February 3rd | 15:00-16:15 CET / 9:00-10:15 EST
As public and private funding for Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) grows rapidly, we face urgent questions related to SRM research responsibility and governance. This Co-CREATE seminar will invite three current funders of SRM research – the Degrees Initiative, the Environmental Defence Fund, and the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) – to discuss why and under what circumstances they have funded SRM research, as well as to evaluate the implications of current funding trends for this emerging field.
Drawing on their experience from the early days of SRM research to its current maturation, the invited speakers will reflect on how funding programmes and decisions — including what is supported, where research takes place, who leads projects, and under what conditions — can shape research agendas, institutional norms, and wider power dynamics.
The seminar will conclude with an open discussion with attendees, where we expect to cover a range of critical points: potential risks and benefits of SRM research funding, legal and ethical considerations, the role of public participation and procedural approaches, and how responsible practices might strengthen transparency, accountability, as well as inclusive and evidence-based decision-making in SRM research.
Agenda:
15:00-15:05 – Welcome, Matthias Honegger (Perspectives Climate Research)
15:05-15:25 – Panel Discussion:
- Andy Parker (Chief Executive Officer, Degrees Initiative)
- Lisa Dilling (Associate Chief Scientist, Environmental Defence Fund)
- Mark Symes (Programme Director, Advanced Research and Invention Agency)
15:25-16:10 – Open Moderated Discussion
16:10-16:15 – Closing Remarks, Matthias Honegger (Perspectives Climate Research)