As the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) draws to a close, a historic decision has been made that strengthens the global stance against geoengineering.
The CBD has reaffirmed its call for a global moratorium on geoengineering, reinforcing a commitment made over a decade ago to protect biodiversity and Indigenous lands from the potential harms of unregulated geoengineering projects.
Indigenous groups, youth advocates, and civil society organizations, including the Hands Off Mother Earth (HOME) Alliance, are celebrating this milestone decision. They view it as a critical step toward halting dangerous climate interventions and redirecting focus toward real, sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.
Pacific Islands played a leading role in championing the moratorium at COP16, citing the growing number of uncontrolled geoengineering experiments that pose significant risks to both the environment and human rights. The decision to reaffirm the moratorium, made by consensus among 196 governments, sends a strong message to the world about the importance of caution and precaution in addressing climate change.
The CBD’s efforts to address geoengineering date back to COP10, when it first introduced a de facto moratorium on such activities. This position was strengthened in 2016 at COP13, but despite this, there has been a rise in experimental and commercial geoengineering activities in recent years, raising alarm about their long-term consequences.
Silvia Ribeiro, of the ETC Group, highlighted the decision as a clear indication that geoengineering is not a viable solution to climate change. “The CBD recognized early on that geoengineering could backfire and harm biodiversity,” she said. “The need for a precautionary approach is more urgent than ever.”
Mary Church from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) echoed this sentiment, stressing that governments must now take decisive action to prevent risky geoengineering experiments from proceeding. “The CBD’s precautionary approach is more important than ever,” she said.
Coraina de la Plaza, Global Coordinator for the HOME Alliance, also praised the decision, emphasizing the need to focus on addressing the root causes of climate change and biodiversity loss. “This is a big win for the climate justice movement,” she said. “At COP29, we hope governments will prioritize real solutions, not false fixes like geoengineering.”
As the climate and biodiversity crises continue to worsen, this reaffirmation of the moratorium on geoengineering stands as a critical reminder to the global community that addressing climate change requires thoughtful, sustainable, and equitable solutions, not dangerous and unproven technological fixes.
