New ICCT study finds that short-lived climate pollutant controls could enable climate-neutral growth in aviation
(San Francisco, CA) September 23, 2025 —   A new study from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) finds that achieving net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from airlines will not be enough to align aviation with the Paris Agreement. Instead, updated strategies need to include controls on short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) like condensation trails (contrails), nitrogen oxides, and black carbon to complement existing greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation.
This report comes as the United Nation’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) gathers in Montreal for its 42nd triennial Assembly from September 23rd to October 3rd, 2025. There, policymakers will debate whether to supplement ICAO’s current 2050 net-zero CO2 goal with supplemental targets for SLCPs, notably contrails. (....)