Executive Summary
Aviation-induced cloudiness, commonly known as contrails, significantly contributes to aviation's overall climate impact. Contrail cirrus clouds currently cause more warming than accumulated aviation CO2 emissions, underscoring the urgent need for focused mitigation measures. Effective strategies include operational adjustments, such as rerouting flights to avoid contrail-prone regions, and technological advancements, particularly the use of innovative low-aromatic fuels like DM-XTech's Low Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF).
Current policies in the UK and EU, while ambitious regarding CO2 emissions through Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandates, have not adequately addressed the unique warming impacts from contrails. To ensure aviation's sustainable future, addressing contrails must receive equal urgency and rigorous attention as CO2 mitigation.
