Overview

• The UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) plans to allocate up to £56.8 million for controlled outdoor trials of solar geoengineering methods, including stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening.
• ARIA has emphasized a commitment to 'safe-by-design' principles, ensuring experiments are limited in duration, reversible, and do not release toxic substances into the environment.
• Programme director Mark Symes stated that funding recipients and trial timelines will be announced in the coming weeks, with a focus on generating real-world data to assess feasibility and risks.
• Critics, including Professor Mike Hulme of Cambridge University, warn of potential unintended consequences, such as weather disruptions, and question the allocation of taxpayer funds to speculative technologies.
• The trials come amidst broader debates over the governance of solar geoengineering and its role in addressing climate change alongside emission reduction efforts.