KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) — A new legal analysis warns that countries failing to address aviation’s non-carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, including contrails, in their national climate plans are breaching their obligations under the Paris Agreement.
The legal opinion, conducted by Cornerstone Barristers and commissioned by Transport and Environment (T&E) and Opportunity Green, argues that nations are legally required to include these emissions in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30 in Brazil on Nov 20.
“Scientists have been warning about the warming caused by contrails for 25 years; now legal advice shows countries must act to reduce them.
“It is time to move from paper to action and include the full climate impact of aviation in national climate plans,” said T&E Aviation Director, Diane Vitry in a statement.
The legal analysis outlines three core reasons why countries are obligated under the Paris Agreement to include aviation’s non-CO2 emissions in their climate plans.
The agreement’s central goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) above pre-industrial levels. Since non-CO2 emissions like contrails significantly contribute to warming, countries are legally required to address them to meet this goal.
The Paris Agreement also mandates broad emissions cuts, not just CO2. Countries must act on all climate pollutants, including aviation-related gases and particles emitted by aircraft that exacerbate warming.
Finally, the agreement compels nations to act based on the best available scientific knowledge. Given the robust body of scientific research showing the harmful effects of aviation’s non-CO2 emissions, countries are obliged to take precautionary measures, even amid some uncertainty.
T&E highlighted that non-CO2 aviation effects must be included in the forthcoming round of NDCs submitted ahead of COP in Brazil, and those countries that have already submitted NDCs should update them to include such effects.
— BERNAMA
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