Geoengineering and Global Security: The Geopolitics of Unilateral Climate Intervention

Abstract

Geoengineering, in particular solar radiation management (SRM), is receiving more attention as a possible reaction to global warming as the effects of climate change worsen. SRM proponents frequently present it as a quick, affordable, and technically possible way to slow down global warming. However, SRM presents significant ethical, political, and security issues; it is by no means a neutral or solely scientific answer. If it is implemented unilaterally by strong nations or non-state actors without international agreement, it has the potential to drastically alter international relations. This essay critically examines the hazards connected with unilateral geoengineering, noting how such interventions may destabilize current power systems, increase geopolitical rivalries, and generate new kinds of environmental and social inequity. It highlights how SRM could transform the climate catastrophe from an environmental issue into a geopolitical one where issues of legitimacy, control, and accountability are central by examining the connections between security studies, international law, and climate ethics. The study makes the case that geoengineering may make the problems it aims to solve worse rather than better if there is a lack of strong global governance, open decision-making, and fair participation of vulnerable countries. In order to guarantee that any future climate initiatives do not jeopardise global security or justice, the report concludes by urging immediate international discussion and the creation of legally binding frameworks.