Vision & Mission
A4Climate is built around four key objectives designed to advance climate-neutral aviation by tackling the urgent challenge of aviation’s non-CO₂ effects, especially contrails:
Understand Contrail Formation in Low-Soot Conditions
Investigate how non-soot particles—like those from sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), lubrication oils, and sulfate aerosols—contribute to contrail ice formation when soot emissions are low. This knowledge is essential for assessing the climate impact of modern lean-burn engines and future hydrogen propulsion technologies.
Measure and Model Aircraft Aerosol Effects on Clouds
Conduct dedicated research flights to collect high-quality atmospheric data on humidity, aerosols, and cloud properties. This will help improve our understanding of how aircraft emissions affect both high-altitude contrail cirrus and lower-altitude natural clouds.
Demonstrate and Evaluate Contrail Avoidance in Real Flights
Perform over 400 airline demonstration flights optimized to avoid climate-warming contrails. These trials will test and refine flight planning tools that balance climate benefits with fuel and cost efficiency, using real-time weather and contrail predictions.
Deliver Tools and Recommendations for Climate-Optimized Aviation
Develop open-access software to visualize contrail predictability, climate impact, and mitigation costs. Provide science-based recommendations to policymakers and industry to support climate-optimized flight operations, cleaner engine technologies, and the targeted use of SAF.
Together, these objectives aim to deliver fast-acting, scientifically sound solutions that can reduce aviation’s total climate impact—helping the EU reach its climate goals while keeping air transport efficient and sustainable.