ICCT: 2050 CO2 target 'necessary but not sufficient' to align aviation with Paris Agreement

International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) reported (23-Sep-2025) the following conclusions from its Vision 2050 decarbonisation roadmap:

• In the 'Full Breakthrough' scenario, which blends maximum greenhouse gas (GHG) and short lived climate pollutants (SLCP) mitigation, additional aviation warming could be reduced by more than 90% below the 'Historical Trends' scenario and limit aviation's share of additional contribution to the remaining 1.7C budget to 2%;
• The 2050 net zero CO2 target "is a necessary but not sufficient condition to align aviation with the Paris Agreement";
• SLCP controls, notably contrail avoidance, can complement GHG mitigation by delivering "substantial" near term reductions via easier to implement technology solutions;
• Four mitigation levers, comprising contrail avoidance, sustainable aviation fuels, hydrotreating and operational efficiency, are projected to account for nearly 90% of avoidable warming in 2050;
• Control of SLCPs is estimated to result in a climate benefit, despite the expected increase in GHG emissions from their implementation. [more - original PR]