We are pleased to announce the publication of the first article of the project, entitled Convergences and Gaps between Environmental Ethics, Climate Ethics, and Research Ethics: A Scoping Review, in the peer-reviewed journal Science and Engineering Ethics.
Authored by Michel Bourban, Dominic Lenzi, Mads P. Sørensen, Rachel Fishberg, Jan Mehlich, Fabian Fischbach, José Luis Molina, Kasandra I. H. M. Poague, Alexandra Csábi, Rose Heffernan, Rosie Hastings, and Anaïs Rességuier, this article marks an important milestone for the project and sets the conceptual foundations for its subsequent research.
The paper addresses the ethical challenges posed by contemporary scientific research and technological innovation, particularly in relation to environmental and climate impacts. While innovation can help to reduce environmental and social harms, it can also intensify ecological pressures and generate new forms of risk. Against this backdrop, the authors argue for more forward-looking and anticipatory forms of research governance capable of responding to these tensions.
Drawing on a systematic review of academic literature conducted within WP1, the study examines how environmental ethics, climate ethics, and research ethics are currently conceptualised and how they intersect. A central finding is the limited extent to which environmental and climate-related concerns have been incorporated into existing research ethics frameworks. The analysis highlights the need to strengthen these frameworks by integrating insights from environmental ethics and climate justice.
The article also uncovers significant imbalances in the literature, notably a strong focus on climate change—and particularly on the ethics and governance of geoengineering—at the expense of other environmental issues. The authors caution against treating geoengineering governance as a broadly applicable model for research oversight and call for a more inclusive ethical agenda.
By identifying both convergences and gaps across these ethical domains, the article outlines a future research agenda aimed at fostering deeper integration between research ethics and environmental and climate ethics, thereby supporting more responsible research and innovation.
Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-025-00575-8