UK research contributing to improved understanding of the effectiveness of climate geoengineering and its environmental impacts
To note:
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Climate geoengineering is here considered as “A deliberate intervention in the planetary environment of a nature and scale intended to counteract
anthropogenic climate change and its impacts” (CBD Technical Report 66; 2012)
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) from power plants is excluded from that definition. Nevertheless, CCS research can also be relevant to CO2 removal from
the atmosphere, and several CCS-focussed studies are therefore also included.
Research activities are listed in three groups: 1) multi-technique approach, including governance; 2) solar radiation management, also known as sunlight
reduction methods (SRM); and 3) greenhouse gas removal, also known as carbon dioxide removal or negative emission techniques (GGR, CDR and NETs)
There are many other recent/current UK studies that can also be considered relevant to climate geoengineering (e.g. on the mitigation of climate change,
climate dynamics, the carbon cycle, biogeochemical processes, and human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems), since they provide important
underpinning knowledge. However, unless they fully or partly contribute to improved understanding of the techniques, consequences (intended and
unintended), acceptability or governance of purposeful climate remediation, they are not included here.
Project information given here is primarily from Envirobase (www.envirobase.info); entries are limited to those with end-dates in 2010 or later.
Acronyms: AHRC, Arts and Humanities Research Council; BBSRC, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; BGS, British Geological Survey; CEH, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; CCS, Carbon
Capture and Storage; DECC, Department of Energy and Climate Change; EC, European Commission; EPSRC, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; ESRC, Economic and Social Research Council; PML,
Plymouth Marine Laboratory; NERC, Natural Environment Research Council; NOC, National Oceanography Centre
1.
Multi-approach, including governance
Title
Main
Relevance to geoengineering
funders
Lead organisations
Funding
£k
Dates
(UK total)
1,729
2010-14
1,048
2012-14
1.1
Integrated assessment of
geoengineering proposals
(IAGP)
EPSRC,
NERC
Development of an evaluation framework to allow in-depth comparison of
all major geoengineering proposals. The project combines Earth system
modelling and deliberative engagement with stakeholders and the wider
public. Details: www.iagp.ac.uk
Leeds Univ, Oxford
Univ, Lancaster Univ,
Cardiff Univ, Bristol
Univ, UK Met Office
1.2
Climate geoengineering
governance
ESRC,
AHRC
Project includes i) study of ethical, legal, social and geopolitical implications
of range of geoengineering approaches; ii) development of guidelines on
governance and regulation; iii) stakeholder dialogue on possible role of
geoengineering in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Details: http://geoengineering-governance-research.org/
Oxford Univ, Sussex
Univ, Univ College
London
1.3
Geoengineering – a
systems engineering
analysis
EPSRC
Strathclyde Univ
Training
award
2013-16
1.4
Regulating geoengineering
research through strategic
environmental assessment
ESRC
This project will use a low order climate model to determine formal
observability, controllability and closed-loop stability properties and to
devise new concepts for geoengineering to reduce the scale of
interventions required.
Focus on legal aspects: how authority might be justly exercised in the
absence of democratic legitimacy.
Bristol Univ
Training
award
2013-16
1.5
Should we geoengineer
our future climate?
NERC
Model-based analysis of effectiveness of different geoengineering options
Bristol Univ
1.6
European transdisciplinary
assessment of climate
engineering (EuTRACE)
EC
Project addresses the potentials, implications, risks and uncertainties of
climate engineering (geoengineering), including stakeholder dialogue and
policy development. Details: http://www.eutrace.org/
1.7
Geoengineering model
intercomparison project
(GeoMIP)
DECC
GeoMIP is an international model comparison exercise, endorsed by the
World Climate research Programme (WCRP). It assists in organizing and
comparing geoengineering simulations by prescribing the experiments
which all participating climate models will perform. Initial focus on SRM;
subsequent studies on sea spray geoengineering and marine cloud
brightening.
Tyndall Centre/Univ
of East Anglia; Exeter
Univ, Bristol Univ,
Edinburgh Univ
UK Met Office
Training
Award
2009-12
?
