Normative Uncertainty in Solar Climate Engineering Research Governance

Abstract

Governing research on solar climate engineering, particularly Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, requires addressing conditions that exceed standard empirical uncertainty. While precautionary approaches primarily focus on scientific data deficits, decision-making regarding planetary interventions operates under normative uncertainty: an epistemic state in which irreducible empirical ambiguity intersects with the practical need to reconcile plural, often conflicting values across global stakeholders. Resolving this challenge necessitates a shift away from static substantive criteria toward procedural justice rooted in recognition and participatory parity. To prevent the reification of historical power imbalances or paternalism, such deliberative procedures require ethical guardrails that delineate acceptable value frameworks while preserving open moral deliberation. Practically, research governance must integrate adaptive planning and anticipatory methods, utilizing iterative policy pathways and dynamic exit ramps to avert sociotechnical lock-in and evaluate the ongoing feasibility or termination of the technology. Structured procedural governance thereby accommodates persistent normative constraints without presenting climate engineering as a remedy for underlying structural injustices. – AI-generated abstract.