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It’s About More Than Just CO₂: Aviation Must Reduce Its Total Impact on Climate

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Aviation's climate impact is roughly three times greater than its CO2 emissions alone, because burning jet fuel at altitude also produces contrails, induced cloudiness, and NOx byproducts that add significant additional warming. A 2020 study by 21 leading scientists found that in 2018, aviation accounted for approximately 5.9% of all human-caused global heating when these non-CO2 effects are included. The fact sheet calls for immediate action including contrail-avoidance flight routing, cleaner fuels, stricter emissions regulations, and reduced air traffic overall.

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Stay Grounded fact sheet (October 2022) on aviation’s total climate impact beyond CO2, citing the Lee et al. 2020 study published in Atmospheric Environment. Documents that aviation’s non-CO2 effects — including persistent contrails, aviation-induced cirrus (AIC), and NOx derivatives — make total aviation climate heating approximately 3 times that of CO2 alone, with aviation accounting for 5.9% of all human-induced climate heating in 2018 (up from the industry-cited 2%). Covers Effective Radiative Forcing (ERF), CORSIA, EU ETS, ICAO, UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, contrail avoidance, low-aromatics kerosene, lean-burn NOx engines, and calls for reducing air traffic to pre-COVID levels, ending airport subsidies and tax exemptions, and substituting rail and renewably-powered ships.

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