Balancing the risk of climate change against geoengineering – controlling environmental risk and coping with scientific uncertainty

This chapter proposes a framework for the balancing of risks. The proposed framework departs from investigating four main factors related to the balancing of risks, which are target and countervailing risks, different types of scientific uncertainties, a variety of interests and categories of geoengineering activities. The chapter discusses an assessment framework for geoengineering activities. It proposes to implement the precautionary approach in a tailored manner for each geoengineering project. The chapter evaluates the criteria for balancing the positive and negative dimensions of geoengineering. The discourse on "climate emergency" is an example that complicates the decision-making about whether a geoengineering technique could proceed. Geoengineering is designed to reduce the target risk – the risk of serious damages from anthropogenic global warming – by removing atmospheric CO₂ and reducing radiative forcing. Different treaties impose the obligation of conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on particular geoengineering activities falling within their scope of application.