EU Aviation: Non-CO2 Expert Network
Challenge
The ‘European Climate Law’ makes reaching the EU’s climate goal of reducing EU emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, a legal obligation. EU countries are working to achieve this goal and make the EU climate-neutral by 2050. Recognising that the climate effects of aviation non-CO2 emissions add to the damaging impacts on the climate from CO2 emissions, the EU is committed to act to reduce them both. In addition to existing policy measures (e.g. Aircraft engine emissions certification requirements, ReFuelEU Aviation, EU ETS non-CO2 MRV Framework), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was given a “NONCO2” research action under Horizon Europe aiming at “Strengthening and coordinating a European network of experts in support to non-CO2 emission impact assessment and policy option assessment”. The goal of the “Aviation Non-CO2 Expert Network (ANCEN)” is to facilitate a coordinated approach on the topic of climate change effects from aviation non-CO2 emissions across a wide range of relevant stakeholders (e.g. scientific community, academia, manufacturers, aircraft operators, fuel producers, air navigation service providers, non-governmental organisations, regulators, analysts and policymakers) in order to provide objective, timely, common and credible technical advice.
Approach
Ricardo, in collaboration with Env-isa, has been appointed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to support a new technical community to explore the issue.
The Aviation Non-CO2 Expert Network (ANCEN) brings together around 50 representatives from industry – airlines, air navigation service providers, manufacturers, fuel producers – alongside specialists from government, regulation and academia.
Ricardo’s team coordinates the Network’s activities, monitors progress against objectives, and provides communication with the aviation sector.
Results
The objective of ANCEN is to strengthen and coordinate a European network of experts across a range of stakeholder groups. ANCEN aims to provide technical support on the development, agreement and implementation of effective actions within Europe and internationally to reduce the overall climate impacts from aviation, taking into account both CO2 and non-CO2 emissions.
The ANCEN Work Programme is continuously reviewed in order to identify tasks that can support the wider discussions on the climate impact from aviation non-CO2 emissions, taking into account the evolving discussion on this topic.
The outcome of the Year 1 activities is summarised in the ANCEN Annual Report Year 1, and the deliverables from the work of the Task Groups can be found below.
Update:
Initial set of ANCEN Background Notes provide insight into aviation’s non-CO₂ climate impacts and mitigation options
The Aviation Non-CO₂ Expert Network (ANCEN) has published three new Background Notes that clarify how aviation’s CO₂ and non-CO₂ emissions affect the climate and what this means for future mitigation strategies. Developed under the Horizon Europe “NONCO2” research action, these notes are designed to support policymakers, industry stakeholders and the wider community with concise, science-based information.
The first note, Climate effect of aviation contrails, summarises current scientific understanding of contrails and contrail-cirrus clouds and their contribution to human-induced warming. It highlights that, while individual contrails can be short-lived, their aggregated climate effect is potentially significant and remains subject to important uncertainties that ongoing research aims to narrow.
The second note, Time scales of the climate effects of aviation CO₂ and non-CO₂ emissions, explains why CO₂ effects persist over decades to millennia, whereas most non-CO₂ effects are shorter-lived but can be large in the near term. The note highlights that reducing CO₂ emissions is crucial to limit long-term warming, while also emphasising the potential for targeted reductions in non-CO₂ emissions to yield more rapid climate benefits.
The third note, Benefits of changes in fuel composition on aviation non-CO₂ emissions, describes how fuel properties such as hydrogen content, aromatics, naphthalene and sulphur influence non-CO₂ emissions, including soot and particulate matter. It summarises recent evidence that Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and other high-hydrogen, low-sulphur fuels can substantially reduce particle emissions and associated contrail ice crystal formation, with the potential to lower contrail-cirrus related climate impacts.
These three publications are part of ANCEN’s Task 7 work to provide clear communication materials on aviation non-CO₂ effects and to place them in context with CO₂ impacts. These initial Background Notes complement previous ANCEN outputs and will inform future discussions on effective mitigation measures at the EU and international level. Further Notes on other relevant topics linked to non-CO2 impacts will follow.
The Background Notes are available to download on the links below:
ANCEN Background Note 1 — Climate Effect of Aviation Contrails
ANCEN Background Note 2 — Time scales of the climate effect of CO2 and non-CO2 emissions
ANCEN Background Note 3 — Benefits of changes in fuel composition on aviation non-CO2 emissions
Downloads: