Monitoring Non-CO2 Aviation Effects

The Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) is actively engaged with the European Commission's initiative to establish a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework for non-CO2 aviation effects. The European aviation industry is working to address both CO2 and non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation for a sustainable future.

Notably, ASD together with the main players of the European aviation sector (including Europe’s airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air navigation service providers) have laid out a joint long-term vision – Destination 20501 – to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and to reduce absolute CO2 emissions for intra EU, EEA and UK flights by 55% by 2030.

Key ASD recommendations for the MRV Framework

• Provide scientifically validated information for policymakers.
• Minimise administrative burden while ensuring robust data governance.
• Recognise limited and varied capabilities for data collection based on aircraft types.
• Address confidentiality and open access concerns critical to the success of the MRV framework.
• Emphasise the importance of three-dimensional aircraft trajectory data, recommending the use of ADS-B track data.
• Highlight challenges and potential solutions for collecting ambient humidity and temperature data.
• Acknowledge the complexity of quantifying non-CO2 emissions' climate impact.
• Recommend collaboration with atmospheric scientists and explore alternative approaches.
• Support ongoing academic and industry research to enhance understanding of non-CO2 aviation effects.
• Encourage collaboration with projects like SESAR 3, such as CICONIA and CONCERTO, for valuable insights.
• Support the development of reliable humidity sensors and high-altitude weather forecast models.

ASD advocates a phased approach to the MRV system, recognising existing data collection efforts and regularly reviewing the framework to integrate scientific advancements. This approach ensures the framework remains dynamic, aligning with the latest research and fostering effective EU regulations on aviation non-CO2 emissions.