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(13) Aviation also has an impact on the climate through the release of nitrogen oxides, water vapour and sulphate and soot particles at high altitudes, which could have a significant climate effect, according to scientific research. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that the total climate impact of aviation is currently two to four times higher than the effect of its past carbon dioxide emissions alone. Pending scientific progress, all impacts of aviation should be addressed to the extent possible. In Directive 2008/101/EC a Commission proposal on nitrogen oxides was envisaged in 2008. Despite the technical and political difficulties involved, the Commission should speed up its work in that regard. Research on the formation of condensation trails, also known as contrails, on their evolution into cirrus clouds, on the smaller direct effects of sulphate aerosols and soot, and on effective mitigation measures, including operational and technical measures, should also be promoted.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.