High albedo vs low albedo Albedo is a measure of the amount of light reflected back by an object that is incident on it.

So, high albedo means that a greater portion of light falling on something is reflected back. This also means a that greater amount of light goes back towards outer space which is then absorbed by the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. Thus high albedo contributes to global warming.

Now, if we consider low albedo, then that means a greater portion of light is absorbed thus raising the temperature or otherwise the heat content of the body. Less light is reflected back for greenhouse gases to capture. But then absorbed heat itself contributes towards global warming.

So as I understand, both low and high albedo contribute towards global warming. Is this understanding of mine correct?

When we do climate change engineering, what do we try to do in terms of albedo? Do we try to achieve high albedo or low albedo?

Additionally I want to know about the effect of 'concrete jungles' in urban areas on global warming?
tl,dr: low albedo = warming (more energy absorbed); high albedo = cooling (more energy reflected).

In principle, and grossly simplifying, energy from the sun warms the ground and less the air. The overlying air is then warmed by the ground, leading to convection, pressure differences, and all that.

So, a high albedo atmosphere would prevent sunlight from reaching the ground, having a cooling effect. Equally, a high albedo ground would reflect more sunlight, less warming the air. That's why glaciers or pole caps of ice have a feedback effect on cooling.

Furthermore, wavelengths reflected by clouds can help cooling an area by day, but also trap warmth radiating from the ground when they move over it. That depends on the situation.

A low albedo atmosphere would let more sunlight pass. In conjunction with a low albedo ground it has a warming effect. Again a potential feedback when ice starts to melt and exposes more ground, leading to more warming, etc.

An open sky will allow warming of the ground by day, but also partly cools back to space by night (continental or desert climate). Greenhouse gases are those that reflect this emitted radiation back instead of letting it escape into space.

Highly populated areas can have a "heat island effect", because of the low albedo of asphalt and concrete and the lack of plants and foliage to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis and evaporate ground water and thus cool.

That (highly controversial and IMO only driven by economic interest) geoengineering thing is about raising the albedo of the stratosphere in order to reflect more sunlight before it reaches the ground. Its adverse effects on ocean acidification and damage to marine life and terrestrial plants and animals ("acid rain") and unresolved side effects could outweigh the potential benefits. But that is a discussion on its own, IMO.

Hope that helps.