A recent ICAO Symposium on non-CO2 aviation emissions highlighted the reluctance within the aviation industry to address non-CO2 emissions, despite their significant climate impact. Non-CO2 emissions, such as contrails, have been known to contribute substantially to global warming since the 1970s, with major findings published by the IPCC as far back as 1999. Yet, many in the industry continue to cite scientific uncertainty as a reason to delay taking action.

While some uncertainty remains, several existing technologies and solutions, like contrail avoidance software, have proven effective in reducing non-CO2 emissions. Despite this, the symposium was dominated by discussions that emphasized doubts rather than concrete action plans. Critical issues like the urgency of the climate crisis and the availability of practical solutions were sidelined.

The article argues that the aviation industry should start using the available tools to reduce emissions now instead of waiting for perfect science. The time to act is urgent, given the already severe impacts of climate change, and waiting for absolute certainty is not an option.

The core message: there is enough evidence and technology to begin mitigating non-CO2 aviation emissions today, but the industry's hesitation and over-reliance on uncertainty are stalling progress.

Read the full article here:

https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/cutting-through-the-noise-on-contrails