Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Paragraph: 30
Non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation remain unquantifiable and poorly understood
Conclusion
The impact of conventional aviation activity on climate is still not fully quantifiable. While the contribution of aviation to levels of atmospheric CO and other greenhouse 2 gases is quantifiable and substantial, the climate impact of other emissions from aviation is currently not well understood and difficult to quantify. Measures to decarbonise the sector are vital: but removing carbon dioxide from aviation activity is unlikely to eliminate its overall impact on the environment. The Government has acknowledged the contribution of non-CO2 effects from aviation in the development of its strategy for decarbonising aviation, and is examining methods of mitigating non-CO2 effects from aviation which uses fuels which have a reduced carbon footprint.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, affirming its commitment to accelerate work on aviation's non-CO2 climate impacts by launching a multi-year, multi-million research program and establishing a Task and Finish Group that agreed to short-term actions for 2024. Findings from this research will be incorporated into the major review of the Jet Zero Strategy in 2027, with annual monitoring starting in 2025.
Paragraph Reference:
30
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government agrees with this recommendation. In the Jet Zero Strategy, the Government recognises that aviation has both CO emissions and non-CO climate impacts that need to be addressed. Whilst the impact of CO 2 2 emissions can be quantified, academic research shows that there continues to be significant uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the non-CO impacts on the climate. Through the Jet Zero Strategy, we confirmed our intention to accelerate our work to address aviation’s non-CO impacts by better developing our understanding of their impact and potential mitigations. DfT, alongside the Natural Environment Research Council and the Department for Business and Trade launched a multi-year, multi-million research programme to support the commitments set out in the Jet Zero Strategy. The first call for projects was launched on 13 October 2023 and seeks applications from academic institutions, although collaboration with industry is encouraged. The first call closed on 30 January 2024, and we plan to launch an industry call for projects later this year4. DfT also awarded contracts for two research projects in November 2023, focusing on a literature review of existing research on aviation’s non-CO impacts, an evaluation of methodologies for measuring aviation’s non-CO impacts, and investigating the impact of reducing the aromatic content of kerosene on contrail formation. The findings from these projects will feed into the wider multi-year research programme. As part of the Jet Zero Council, the Government has set up a Non-CO Task and Finish Group, which brings together experts from industry and academia to identify and progress tasks to help us better understand aviation’s non-CO impacts and agree what mitigating actions government and industry should take. The group will also share information and knowledge and aim to build consensus where possible on this complex issue. The Task and Finish Group met in November 2023 to agree a set of short-term actions to take forward in 2024. In the Jet Zero Strategy, the Government also committed to monitor progress against our emissions reduction trajectory on an annual basis from 2025, with a major review of 3 https://www.ukri.org/publications/ati-programme-strategic-batches-application-guidance/ati-programme- strategic-batches-what-funding-you-can-get-and-how-to-apply/ 4 https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/jet-zero-aviations-non-co2-impacts-on-the-climate/ the Strategy and delivery plan every five years. The first major review will be in 2027, five years after publication of the Strategy in 2022, and we will ensure that findings from this research are considered in the review process.