Swiss renewable energy and carbon credit certifier Gold Standard has provisionally approved a methodology concept aimed at reducing the production of contrails by aircraft. Contrails, which are aircraft-generated condensation trails, contribute to surface warming and account for around 60% of the aviation sector’s climate impact, more than double that of direct CO2 emissions from aircraft. The methodology, conceptualized by UK-based aerospace technology company SATAVIA, will enable the issuance of Certified Mitigation Outcome Units (CMOUs) for non-CO2 aviation emissions avoidance through contrail management activity. SATAVIA hopes that the methodology will receive full approval from Gold Standard’s Technical Advisory Committee by late 2023 and that design certification will be ready by the end of 2023 or early 2024. SATAVIA’s CEO, Adam Durant, stated that the incentive provided by Gold Standard CMOUs could lead to a potential 50% reduction in aviation’s non-CO2 impact before 2030. The decision by Gold Standard acknowledges the correlation between contrail-generated radiative forcing and carbon dioxide equivalency (CO2e) in calculating aviation’s non-CO2 emissions, opening the door to credit-based incentives for aircraft operators that implement contrail management. Gold Standard also plans to develop registry functionality to facilitate the trading of CMOUs. SATAVIA intends to seek CMOU recognition from CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) to make contrail management incentives available to a wider market.
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