UK research programme on aviation’s non-CO2 impacts on the climate

The climate impacts of aviation arise in 3 main ways. Carbon dioxide is the inevitable consequence of burning hydrocarbon fuels. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are formed by the high temperatures in jet engines and subsequently affect the concentrations of the greenhouse gases ozone and methane. Contrails and cirrus are produced following the emission of a range of particle precursors under certain atmospheric conditions. Roughly, contrail-cirrus is responsible for half of the overall climate impact of aviation, NOx for a sixth, and CO₂ the remaining third. Significant climate wins would result from reducing NOx and contrail-cirrus, the non-CO₂ impacts from aviation.

The UK government has established a £30M research programme on Aviation’s non-CO₂ Impacts on the Climate which covers atmospheric and technological projects involving academia and industry and funded through Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). In this way it links the climate science and technology research. The programme focuses on (a) improving our understanding of aviation’s non-CO₂ impacts; and (b) identifying and developing mitigating actions to address those impacts.

The research programme brings together atmospheric scientists, technologists, industry partners and policymakers to research into how NOx emissions, contrails and other non-CO₂ effects influence climate, as well as into realistic mitigation options. The coordination team provides strategic direction, integrates findings to offer higher-level insights, and facilitates engagement with government (especially Department for Transport and Department for Business & Trade), industry, NGOs and international experts. Activities include workshops, annual meetings, cross-project synthesis and policy-facing assessments. The project aims to deliver evidence that informs operational, technological and regulatory decisions, supporting the UK’s transition to lower-impact aviation

This presentation describes the projects covered in the proposals, their achieved and intended key learnings and how research in the various projects will be used to provide actionable outcomes. Opportunities for collaboration with international partners will be discussed.