The AIA to lead two sessions on contrail mitigation at COP31 Türkiye
The Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) will be attending COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, this November, leading two sessions focused on advancing contrail mitigation as a practical opportunity to reduce aviation’s climate impact.
Taking place on 17 and 18 November 2026, the sessions will bring together expertise from research, industry and policymaking to explore how scientific evidence can inform effective climate policy and how contrail avoidance could be implemented at scale by 2040.
Tuesday 17 November 2026 | 13:30–15:00 | GAUC Pavilion, Blue Zone
Technical guardrails for policy development: the case of contrails and why uncertainty shouldn’t block action
Contrails represent a significant near-term climate mitigation opportunity, with growing evidence suggesting that reducing their formation could approximately halve aviation’s overall climate impact, at substantially lower cost and over shorter timescales than many other interventions.
Despite this potential, contrail mitigation has received relatively limited policy attention.
Led by the AIA experts, this session will explore the scientific, operational and governance foundations needed to develop effective contrail policy. Discussions will focus on establishing appropriate technical guardrails to ensure interventions are safe, measurable and proportionate, while examining how policymakers and industry can make robust decisions in the face of scientific uncertainty.
A central question will be how to distinguish legitimate scientific caution from uncertainty that unnecessarily delays meaningful action.
Please note: A Blue Zone pass is required to attend this event.
Wednesday 18 November 2026 | 16:30–17:30 | South African Pavilion, Blue Zone
Clear Skies Ahead: a 2040 roadmap to cut aviation’s climate impact through navigational contrail avoidance
Contrail avoidance offers an opportunity to reduce aviation’s climate impact using aircraft and technologies already in operation.
Research suggests that relatively small altitude adjustments of around 2,000 feet by approximately 5% of flights could avoid around 80% of contrail-related warming.
Drawing on recent AIA research, this session will present a policy roadmap towards a global contrail avoidance system by 2040, examining the steps needed to translate this potential into practical, coordinated action.
The research indicates that successful implementation could recover an estimated 9% of the remaining Paris-aligned temperature budget, with mitigation costs potentially as low as $1 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent avoided.
Please note: A Blue Zone pass is required to attend this event.
This session will be facilitated by Brandon Staats, with contributions from Dr Samuel Gabra and Edmund Dickens of the Aviation Impact Accelerator:
Connecting research, policy and implementation
Together, these sessions reflect the AIA’s commitment to translating whole-system research into actionable insights for policymakers and industry.
Addressing aviation’s climate impact requires more than identifying technically feasible solutions. It also requires credible evidence, appropriate policy frameworks and practical pathways for implementation.
Through our participation at COP31, we look forward to contributing to these discussions and working with partners across the aviation system to advance informed, effective climate action.