6 Conclusion
123. We are clear that serious consideration for
the regulatory arrangements for geoengineering needs to start
now, not once highly disruptive climate change is under way. If
we start now it will provide the opportunity "to explore
the technological, environmental, political and regulatory issues
in a measured, science-led process".[190]
The UN is the route by which eventually we envisage the regulatory
framework operating but first the UK and other governments need
to prime the UN pump. As Mr Virgoe pointed out, such "an
approach would encourage enhanced awareness of the options and
help ensure that, if and when a crisis arrives, there is a reasonable
chance of getting multilateral agreement to a geoengineering deployment
through the UN.[191]
124. We found collaborative working with the House
Committee to be constructive and rewarding and, we hope, successful.
We have commented on the process to made a number of suggestions
for improvements which should assist future select committees
embarking on collaborative working. Science, technology and engineering
are key to solving global challenges and we commend to our successor
committee international collaboration as an innovative way to
meet these challenges with success.
190 J Virgoe, "International governance of a possible
geoengineering intervention to combat climate change", Climatic
Change, 2009, 95:103-119, para 5 Back
191
As above Back
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