UK to Fund £50m Sun-Dimming Trials to Combat Climate Change

The UK government is poised to approve £50 million in funding for outdoor experiments designed to dim sunlight as a strategy to address runaway climate change.

The initiative, led by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria), will support projects to be announced in the coming weeks, positioning Britain as a leading funder of geoengineering research globally.

Innovative Approaches to Cooling the Planet

The experiments will focus on sunlight reflection methods. These include Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, which involves releasing tiny particles into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight.

Another method is Marine Cloud Brightening, where ships spray sea-salt particles to enhance cloud reflectivity.

Professor Mark Symes, Aria’s programme director, confirmed that the trials will involve “small controlled outdoor experiments on particular approaches.” He emphasized safety and reversibility. “We have strong requirements around the length of time experiments can run for and their reversibility,” Symes stated. “We won’t be funding the release of any toxic substances to the environment.”

Evidence supporting these methods includes observations of brighter clouds over shipping routes due to sulphur emissions. A 2014 Icelandic volcanic eruption that released sulphur dioxide also cooled the planet.

“If you inject small particles into clouds, you can brighten them, hence reflecting more sunlight back out to space,” said Professor Jim Haywood of the University of Exeter. “Ship emissions… lead to bright lines in clouds over the ocean.”

Balancing Promise and Peril

Scientists see potential in geoengineering to temporarily curb global warming. However, critics warn of risks, including unpredictable weather patterns.

There’s also the danger of accelerated warming if projects are abruptly halted. A 2018 study highlighted that stopping aerosol injection could cause warming 10 times faster than normal.

“Rapid warming after stopping geoengineering would be a huge threat to the natural environment and biodiversity,” said Professor Alan Robock, a study co-author.

Aria’s funding will also support indoor tests, climate monitoring, and public attitude surveys.

If successful, these experiments could scale up within a decade. This offers a temporary solution while emissions reductions continue.