Solar Radiation Modification: Scientific evidence does not support SRM as a viable climate solution - Working Paper

As global emissions continue to rise, interest is growing in Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) — a set of speculative methods designed to reflect sunlight and temporarily cool the Earth. Often described as a “last resort” to address the negative impacts of temperature overshoot—when global temperatures exceed agreed targets—SRM deployment could pose significant and unintended environmental and social impacts with uncertain implications for both human health and natural ecosystems. The current state of scientific knowledge does not support SRM as a viable response to climate change as it does not address the root cause of the current anthropogenic climate change. With major knowledge gaps, no global governance and high uncertainty, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) remains concerned about the viability, feasibility and potential risks of SRM, and urges caution, transparency and inclusive discussion of the topic — without diverting focus from urgent mitigation and adaptation. This Working Paper builds on and updates previous work, including UNEP’s One Atmosphere report, drawing on a May 2025 UNEP–World Meteorological Organization workshop, a September 2025 Multistakeholder consultative meeting and recent literature, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). You can check Solar Radiation Modification: No Substitute for Real Climate Action - Issue Note at: https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/48995