Ghanaian Youth Champion African Leadership on Climate Justice, Urge Global Ban on Solar Geoengineering

 

Youth organizations in Ghana and across Africa, representing climate justice networks, community development coalitions, and advocacy platforms, have raised concerns over the growing promotion of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) as a climate policy solution. They argue that SRM—a speculative geoengineering technology designed to artificially cool the planet by reflecting sunlight—poses grave environmental and governance risks while diverting attention from genuine, people-centered climate solutions.

According to the youth coalition, SRM is being advanced by a small group of techno-elite interests and fails to address the root causes of the climate crisis, such as fossil fuel dependency, land degradation, inequality, and ecological injustice. Instead, it introduces new risks that could burden future generations. “SRM shifts global attention from transformation to manipulation, from resilience to risk-taking, and from justice to techno-authoritarianism,” the statement read.

Call for Real, Community-Centered Climate Action

Rather than experimenting with untested planetary interventions, African youth movements are advocating for science-based, justice-led approaches that strengthen community resilience. These include expanding community-owned renewable energy, promoting agroecology for food sovereignty, developing climate-resilient water systems, and supporting adaptation strategies rooted in indigenous and traditional knowledge.

These proven solutions, the statement emphasizes, are equitable, scalable, and already delivering tangible results across Africa. Unlike SRM—which would concentrate control in the hands of a few—real climate action decentralizes power, restores ecosystems, and empowers local communities. “Climate action must protect life, not add new risks; empower people, not displace agency; and uphold justice, not reproduce inequality,” the youth affirmed.

SRM: A False Solution with Dangerous Consequences

The youth groups warn that proponents of SRM frame it as an “emergency option,” yet its adoption could delay the only genuine solution to the climate crisis—deep, rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a complete phaseout of fossil fuels. They argue that SRM could create a “moral hazard,” allowing high-emitting countries and corporations to postpone their climate responsibilities while undermining the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Scientific assessments suggest that deploying SRM could disrupt rainfall patterns across West Africa, including the monsoon systems vital for food production. Such disruptions would disproportionately harm smallholder farmers already grappling with drought, water stress, and crop failure. “SRM would amplify Africa’s climate risks rather than reduce them,” the statement warned.

Legal, Ethical, and Governance Implications

The youth coalition further noted that SRM violates established principles of international environmental law, including the precautionary principle enshrined in the Rio Declaration. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has maintained a de facto moratorium on geoengineering, reaffirmed unanimously in 2024. Additionally, any unilateral deployment of SRM affecting African skies would breach national sovereignty and the right of communities to free, prior, and informed consent.

Governance concerns are also significant. Experts warn that once SRM begins, it would have to continue for centuries to prevent catastrophic “termination shock,” a rapid rebound in global temperatures if halted. Over 600 scientists have declared SRM to be “ungovernable”, calling for a Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement (SGNUA) to prevent its development and deployment.

Africa’s Leadership and a Call for Global Action

The youth expressed pride in Africa’s leadership on this issue, commending the 2025 African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) for unanimously rejecting SRM as a viable option and calling for a binding global non-use agreement.

“Our generation will not accept a future controlled by elites who treat the Earth like a thermostat,” the youth declared. “Real climate leadership means rejecting dangerous distractions and investing in solutions that promote dignity, equity, and ecological integrity. SRM is not a climate solution—it is a political hazard and a moral failure.”

Key Demands

The Ghanaian and African youth movements join scientists, civil society, and governments worldwide in demanding a Global Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement. Their key demands include:

1. A Legally Binding Global Non-Use Agreement: Prohibit deployment, outdoor experimentation, patenting, public funding, or promotion of solar geoengineering, upholding the precautionary principle and protecting global climate systems.
2. Ban on Patents and Commercialization: Reinforce the CBD moratorium by banning patents and private or military development of SRM technologies that pose irreversible ecological risks.
3. Redirect Climate Finance: Ensure public and multilateral funds prioritize proven solutions—emissions reduction, adaptation, and resilience-building—over speculative geoengineering.
4. Close Policy Gaps: Urge COP, UNEA, and UNFCCC parties to close loopholes that could normalize SRM research under misleading pretexts.
5. Protect African Sovereignty: Safeguard African nations from unauthorized atmospheric interventions that could threaten ecosystems, economies, and livelihoods.

Our World, Our Rights, Our Future

The statement concludes with a powerful reminder:

“The world must act now to prevent planetary manipulation. Our climate future should be defined by justice, responsibility, and science—not by risky experiments that endanger life and deepen inequality.”

Source: modernghana.com