Climate Engineering in Context Conference

Building upon the success of the first two CEC conferences held in 2014 (CEC14) and 2017 (CEC17), the organisers of the CEC conference series hope to once again provide a forum for critical global discussions and reflections, vigorous exchange and creative dialogue by research, policy and civil society communities.

The Climate Engineering in Context Conference 2021 (#CEC21) will be held virtually, from October 4 – 8, 2021. CEC21 invites discussion of all approaches historically aggregated under the term “climate engineering”, and additionally aims to contextualise them among other proposed responses to climate change, including mitigation, adaptation, de-growth, rewilding and ecological restoration.

The idea of deliberately intervening in the global climate system in response to climate change is increasingly being discussed in contemporary climate change research and politics. In the past, a wide range of such ideas has been subsumed under the term “climate engineering.” The proposed approaches have often historically been divided into two groups: those intended to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (Carbon Dioxide Removal: CDR) and those intended to reduce the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface (Solar Radiation Management: SRM).

As scientists and policymakers continue to evaluate these ideas, the appropriateness of the term “climate engineering” as representative of the thematic field of research encompassing all large-scale interventions into global systems, has been debated. This runs parallel to discussions about the relationship between large-scale climate intervention, conventional strategies for addressing climate change, and sustainable development. At this important juncture in the debate, CEC21 will provide the opportunity to take stock of what these developments mean for the future of “climate engineering” as a response to climate change in the context of other large-scale interventions into global systems.

The overarching objectives of CEC are:

Bringing together diverse stakeholders – academics as well as representatives from the policy and civil society communities.
Providing a forum to

(1) present and discuss research findings,

(2) review the state of the debate, and

(3) scope key future questions and challenges for academia and society.

Providing a platform for co-creation, networking, collaboration and exchange across disciplines, sectors, countries, continents, and generations.

Here is an overview of the presentations on the topic that have been confirmed so far (July 2021)

Conference language is English.

Watch out for more information on the CEC-Conference Website