An epistemic tug-of-war: The knowledge politics of solar radiation modification in multilateral negotiations

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) has gained prominence within multilateral climate negotiations, raising questions about what counts as valid knowledge in environmental decision-making. This article investigates the knowledge politics of SRM in the context of multilateral fora like the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), zooming in on negotiation of policy-relevant knowledge. We identify three forms of contestation: a) contesting forms of knowledge, b) influencing venue selection for SRM, and c) obstructing multilateral agreement. To understand these dynamics, we zoom in on the ‘epistemic tug-of war’ over which forms of knowledge are appropriate for assessing SRM, showing how negotiators contest venues and procedures, aiming to determine the appropriate arena of policy-relevant knowledge production. Based on these findings, we highlight how struggles over institutional authority operate at the multilateral science-policy interface, shaping and constricting multilateral decision-making on SRM.