IAI and CONICET promote debate on emerging technologies ethics

In a global context marked by growing interest in technologies to mitigate the impact of climate change, the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) will investigate the ethics and governance of research into planet cooling techniques.  

The initiative is funded by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) with a grant of USD 602,785 over two years and will involve institutions from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom. The project responds to a growing concern in the scientific community: how to ensure that research on Earth cooling proposals, based mainly on solar radiation modification (SRM) techniques, is carried out under solid, inclusive, and democratic ethical principles.  

The project “Ethics and governance of Earth cooling research: from concepts to implementation” is led by principal investigator Ignacio Mastroleo, associate researcher at CONICET, associate director of the Bioethics Program at FLACSO Argentina, and head of practical work in the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Buenos Aires.  

One of the main objectives is to strengthen research capacities in the Global South by promoting a co-production approach to knowledge among scientists, policymakers, and affected communities. Through the creation of a transnational collaboration network, the project will seek to foster public deliberation, establish shared ethical principles, and build governance frameworks that reflect the diversity of regional values and priorities.  

“The ARIA Climate Cooling Exploration program provides the ideal framework to advance our project, which focuses on inclusive and ethical governance of these technologies. We seek to strengthen capacities in the Global South, weave networks between Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom, and integrate diverse voices into a responsible global dialogue on this complex climate intervention,” said Inés Camilloni, principal investigator at CONICET and associate professor at the University of Buenos Aires. 

Expected outputs include ethical guidance for researchers, regional multi-stakeholder workshops, and policy recommendations for national and international bodies interested in responsibly governing research into climate cooling technologies.  

“The challenge is not only technical, but also ethical,” says Omar López Alfano, Science Director at the IAI. “We cannot think of global solutions without hearing the voices of regions that have historically had less participation in international scientific decision-making.”  

This project is a key contribution to anticipating risks, promoting climate justice, and ensuring that decisions about the future of the planet are made in a transparent, equitable, and evidence-based manner.