We help policymakers and industry make informed decisions about sustainable aviation.

Independent analysis and whole-system insight into aviation transition.

The 2030 sustainable aviation goals established a strict five-year roadmap to activate four breakthrough, system-wide transformations and avoid derailing the aviation sector’s goal of reaching net-zero climate impact by 2050.

Launch the report

Aviation

Operation blue skies

Rerouting flights to avoid contrail formation could reduce aviation’s total climate impact by up to 40% — at an average cost of just 1% on a ticket price.

Systems efficiency

Flying slower, replacing fleets faster, and matching aircraft to routes could cut aviation fuel burn by up to 50% by 2050 without any transformative technology.

Truly sustainable and scalable fuel

Sustainable aviation fuel can deliver 50–70% emissions reductions by 2050, but only if governments act now to coordinate resources use across sectors.

Moonshots

Investing immediately in frontier technologies like hydrogen propulsion gives governments a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead a new industry.

Partners & contributors

We collaborate with stakeholders across academia, industry and government.

spire
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Sustainable Markets Initiative
Whittle Laboratory
Department for Transport
Rolls-Royce
RAF
MIT
Heathrow
Emirates
contrails.org
Boeing

Latest insights

View all insights

October 29, 2026

The AIA to lead two sessions on contrail mitigation at COP31 Türkiye

The case of contrails and a 2040 roadmap to cut aviation’s climate impact through navigational…

Continue reading

Carbon, contrails & cocktails

August 5, 2026

Reducing climate impact through contrail avoidance

March 30, 2026

Aviation Impact Accelerator work highlights the need for coordinated policy action to accelerate climate-neutral aviation

March 23, 2026

Explore our work

Supporting the UK’s transition to Jet Zero through the SAF Mandate

Our impact

UK Parliament

Convening evidence-led dialogue on the future of UK aviation

Our impact

The 2030 sustainable aviation goals: Five years to chart a new future for aviation

Target True Zero – Unlocking sustainable battery and hydrogen-powered flight

Download the report
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Ongoing contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Our impact

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Developing marginal abatement cost curves for net zero aviation

Our impact

The climate opportunities and risks of contrail avoidance

Our work draws upon the University of Cambridge‘s academic expertise and research rigour, together with the engineering capabilities of the Whittle Laboratory and the sustainability and policy expertise of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).

Whittle Laboratory Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership