UK Launches £61 Million Climate Cooling Programme to Combat Global Warming

In late 2024, the United Kingdom's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) announced the "Exploring Climate Cooling Programme," a £57 million initiative aimed at researching climate engineering technologies to mitigate global warming. By April 2025, ARIA, in collaboration with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), had allocated a total of £61 million to fund multiple research projects under this programme.

The programme focuses on investigating various solar radiation management (SRM) techniques, including:

• Stratospheric Aerosol Injection: Introducing reflective particles into the upper atmosphere to deflect sunlight.

• Marine Cloud Brightening: Spraying seawater to enhance cloud reflectivity.

• Cirrus Cloud Thinning: Seeding ice nuclei into cirrus clouds to reduce their warming effect.

These methods aim to reduce Earth's surface temperature by limiting solar radiation.

The initiative includes small-scale outdoor experiments designed to gather empirical data, addressing the lack of real-world evidence in climate change mitigation efforts. To ensure safety and environmental responsibility, the programme prohibits the release of toxic substances, mandates comprehensive environmental impact assessments, and requires consultation with local communities affected by the experiments.

This significant investment positions the UK as a leading funder of climate engineering research, especially as other nations, such as the United States, are predicted to decrease their contributions in this area.

Critics, including several prominent climate researchers, have characterized the solar radiation management experiments to be conducted by the programme as an ill-conceived approach that diverts attention from the essential task of reducing carbon emissions. Senior researchers Michael Mann and Raymond Pierrehumbert have characterized the efforts as a "dangerous distraction" from underlying sources of climate change, and akin to "taking aspirin for cancer."

The UK's substantial investment in SRM research, including methods like stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening, underscores a proactive approach to climate mitigation. However, this initiative has drawn criticism from experts who argue that such geoengineering efforts may divert attention from essential carbon emission reductions.

The UK's "Exploring Climate Cooling Programme" represents a significant step in climate engineering research, aiming to develop innovative methods to combat global warming. While the initiative has garnered substantial funding and positions the UK as a leader in this field, it also faces criticism from experts who caution against potential risks and emphasize the importance of focusing on reducing carbon emissions.