ETC Group Submission to Royal Society Working Group on Geo-Engineering (2009)

We are grateful that the Royal Society is willing to accept a submission at this late stage in its proceedings. We regard this submission as an urgent matter, for we are alarmed at the apparent emergence of an "official view", most recently articulated by the UK House of Commons Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills, which is prepared to sanction real-world geoengineering experiments despite complete absence of any global rules or regulations. We find that emerging view complacent, irresponsible and dangerous. This short note outlines six points on the question of geoengineering governance that no study concerned with policy-making in this critical area should ignore:

1) Governance of the sector must be universal, globally and unanimously agreed, accountable and inclusive.

2) Its scope must reach beyond the climate crisis.

3) It must remain consistent with the precautionary principle

4) Private sector interests will distort geoengineering governance

5) The line in the sand is real world experiments.

6) Ocean fertilization as a bellweather for precaution.

These points are expanded upon in the attached paper and we trust that the Working Group members will give these points careful attention. We thank you in advance for your consideration and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any need for