Accelerating climate neutral aviation, minimising non-CO2 emissions
Closed
Status as published by the data source.
Expected Outcome:
Project results should focus to the minimisation of aviation non-CO2 emissions. Project results are expected to contribute to at least three of the following expected outcomes:
• Primarily, further increase the scientific understanding related to the impact of aerosols on clouds as well as the contribution of aviation NOx emissions to climate change.
• Investigate further on how to support potential policy measures identified in the EASA study[1], including whether they are proportionate, feasible and reduce the overall climate impact (CO2 and non-CO2 emissions).
• Perform detailed analysis of optimal relation between costs and climate.
• Perform engine gas and particle emissions characterisation, when data is incomplete or unavailable.
• Perform flight tests and demonstrate the benefits and fuel burn trade-offs of avoiding climate sensitive regions.
• Perform hydrogen and aviation drop-in fuel research with an eye towards reducing further non-CO2 emissions.
• Develop further real-time decision-support software for airlines and ATM, to predict the location and global warming impact of contrail and contrail cirrus formation. Scope:
EU-studies show that approximately 50-75% of aviation’s climate impact is caused by non-CO2 emissions. It is because of their local geographical character, their dependency on atmospheric phenomena, the incomplete understanding and uncertainty as well as operational trade-offs that non-CO2 emissions have been less-targeted so far from international and European regulatory measures. Recent studies show that cost-effective mitigation measures are possible, provided that focused R&I actions together with flight tests resolve the final uncertainties. However, today any avoidance that increases CO2 emissions, even at a net reduction of overall climate warming impact, introduces a complex policy issue of mitigating short-term versus long term climate effects.
Recent EU and National-funded research activities (i.e. FP7-REACT4C, SESAR-FLyATM4E, ALARM, SINOPTICA, DLR-WeCARE, H2020-ACACIA, HE-BECOM) characterized better the contrail formation and provided more insight in the aviation NOx emissions and ozone formation. The studies also showed that if aircraft operations are only optimized for fuel use, they may have an increased climate impact, since non-CO2 effects may compensate the reduced warming from CO2 savings.
Avoiding climate sensitive regions has a large potential in reducing climate impact at relatively low costs without causing significantly more CO2 emissions that outweigh the overall climate effect. The integration of data analytics and weather forecasting into advanced decision-support software tools that are able to predict real-time the contrail formation as well as propose alternative paths, are well in-line with the scope of this topic. This topic aims to integrate and provide clear operational guidelines supported by validated flight tests. Engine gas and particle emissions characterisation, when data is incomplete or unavailable, is in-line with the scope of this topic.
As a follow-up of EASA study, on non-CO2 climate impacts, and for the standardisation in view of safety considerations and future certification, the involvement of EASA is necessary (e.g. as part of the steering group), as well as the coordination with ICAO relevant groups (CAEP).
Synergies with SESAR3 should also be exploited – in view of the relevant topics in the SESAR3 JU bi-annual work programme 2022-2023. Furthermore, international collaboration for research and Air-Traffic Management should be sought (e.g. SESAR/NextGen).
Synergies may also be considered with the Digital Sky Demonstrators, including in particular flights for demonstrating green trajectories or equipped with sensors to collect data for the assessment of the non-CO2 impact on aviation. Finally, synergies with Destination Earth should also be sought.
null
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 2-4 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1] COM(2020) 747 final - Updated analysis of the non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation and potential policy measures pursuant to EU Emissions Trading System Directive Article 30(4).
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- (time not stated)
- Opens
- Published
- Total budget
- €17,000,000
- Grant range
- €4,000,000 – €5,000,000
- Country
- European Union (EU-wide)
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Official page
- Open at the source portal
Other calls under Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- PV based electrification of the economy: Designing & optimising PV systems supporting industrial electrification and promoting participation in electricity markets (EUPI-PV Partnership)
- Advanced TSO control rooms to enhance grid observability, stability and resilience
- Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADSM) for more efficient and flexible distribution grids
- Community of practice - Data-Driven Decision-Making in Energy
- Industrial processes and equipment for innovative, reliable and scalable tandem technologies (EUPI-PV Partnership)
- Integrated Approaches for Retrofitting Infrastructures with Innovative Energy Storage Technologies
- Demonstration of hydropower technologies for efficient and forward-looking refurbishment of existing hydropower plants
- Delivery of industrial CCUS clusters – Societal Readiness pilot
All calls under this programme
Similar opportunities
- Assessing the effect of airport operations on air quality and noise in nearby communities
- Improve the capacity to monitor and reduce air pollution from agriculture
- Developing effective air quality planning strategies through innovative multi-scale modelling
- Sustainable aircraft circular design and additive manufacturing, towards a climate neutral aviation
- Competitiveness and digital transformation in aviation – advancing further composite aerostructures
- Development of microalgae and/or direct solar fuel production and purification technologies for advanced aviation and /or shipping fuels
Where this came from
- Source document
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/data/topicDetails/horizon-cl5-2024-d5-01-07.json
- Document fingerprint
85447f1e809d56f1(SHA-256, first 16 hex characters)- Retrieved
- First recorded here
What has changed
- url first recorded as https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl5-2024-d5-01-07 on
- currency first recorded as EUR on
- amount_max first recorded as 5000000.00 on
- amount_min first recorded as 4000000.00 on
- budget_total first recorded as 17000000.00 on
- deadline first recorded as 2024-04-18 on
- opens_on first recorded as 2023-12-07 on
- published_on first recorded as 2022-12-07 on
- status_basis first recorded as source_status on
- status first recorded as closed on
- title first recorded as Accelerating climate neutral aviation, minimising non-CO2 emissions on
Data source
© European Union, 2026. Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU — CC BY 4.0.
Retrieved from the source on .
The source last updated this document on Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:04:10 GMT.
Personal data of natural persons has been dissociated by quiescence.eu.
This service is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the data publishers.