Responsible Climate Interventions (RCI)

Climate change, caused by increasing greenhouse gas emissions, is projected to cause the global temperature to increase by up to several degrees by the end of the century, which could precipitate climate tipping points with serious consequences. The solution to this problem is to cease the burning of fossil fuels and to eliminate excess greenhouse gas concentrations from the atmosphere. However, lowering atmospheric greenhouse gas levels – even under the most aggressive scenarios – may not happen fast enough to prevent the onset of tipping points.

The University of Exeter’s, 1,500 researcher-strong leadership in climate, ecology and geology, and wider disciplines, including the social sciences, arts, and humanities, have in recent years facilitated the development and growth of a wide range of interdisciplinary research projects and programmes exploring climate stability and justice.

The University of Exeter has world leading expertise in solar radiation modification (SRM), marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR), climate and societal tipping points, the societal and behavioural interaction with the energy system and climate transformation and the ethics of responsible climate intervention.

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Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) and Solar Radiation Management (SRM)

These are terms describing a range of technologies that aim to counteract human-caused climate change by deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems. They are sometimes referred to as ‘geoengineering’ or ‘climate engineering’.

GGR technologies actively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Examples include afforestation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air capture and storage (DACCS), and marine fertilisation. Those that specifically remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere are also known as Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies.

Mitigation of climate change by reducing emissions and protecting natural carbon sinks remains the main focus of our efforts to increase our chances of avoiding dangerous climate change.

Source: UK government’s view on greenhouse gas removal technologies and solar radiation

Social Sciences & ethics of climate intervention:

As we strive for a sustainable and fair future, we will continue to use our expertise to question new technology to ensure that positive outcomes are created for all involved. If we decide interventions are needed, we should do so in ways that are ethical and in the public interest, now and into the future.

Runner sitting in contemplation in woods

SeaCURE

A collaboration between world leading experts (in ocean carbon and climate monitoring and modelling, chemical engineering, green infrastructure and life cycle analysis), SeaCURE is developing and testing the engineering of seawater to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Importantly, natural concentrations of CO₂ in seawater are much higher than those in air: processing 1 cubic metre of seawater is equivalent to processing 150 cubic metres of air. This means that SeaCURE offers potential benefits compared to approaches removing carbon directly from the air.

SeaCURE's marine-based greenhouse gas removal (GGR) pilot plant aims to be the first Direct Ocean Capture pilot plant in the world that can operate continuously. SeaCURE is developing approaches to verify seawater carbon removal, understand potential marine ecosystem impacts, and what would need to be done to avoid them.

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Camborne School of Mines

Our work across the University includes other departments and schools who are important to this agenda including The Camborne School of Mines

Exploring the effectiveness of rock dust, biochar, and digestate as soil amendments to increase soil carbon sequestration and saturation levels.

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Solar Radiation Modification (SRM)

SRM proposals would reflect a small percentage of sunlight back to space. This provides a surface cooling effect and could potentially reduce some of the detrimental impacts of climate change. Examples of SRM include brightening clouds over the ocean and injecting reflective aerosols, or their gaseous precursors, into the stratosphere. Researchers at the University of Exeter use state-of-the-art climate models to evaluate these methods and their impact on the climate system. Highlights of this work include contributions to the GeoEngineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP), more than 35 UoE peer-reviewed papers and lead author contributions to recent Montreal Protocol, UN Environment Program and World Climate Research Programme reports..

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