Practical research governance for a rapidly evolving field
Interest in solar geoengineering research is rising, and so are questions about who decides, who is consulted, what gets disclosed, and how trust is earned.
The Solar Geoengineering Research Governance Platform (SGRG) is a voluntary, multi-regional initiative to make solar geoengineering research more transparent, publicly legible, and accountable.
Why Now & Why Solar Geoengineering Research Governance
Solar geoengineering—also called solar radiation modification (SRM)—refers to proposed approaches that reflect a small amount of sunlight back to space to reduce some climate warming. Interest in SRM research is rising, and past controversies show that without credible, consistent governance across the field, such as clear disclosure, meaningful engagement, and independent oversight, research can lose public trust quickly.
At a moment when formal multilateral pathways are increasingly stalled and geopolitical trust is fraying, SGRG offers shared, voluntary infrastructure that enables institutions across borders to implement—and publicly demonstrate—baseline norms, while building a foundation for deeper multilateral cooperation over time.
Principles for responsible research—transparency, engagement, and scientific merit—are widely recognized, from the publication of the Oxford Principles in 2009 to, most recently, the AGU Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention Research. What’s missing is a way to apply them consistently across institutions, disciplines, and regions, and across different types of SRM research (modeling, lab studies, outdoor work).
Formal global governance frameworks for research are unlikely to arrive in the near term. SGRG exists to fill a near-term gap: practical governance infrastructure that can be used now, while broader political deliberation continues.
Because SRM is a rapidly evolving field, governance must evolve too. SGRG is built to learn from real-world use, incorporate feedback from multiple regions and communities, and update its guidance as science and context change.
Who’s Involved
SGRG is being co-developed by an initial set of nodal partners: the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG), the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).
Additional nodal partners will be added as the Platform is finalized, alongside implementing partners who will help build specific workstreams (e.g., disclosure tools, engagement guidance, merit review options).
Founding nodal partners are and will continue to be in discussion with researchers and research institutions around adoption and alignment with SGRG. The UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), currently the largest public funder of SRM research through their Exploring Climate Cooling research programme, is committed to working collaboratively with SGRG to share their learnings from research governance implementation thus far. The Exploring Climate Cooling programme team sees mutual benefit from cooperation with SGRG and will work towards ARIA being the first institutional adopter of future SGRG principles and practices.
A first cohort of adopters will also be announced in the coming months.
What It Is
SGRG is a voluntary platform that turns shared governance principles into usable practice—through tools, templates, and independent options that make research publicly legible and easier to assess.
SGRG is designed to help SRM research evolve in ways that are:
Transparent: clear public disclosure of plans, funding, and changes over time
Engagement-ready: proportional, context-appropriate participation and consent where relevant
Scientifically credible: access to independent review, especially where none exists
Accountable: clear norms and documentation that enable meaningful scrutiny
What It Isn’t
Clarifying what SGRG is not is as important as defining what it is, helping set clear expectations about the platform’s role. In practice, SGRG is:
Not a regulator and not a governmental body
Not a permitting agency and not a formal “sign-off” authority
Not an advocacy vehicle for deployment—SGRG focuses on research governance and the conditions for legitimate public choice
Because SGRG is not a regulator, its influence comes from credibility and adoption: the extent to which institutions, funders, and communities choose to use it as a reference point for responsible practice.
What SGRG Is (And What It Isn’t)
What the Platform Will Do
SGRG is designed to provide shared, practical infrastructure that institutions can opt into without reinventing the wheel. Planned core functions include:
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A living framework for responsible SRM research, including expectations around transparency, engagement, scientific merit, conflicts of interest, and clear red lines. The Charter will be updated over time as lessons emerge and contexts change.
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A public portal for standardized disclosures—covering research purpose and methods, funding sources, conflicts of interest, engagement plans, and data-sharing commitments—with versioning so changes are visible over time.
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Evidence-based engagement guidance scaled to context and potential salience of the work, including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) where Indigenous peoples or directly affected communities are implicated. Guidance will be refined as evidence and practice evolve.
