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Rethinking climate engineering categorization in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation

Author

Listed:
  • Olivier Boucher
  • Piers M. Forster
  • Nicolas Gruber
  • Minh Ha‐Duong
  • Mark G. Lawrence
  • Timothy M. Lenton
  • Achim Maas
  • Naomi E. Vaughan

Abstract

The portfolio of approaches to respond to the challenges posed by anthropogenic climate change has broadened beyond mitigation and adaptation with the recent discussion of potential climate engineering options. How to define and categorize climate engineering options has been a recurring issue in both public and specialist discussions. We assert here that current definitions of mitigation, adaptation, and climate engineering are ambiguous, overlap with each other and thus contribute to confusing the discourse on how to tackle anthropogenic climate change. We propose a new and more inclusive categorization into five different classes: anthropogenic emissions reductions (AER), territorial or domestic removal of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases (D‐GGR), trans‐territorial removal of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases (T‐GGR), regional to planetary targeted climate modification (TCM), and climate change adaptation measures (including local targeted climate and environmental modification, abbreviated CCAM). Thus, we suggest that techniques for domestic greenhouse gas removal might better be thought of as forming a separate category alongside more traditional mitigation techniques that consist of emissions reductions. Local targeted climate modification can be seen as an adaptation measure as long as there are no detectable remote environmental effects. In both cases, the scale and intensity of action are essential attributes from the technological, climatic, and political viewpoints. While some of the boundaries in this revised classification depend on policy and judgement, it offers a foundation for debating on how to define and categorize climate engineering options and differentiate them from both mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change. WIREs Clim Change 2014, 5:23–35. doi: 10.1002/wcc.261 This article is categorized under: Climate, History, Society, Culture > Ideas and Knowledge Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Knowledge and Practice

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Boucher & Piers M. Forster & Nicolas Gruber & Minh Ha‐Duong & Mark G. Lawrence & Timothy M. Lenton & Achim Maas & Naomi E. Vaughan, 2014. "Rethinking climate engineering categorization in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(1), pages 23-35, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:wirecc:v:5:y:2014:i:1:p:23-35
    DOI: 10.1002/wcc.261
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    Cited by:

    1. Ying CHEN, 2017. "International Debate Over Geoengineering and Geoengineering Governance," Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies (CJUES), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(03), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Guo, Jianxin & Zhu, Kaiwei & Cheng, Yonglong, 2024. "Deployment of clean energy technologies towards carbon neutrality under resource constraints," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    3. Joana Castro Pereira, 2016. "Geoengineering, Scientific Community, and Policymakers," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(1), pages 21582440166, February.
    4. Edmond Totin & Alcade C. Segnon & Marc Schut & Hippolyte Affognon & Robert B. Zougmoré & Todd Rosenstock & Philip K. Thornton, 2018. "Institutional Perspectives of Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Dipu, Sudhakar & Quaas, Johannes & Quaas, Martin & Rickels, Wilfried & Mülmenstädt, Johannes & Boucher, Olivier, 2021. "Substantial Climate Response outside the Target Area in an Idealized Experiment of Regional Radiation Management," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 240193, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).

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