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A4Climate
Project type
Research
Date
1 February 2025 - 31 January 2029
Role
Contributor and Work Package Lead
Link
Link
Project Description
Contrails and other non-CO2 effects significantly contribute to global warming from air traffic. Mitigating these effects could halve aviation’s effective radiative forcing within a decade. However, large uncertainties currently hinder progress, even as the EU mandates their monitoring by 2028. The EU-funded A4CLIMATE project tackles this challenge by enhancing understanding of engine emissions, contrails, and their climate impact.
A4CLIMATE uses a cutting-edge contrail prediction tool to evaluate 400 airline flights avoiding contrails. Groundbreaking research will investigate contrail formation by modern cleaner propulsion systems. A4CLIMATE also generates critical and comprehensive atmospheric data from a unique research aircraft campaign. Bringing together partners across nine countries, A4CLIMATE aims to deliver actionable solutions, paving the way for sustainable aviation practices.
The A4Climate project is an ambitious EU-funded initiative that aims to significantly reduce aviation's climate impact by addressing one of the most overlooked contributors to global warming: aircraft contrails. These high-altitude ice crystal formations, along with other non-CO2 emissions from aviation, contribute substantially to climate change—yet targeted mitigation strategies have been hindered by scientific uncertainties. A4Climate brings together 17 partners across 9 countries to develop and validate cutting-edge contrail prediction technology, conducting real-world testing on 400 airline flights to demonstrate contrail avoidance strategies. The project combines groundbreaking laboratory research on modern engine emissions, comprehensive atmospheric data collection through specialized research aircraft campaigns, and the development of real-time software tools that airlines can use to make climate-conscious flight decisions. With the potential to halve aviation's climate forcing within a decade and support upcoming EU regulatory requirements for contrail monitoring, A4Climate represents a critical step toward sustainable aviation practices that could transform how the industry approaches its environmental impact.
