Sustainable Fuel Contrail Reduction Register

PROBLEM: A joint NASA / German Aerospace Center / National Research Council of Canada study in 2013–2014 found biofuels could reduce contrail generation, because cleaner-burning fuel puts fewer soot particles into the exhaust and fewer particles mean fewer condensation nuclei for ice crystals. Sustainable aviation fuel is therefore a contrail measure as well as a CO₂ measure — but it is only ever reported as the second, so its contrail benefit is never credited.

SOLUTION: A sustainable fuel contrail reduction register: every sustainable-fuel flight logged with its fuel blend, its soot reduction and its modelled contrail reduction — so the fuel's contrail benefit is recorded and credited alongside its CO₂ benefit.

EVIDENCE BASIS: DOCUMENTED — NASA/DLR/NRC joint study 2013–2014: biofuels could reduce contrail generation. Source: Wikipedia "Contrail" (NASA/DLR/NRC study). Soot particles as condensation nuclei: NASA; EBSCO "Contrails".