Queen Mary University

Simulation finds global cooperation on solar geoengineering breaks down fast

Researchers and former officials gathered at Queen Mary University of London for a war-game exercise simulating how nations, companies and NGOs would respond to solar radiation modification technologies that could cool the planet by reflecting sunlight. Participants, including climate researcher Colleen Golja, played roles ranging from national governments to indigenous groups and tech firms, testing how a race to deploy such technology might unfold. The exercise revealed that reaching consensus on ethical, science-based deployment proved far harder than expected.

arstechnica.com · 2026-10-13

War-game simulation finds no consensus on rules for solar geoengineering

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London ran a tabletop exercise last September simulating how nations, NGOs, indigenous groups and companies would respond to emerging solar radiation modification technologies. Participants, including roles for governments and tech firms, struggled to agree on ethical guardrails for deploying methods such as spraying reflective particles into the atmosphere to cool the planet. Climate researcher Colleen Golja, who advised players on the science, said she expected easy agreement on ethical research but instead encountered sharp disagreement.

wired.com · 2026-10-12