Solar Radiation Modification: No substitute for real climate action

United Nations 10 months ago

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) technologies—such as Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) and Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) are speculative concepts that aim to temporarily lower global temperatures by reflecting solar radiation back into space. These approaches do not reduce greenhouse gas concentrations—the root cause of climate change—nor do they address its impacts. These technologies also represent different levels of readiness and have been subject to a great deal of political and scientific controversy. Sometimes cast as an emergency tool, SRM remains poorly understood and fraught with uncertainties and risks and is no substitute for mitigation or stronger adaptation. For now, SRM is largely confined to models, simulations and theory. The unintended consequences include disruptions to climate patterns, biodiversity and the ozone layer, with regional hydrological impacts modelled as being uneven. This Issues Note provides a review of the latest literature on specific topics that are of relevance to UNEP’s mandate. It also presents a set of agreed approaches and recommendations regarding UNEP’s communication of the subject matter. It is meant to ensure consistency in messaging across the organization on this topic.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 5 hours ago



The UK government’s £90m backing for heat networks in London, Bradford and Solihull, alongside upgrades to 76 existing networks, marks a significant shift for sustainable construction. The proposed River Thames “mega heat project” could help unlock up to £5bn of investment by capturing low-carbon heat at urban scale, strengthening the infrastructure needed for net zero carbon buildings and wider decarbonising the built environment.

For developers, contractors and local authorities, the move raises the importance of whole life carbon, whole life carbon assessment and life cycle cost in project planning. Low carbon design can no longer be judged only by fabric, systems and embodied carbon in materials within the plot boundary. Building lifecycle performance will increasingly depend on access to shared green infrastructure capable of reducing operational emissions across dense urban areas.

Heat networks support sustainable urban development where density, public procurement and long-term ownership align. They also reinforce life cycle thinking in construction, linking sustainable building design, energy-efficient buildings and carbon footprint reduction with district-scale investment. Credible delivery will depend on consumer protection, planning coordination, connection certainty and robust demand aggregation.

The policy direction strengthens the case for net zero whole life carbon strategies, BREEAM and BREEAM v7-aligned decision-making, sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs), low embodied carbon materials and circular construction strategies. Green heat is moving from a niche feature to civic infrastructure, making environmental sustainability in construction a shared responsibility between asset owners, designers, contractors and public authorities.

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