ODEÓN workshop: co‐creation of research on climate intervention techniques through citizen engagement

Abstract

Introduction

The ODEÓN Project (Limitations and hazards of sulphate aerosol injection: The case of Spain) has been funded by the Spanish Research Agency for the period 2023–2024. Scientists involved in the project organised a 1-day workshop on 10 November 2023, at the Campus of Ourense. The goal of the workshop was to highlight the different research areas related to climate intervention techniques to Spanish citizens and representatives of various organisations. ‘Climate intervention’ is the terminology used for what has been traditionally known as ‘geoengineering’. The Royal Meteorological Society defines ‘climate engineering/geoengineering’ as:

A broad set of methods and technologies that aim to deliberately alter the climate system in order to alleviate the impacts of climate change. Most, but not all, methods seek to either (1) reduce the amount of absorbed solar energy in the climate system (Solar Radiation Management) or (2) increase net carbon sinks from the atmosphere at a scale sufficiently large to alter climate (Carbon Dioxide Removal).

‘Climate intervention’ is now recommended as the preferred terminology because it clearly states the problem in question (climate) and that solutions are not always necessarily related to ‘engineering’. Also, it has been shown that non-scientists find this terminology easier to understand and hold less negative connotations with the phrase. This terminology was communicated to the attendees at the beginning of the workshop.

The main objective of the workshop was to use the feedback from citizens to develop a co-creation approach for the research project, in which the research goals are informed or modified according to citizens' concerns. The workshop attendees included representatives of the environmental departments of local city councils and NGOs, such as Friends of the Earth and Engineers without Borders; MSc and PhD students in Aerospace Engineering and Atmospheric Physics; the Environment Office Manager of the University of Vigo; and social media influencers in environmental protection. The Social Council of the University of Vigo supported the workshop with a monetary contribution.

The workshop began with Juan Añel and Laura de la Torre (principal investigators of the project) who presented a brief introduction on climate intervention techniques. This included showing different approaches for solar radiation management, carbon capture and chemical removal of methane, as well as key side effects. It also explained the physical and chemical fundamentals of such methods with basic, non-scientific language. They highlighted the current worldwide framework and state-of-the-art climate intervention research and governance, such as The Oxford Principles (https://www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/oxford-principles). Finally, they showed the participants some preliminary ODEÓN research results on the potential impacts of sulphate aerosol injection (SAI) on the solar photovoltaic energy resource over the Iberian Peninsula. SAI is a climate intervention technique where sulphate aerosols are injected into the Earth's stratosphere, resembling the impacts of major volcanic eruptions. The presence of these aerosols reduces the amount of solar irradiance that reaches the Earth's surface, therefore lowering the temperature of Earth at the surface.