Cascading security and ethical considerations of Arctic geoengineering solutions

Climate change is generating sufficient risk or even perception of risk for nation-states and their citizens throughout the Arctic, that novel solutions from geoengineering are being increasingly considered to help reduce warming. Currently, geoengineering solutions are still in the early stages of testing and development, and due to the scale of necessary deployments, and their preliminary nature, they are likely to result in unforeseen consequences. The Arctic is an area that is experiencing rapid change, and increased development and exploratory interest, and proposed solutions have the potential to produce new risks to both natural and human systems. This paper examines themes surrounding potential security and ethical considerations relating to geoengineering in the Arctic, and how proactive and preemptive frameworks will be needed to prevent or limit negative consequences as a result of geoengineering efforts. Utilizing the unique structures already present in Arctic governance provides novel options for addressing these concerns, from the perspective of inclusive governance, and through advancing the understanding of uncertainty analysis and precautionary principles.