EU Scientists Call for Moratorium on Solar Geoengineering

European Commission advisers urge a halt to large-scale solar geoengineering efforts, citing risks, uncertainties, and the need for global regulation.

• The European Commission's scientific advisers recommend an EU-wide moratorium on solar geoengineering technologies, including cloud brightening and aerosol injections, due to significant uncertainties and potential risks.
• Solar geoengineering is criticized for addressing the symptoms of climate change rather than its root cause: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
• Concerns include unintended side effects such as altered rainfall patterns, food security risks, and potential harm to solar energy generation and public health.
• Advisers call for the EU to lead efforts toward an international treaty to regulate solar geoengineering and prevent its deployment in the foreseeable future, while allowing for ethical, controlled research.
• The recommendation emphasizes prioritizing emission reductions and reassessing solar geoengineering research every five to ten years to incorporate emerging scientific insights.

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