2012-
?
2010-
Funding
£k
Dates
2. Solar radiation management, also known as sunlight reduction methods (SRM)
Title
Main
funders
2.1
Stratospheric particle
injection for climate
change (SPICE)
EPSRC,
NERC
2.2
The impact of diffuse
sunlight and shortwave
dimming on carbon, water
and energy exchange at
the vegetated land-surface
NERC
2.3
Designer ice nuclei for
geoengineering of clouds
NERC
2.4
Global and regional sea
level response to
geoengineering by 2100
NERC
Relevance to geoengineering
Addresses issues relating to the effectiveness of stratospheric particle
injection as an SRM technique: i) how much, of what, might need to be
injected where into the atmosphere to effectively and safely manage the
climate system; ii) what techniques might be used to deliver it there; and
iii) what might be the impacts. A field component was originally planned
(involving water aerosol from a tethered balloon) but was not carried out.
Includes study of: i) effect of clouds on carbon sequestration and
transpiration by vegetated land-surface; ii) enhancement in canopy lightuse efficiency owing to tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols; and iii)
perturbation to carbon, water and energy exchange at both global and
regional level owing to insolation decline during the latter half of the
20th century.
Laboratory experiments to identify materials that could be efficiently,
safely and cost-effectively used to promote ice nucleation (in cirrus
clouds)
Model projections of response of sea level components (e.g. ocean heat
content, ice sheet and glacier melting) to SRM geoengineering
Lead organisations
(UK total)
1,609
2010-14
246
2008-11
Leeds Univ
Training
Award
2013-16
NOC, Liverpool Univ
Training
Award
2013-16
Bristol Univ, Oxford
Univ, Cambridge
Univ, Edinburgh Univ
Swansea Univ
3.
Greenhouse gas removal, also known as carbon dioxide removal or negative emission techniques (GGR, CDR and NETs)
Title
3.1
Main
funders
Relevance to geoengineering
Lead organisations
Dates
(UK total)
1,857
2010-14
193
2008-12
Understanding
processes determining
soil carbon balances
under perennial
bioenergy crops (CARBOBIOCROP)
NERC,
BBSRC
Study of soil carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions for 2nd
generation bioenergy crop systems, including assessment of biochar as an
option for increasing long-term soil carbon storage and minimizing soil
N2O emissions following conversion to energy crops.
3.2
Assessing soil based
solutions to carbon
management
BBSRC
Includes evaluation of biochar research needs relevant to various models
of implementation, and study of the dynamics of root carbon in biocharenriched soil using integrated measurement-modelling approaches.
3.3
Biochar and bio-trophic
carbon storage in
temperate soils
(AGRIFOOD)
Capture of atmospheric
CO2 by mineral-plant
reactions
NERC
Study of biochar treatment effects on faunal and microbial soil
communities and associated impacts, including rates of C and N cycling,
greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O); and climate resilience of soil
organic matter.
Study of role of plants in precipitating soil carbonate (from CO2/
bicarbonate interacting with Ca ions) and potential enhancement of such
carbon sequestration by addition of calcium silicates to soils
Edinburgh Univ, CEH
141
Training
Award
2010-14
Newcastle Univ
86
Training
Award
2009-
3.5
Ocean carbon-climate
feedbacks and
geoengineering potential
NERC
Study of how ocean uptake of CO2 is affected by climate in context of
ocean-based CDR geoengineering (nutrient pipes, fertilization and ocean
liming)
Southampton Univ
Training
award
2013-16
3.6
Carbon capture from
power plant and
atmosphere
EPSRC
Whilst the main focus is on CCS from power plants, the project includes
studies on bioenergy and biochar.
