effects it might throw up later. The climate crisis has already been exacerbated and any solution must be extensively explored before dismissing it. India and China can play a crucial role in this. With both countries looking for ways to cut down on their carbon emissions, they can come together to develop a mechanism to conduct research and development in the geoengineering field. Spearheading this initiative can ultimately reap benefits for both countries, the developing world, and humanity in general.
The writer is a Research Analyst, The Takshashila Institution. Views expressed are personal.
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