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Independent, external review pathways—especially where no existing agency process is available—plus rapid-response protocols for new evidence, emerging risks, or major shifts in context. Where appropriate, review outputs may include brief, public-facing summaries.
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Practical accountability tools, which may include risk-based financial assurances, norms around intellectual property and openness for core outputs, and documentation that supports funders and partners in evaluating responsible practice.
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A database of questions gathered from engagements and discussions across different sectors and regions will be gathered in an accessible way, available to researchers and communities.
How It Will Work
SGRG is built for the real conditions researchers face: varied institutional settings, uneven governance capacity, and different expectations across regions. Implementation and processes will be co-designed over the coming months - more will be shared as it becomes available.
SGRG is designed to be modular: institutions can adopt tools that fit their context while contributing to a shared governance foundation. As adoption grows, SGRG will evolve—improving templates, clarifying expectations, and adjusting processes in response to experience, feedback, and changing scientific and political conditions.
SGRG will include distinct participation roles:
Nodal Partners (stewardship and core decisions)
Implementing Partners (building workstreams and tools)
Adopters (research institutions/projects and bounded funder commitments)
Advisory Committee (independent guidance on credibility and risk)
Validators (respected external voices affirming the need for practical research governance)
As SRM research and governance needs evolve, these roles, processes, and participation pathways may also evolve—while maintaining clear boundaries about what SGRG is and is not.
Safeguards for independence & credibility
SGRG is being designed with guardrails intended to strengthen legitimacy and reduce undue influence. These include:
Public disclosure of relevant financial contributions and conflicts of interest
Bounded roles for funders (e.g., funders do not participate in governance or review decisions)
Open documentation of processes (e.g., how disclosures work, when review is recommended, how updates are logged)
Open licensing of core templates and tools to reduce proprietary capture
A multi-regional approach intended to support context-specific governance rather than a single centralized model
SGRG is designed to evolve. SRM science, public concerns, and political contexts will change; SGRG’s tools and expectations will be periodically reviewed and strengthened as needed through transparent, multi-regional co-development rather than remaining static.
Status & timeline
SGRG is currently in an active co-development phase. A full public launch—including an initial Charter draft, early transparency tools, and expanded partner participation—is planned for Summer 2026. This site will be updated as tools are released and partnerships are finalized.
Planned updates will include:
A list of nodal partners, implementing partners, and early adopters
A first public draft of the Research Governance Charter
A description of adopter pathways and disclosure expectations
Details on independent review options and early pilots
FAQs
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No. SGRG focuses on governance of research—how research is disclosed, engaged, and evaluated—not on promoting deployment. The aim is to strengthen the conditions for legitimate public choice and reduce the risk of unaccountable or polarizing research trajectories.
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No. SGRG is not a regulator and it does not issue approvals. Participation signals a commitment to responsible practice and transparency; it is not a legal authorization and not an endorsement of outcomes.
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SGRG is being co-developed by DSG, AGU, NRDC, and CEEW, and additional nodal partners will be added. Nodal partners steward baseline expectations and core decisions. Implementing partners build workstreams and tools, while advisory and validator roles provide independent input and external credibility signals.
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SGRG is being designed with guardrails: bounded roles for funders (no participation in governance or review decisions), public disclosure of relevant contributions and conflicts of interest, transparent documentation of processes, and open licensing of core tools to reduce proprietary control. These safeguards are expected to evolve as SGRG learns and adapts.
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SGRG is intended for researchers and institutions, civil society and policy organizations, and funders seeking credible ways to demonstrate responsible practice. Participation is voluntary and modular, but generally involves standardized disclosures, proportional engagement planning, and maintaining a public record of material updates; independent review options may apply depending on the work’s scale and context.
This site will be updated as plans evolve.
Please check back for the latest updates, or contact us below to learn more.
Contact Us
For inquiries, partnership opportunities, or media requests: email sgrg@sgdeliberation.org or complete the form.