Deliverable / 1st October, 2024
As of September 2024, there are no international or EU laws specific to the governance of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) research. Nevertheless, many existing legal frameworks and principles are applicable, and likely to have significant implications for whether (and under which circumstances) SRM research may take place. Furthermore, and importantly, the diversity of SRM technologies means that a variety of legal frameworks may apply to SRM research. It is therefore not possible to make generalised or blanket statements on the legality of all SRM research and deployment activities.
This legal scoping note examines how existing legal frameworks and principles conceptualise SRM and its research, and identifies legal issues that deserve further consideration and analysis. It does so by following a TAPP approach, delving into what constitutes SRM research, how SRM research activities may be carried out, who may (or should) be involved, and where SRM research may take place or impact.
Focusing on the international and EU level, the note explores a range of fields (including human rights, indigenous rights, environmental, and climate change law) and locations (including outer space, the seas, and the Arctic and Antarctic regions). This note forms the basis for the in-depth legal analysis to be undertaken in later stages of the Co-CREATE project.