At the UN Environmental Assembly, held in Nairobi last week, Switzerland proposed a resolution that was widely interpreted as seeking to pave the way for a de facto moratorium on solar geoengineering, imposed in 2010, to be relaxed. At the conference, the African group was at the forefront of opposition to the Swiss proposals, reflecting fears that the technology could have unforeseen impacts on the continent. Some African countries, such as Senegal, had initially backed the resolution but ultimately changed their positions. “Solar radiation modification” in which solar radiation is reflected back into space, for example by deliberately releasing sulphur dioxide to block the sun’s rays from reaching the Earth, is one of a number of forms of geoengineering under consideration in response to rising global temperatures. Another proposed method includes the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
African Countries have Led a Successful Push against Solar Geoengineering
