German gov’t firm on rejecting solar radiation management as climate policy option

The German government under chancellor Friedrich Merz has reiterated its stance against so-called solar radiation management (SRM) as a way to combat the effects of climate change.

“Due to the existing uncertainties, implications and risks, SRM is currently not a climate policy option for the federal government,” it stated in a reply to a parliamentary inquiry by the far-right AfD party. It also continued its commitment to a 2010 international decision for a broad moratorium on geoengineering. The former German government of chancellor Olaf Scholz had made similar statements about SRM in its 2023 climate foreign policy strategy.

Solar radiation management (or modification) is a form of geoengineering. It intends to reduce incoming solar radiation to help cool the atmosphere at ground level, for example by releasing aerosols. Geoengineering refers to the application of large-scale technical measures that directly intervene in the climate system to limit human-made global heating – but do not actually reduce emissions.

A 2024 report by the German Environment Agency (UBA) lays out the risks of SRM for water resources, food security, and the environment. “An unpredictable new global climate would emerge, accompanied by significant regional impacts,” the agency said. 

Researchers and companies are increasingly looking into “futuristic” technologies to address the climate crisis – such as geoengineering, large-scale carbon removal, or nuclear fusion. Israeli-U.S. startup Stardust Solutions announced this month the largest-ever fundraising round for any company that aims to cool the Earth by spraying particles into the atmosphere, Politico reported.