The private sector to the rescue? Analysis of a hypothetical scenario of SG deployment

Abstract As climate change risks become more severe, solar geoengineering (SG) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) are being considered more seriously as potential response options. However, these climate interventions do not fit completely into existing international governance structures. To grapple with and innovate proposed governance mechanisms that accommodate the associated technical, social, and environmental challenges, a scenario exercise took place at the 2019 International Geoengineering Summer School. The present paper summarizes and analyzes the experience working with one of the four hypothetical scenarios of geoengineering deployment, that titled “Private sector to the rescue?”. It describes SG deployment by a centralized non-state actor who also pursues CDR. The exercise revealed that early engagement of a wide range of stakeholders and open sharing of knowledge base are necessary to pursue a constructive international dialogue. First, the scenario directs a particular attention to the power limitations of state actors, suggesting the collaborative governance regime. Second, because governance is not exercised in a vacuum, it is crucial to consider a broader range of transnational challenges that may jeopardize even a thoroughly designed governance structure. Third, the exercise highlights the importance of an integrated view on climate policy response that recognizes interactions, trade-offs, and synergies between mitigation, adaptation, CDR, and SG.