Technical Communication and Geoengineering Standards

A leaked in-progress proposed standard, ISO 14082, details reporting and measuring procedures for radiative forcing (RF), also known as geoengineering. While ISO denies that the standard should be applied to geoengineering approaches, the material detailed in the standard encourages the private development of either solar radiation management or carbon dioxide removal technologies. Understood from a framework of technical communication and geosocial theory, several concerns surface from ISO 14082. The proposed standard advocates for transparency, though does not address all locations for collusion. Likewise, the standard assumes that governments will define risk, though does not acknowledge that RF risks remain unclear. Further, the ISO 14082 intends to promote RF within a carbon credit marketplace, yet misses the opportunity to acknowledge broader climate justice goals and include a diverse array of stakeholders into RF projects. Technical communication scholars, while well-versed in the critical analysis of technical standards, could further adopt a geosocial critique for additional insight into environmental standards development.