Heriot-Watt Univ
2,228
2008-13
3.7
Ceramic membranes for
energy applications and
CO2 capture
EPSRC
CCS focus; however, may also improve the efficiency of direct air capture
of CO2
Edinburgh Univ,
Newcastle Univ
2,245
2009-13
3.8
CO2 aquifer storage site
evaluation and
monitoring (CASSEM )
EPSRC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture
Edinburgh Univ,,
Heriot-Watt Univ,
Manchester Univ
1,731
2008-10
3.4
NERC
Southampton Univ,
Edinburgh Univ,
Warwick Univ, Univ
of East Anglia,
Aberystwyth Univ,
Reading Univ, CEH,
Rothamsted
Rothamsted
Funding
£k
3.9
Quantifying the risk of
leakage of CO2 from subsurface storage sites
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
3D seismic data is used to track potential leakage routes of CO2 in the
North Sea (Sleipner gas field).
Cardiff Univ
134
Training
Award
2010-14
3.10
Carbon capture and
storage: realising the
potential
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Emphasis on technical, economic and financial uncertainties for CCS
technologies, in policy context. Linkages with USA and China.
Univ of Sussex;
Imperial College
London; Edinburgh
Univ
717
2010-12
3.11
Geological
characterisation of deep
saline aquifers for CO2
storage on the UK
Continental Shelf
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
The project will improve the characterisations of three deep saline
aquifers systems (in Inner Moray Firth, Southern North Sea and East Irish
Sea) using use borehole data and seismic reflection surveys.
Durham Univ
132
2009-13
3.12
Investigating the role of
natural tracers in
subsurface CO2 storage
and monitoring
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
The objective of this project is to identify and quantify natural
geochemical and migration processes (using noble gases and stable
isotope processes) that might be used to assess CO2 dissolution or
reactions with reservoir and seal minerals.
Edinburgh Univ
522
2009-12
3.13
Multiscale whole
systems modelling and
analysis for CO2 capture,
transport and storage
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Development of a systems modelling framework for CCS to quantify
environmental, economic and safety-related metrics.
Imperial College,
Cranfield Univ,
Sussex Univ, BGS
2,257
2010-13
3.14
Predicting the fate of
CO2 in geological
reservoirs for modelling
geological carbon
storage
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Study of the nature and kinetics of fluid-rock interactions between CO2rich brines and rocks, in field settings as well as in laboratory
experiments, in order to formulate and test models of the behaviour and
fate of CO2 injected in geological strata.
Univ of Leeds;
Manchester Univ;
Cambridge Univ
2,456
2008-13
3.15
Qualifying and
Monitoring Potential
Ecosystem Impacts of
Geological Carbon
Storage (QICS)
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Project aims include development of i) formal ecological risk assessment
of CCS; ii) a best practices guide to minimising ecological impacts from
CCS; iii) predictive models applicable to a comprehensive range of leak
and impact scenarios; and iv) guidelines for the detection and monitoring
of leaks, both acute and chronic.
PML; Heriot-Watt
Univ; NOC; SAMS;
BGS; Univ of
Southampton Univ;
Edinburgh Univ
2,619
2010-13
3.16
Sites, regulations and
policies for CO2 capture
and geological storage in
India
NERC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Multidisciplinary study of CCS opportunities in India, including legality
regulation, finance, socio-political drivers and barriers, and identification
of demonstration sites
Edinburgh Univ
3.17
Carbon dioxide capture
and storage
EC
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Project based on test storage sites in the Sleipner gas field (North
Sea/Norway) and at In Salah (Algeria).
BGS
?
Ongoing
3.18
CO2FieldLab
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
The project comprises controlled releases of CO2 in Norwegian marine
sediments, at shallow and very shallow subsurface depths, with intensive
monitoring. Link to Eurogia network.
BGS
?
Ongoing
3.19
Carbon dioxide impacts;
RISCS
CCS focus; however, also relevant to CO2 disposal from direct air capture.
Onshore experiments in the UK and Norway; offshore experiments in the
UK, Netherlands, Italy and Norway; field observations in France, Greece
and Italy. CO2 effects on plants, animals and microbes are measured in
shallow subsurface and just above ground, also impacts on groundwater
chemistry.
BGS
?
Ongoing
EC
98
2009-