The Oxford Geoengineering Programme seeks to engage with society about the issues associated with geoengineering and conduct research into some of the proposed techniques.

Geoengineering is the deliberate, large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to address climate change. Although we believe that society’s first priority should be to reduce global carbon emissions, in dealing with climate change it may be wise to consider geoengineering the climate to reduce the harmful levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The programme does not advocate implementing geoengineering, but it does advocate conducting research into the social, ethical and technical aspects of geoengineering. This research must be conducted in a transparent and socially informed manner.

Our programme is a unique partnership that includes engineers, natural scientists and experts in governance to focus equally on robust science and thoroughly considered ethics. A core component of our activity includes engagement with policy makers, opinion formers and environmental NGOs to build a collaborative and multi-perspective platform for open debate.