2023 AGENDA

In Europe and abroad, climate concerns are growing and subsequently give rise to increasing policy pressure to reduce our environmental impact. For aviation, focus has historically been on CO2 emissions, but other climate impacts - such as those from contrails - see increasing interest, culminating in a proposed inclusion in the European Emissions Trading System.

This presentation will talk to both of these aspects. In Destination 2050, a project commissioned by CANSO and other European aviation trade organisations, Royal NLR and SEO Amsterdam Economics have developed a roadmap towards net-zero CO2. Even though that target was found to be achievable, it requires substantial action and has notable impacts on the future development pathway of aviation.

Destination 2050, however, does not include the impact of non-CO2. That field concerns aircraft emissions other than CO2 which contribute to changes in the chemical composition of the global atmosphere and cloudiness, subsequently changing the earth-atmosphere radiation. Emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and contrail cirrus are the largest non-CO2 effects. Research suggests that a substantial reduction in climate impact could be realised by focused action, presenting an opportunity we cannot miss.