TY - JOUR
T1 - Between inflated expectations and inherent distrust:
T2 - How publics see the role of experts in governing climate intervention technologies
AU - Fritz , Livia
AU - Losi, Lucilla
AU - Baum, Chad M.
AU - Low, Sean
AU - Sovacool, Benjamin
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Novel technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and proposals around solar radiation modification, known also as solar geoengineering, display key features of complex problems. These climate intervention technologies are characterized by high uncertainties, value disputes, high stakes and urgency. Such features create wicked conundrums in climate governance. Addressing questions around more effective governance of these technologies necessitates reflections on how different kinds of expertise, normative judgments and democratic decision-making (should) interact. Based on a survey (N = 22,222) and 44 focus groups (N = 323) in 22 countries, we show (i) who publics see as an expert in the field of climate intervention technologies, (ii) what roles they envision for experts in governing climate intervention technologies and (iii) how trust and distrust in scientists unfolds in the context of these novel, partly controversial, technologies. Our findings contribute to the debate regarding public preferences for experts and expertise in decision-making on complex and potentially contested issues. They offer insights for experts in the field on how to communicate and engage in public debate and policymaking as well as on which drivers of public dis-/trust to attend.
AB - Novel technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and proposals around solar radiation modification, known also as solar geoengineering, display key features of complex problems. These climate intervention technologies are characterized by high uncertainties, value disputes, high stakes and urgency. Such features create wicked conundrums in climate governance. Addressing questions around more effective governance of these technologies necessitates reflections on how different kinds of expertise, normative judgments and democratic decision-making (should) interact. Based on a survey (N = 22,222) and 44 focus groups (N = 323) in 22 countries, we show (i) who publics see as an expert in the field of climate intervention technologies, (ii) what roles they envision for experts in governing climate intervention technologies and (iii) how trust and distrust in scientists unfolds in the context of these novel, partly controversial, technologies. Our findings contribute to the debate regarding public preferences for experts and expertise in decision-making on complex and potentially contested issues. They offer insights for experts in the field on how to communicate and engage in public debate and policymaking as well as on which drivers of public dis-/trust to attend.
KW - Carbon dioxide removal
KW - Climate change
KW - Decision-making under uncertainty
KW - Science communication
KW - Science-policy interface
KW - Solar geoengineering
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85216012262
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104005
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104005
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1462-9011
VL - 164
JO - Environmental Science & Policy
JF - Environmental Science & Policy
M1 - 104005
ER -