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Aviation and Climate Change
December 7, 2020
Some Members of Congress have expressed an interest in
addressing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
climate change effects from aviation. Proposed legislation
in the 116' Congress would provide for sustainable fuel
mandates, incentives for airport efficiency improvements,
and GHG emission targets, among other requirements. In
some instances, these provisions would be conditioned on
economic stimulus and other forms of public funding.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
estimates that transportation including passenger cars and
light trucks, heavy-duty trucks, buses, trains, ships, and
aircraft accounted for 35% of carbon dioxide (CO2, the
principal GHG) emissions in 2018. While CO2 emissions
from passenger cars and light trucks exceed those from
aircraft in the United States, CO2 emissions from aviation
are currently experiencing a faster rate of growth. All
aircraft, including military, commercial, and privately
chartered, accounted for 13% of the U.S. transportation
sector's CO2 emissions and 5% of all U.S. CO2 emissions in
2018. Commercial aircraft, including those operated by
passenger and all-cargo airlines, accounted for 11% of
transportation sector and 4% of all emissions. These
estimates include emissions from U.S. domestic flights and
emissions from international flights departing the United
States, referred to as international bunkering.
In the United States, aggregate CO2 emissions from aircraft
have fluctuated due to changes in technology, the economy,
travel frequency, and military activity, among other
reasons. However, since the global financial crisis in 2009,
aggregate CO2 emissions from all aircraft types have grown
steadily, increasing by almost 22% between 2009 and 2018
(see Figure 1). This increase makes aircraft one of the
faster-growing sources of CO2 emissions in the U.S.
transportation sector over the past decade. This trend is
likely to be affected, at least temporarily, by reduced air
travel in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effects of aircraft emissions on the atmosphere are
complex, reflecting differing altitudes, geography, time
horizons, and environmental conditions. Research has
shown that in addition to CO2 emissions, other factors
increase the climate change impacts of aviation. These
factors include the contribution of aircraft emissions to
ozone production; the formation of condensation trails and
cirrus clouds; the emission of various gases and particles,
including water vapor, nitrous oxides, sulfates, and
particulates from jet fuel combustion; and the high altitude
location of the bulk of these emissions. In examining the
warming and cooling influences of these factors, the United
Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
estimated aviation's total climate change impact could be
from two to four times that of its past CO2 emissions alone.
Figure I. CO2 Emissions from U.S. Aircraft, 1990-2018
-300
750
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19S0 1995 2000 X2013$ 2010. 201,
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Source: CRS, from EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Sinks, 1990-2018, Table 3.13, April 13, 2020.
In an effort to reduce GHG emissions from the aviation
sector, the U.S. government, other nations, and international
organizations have worked together with the aviation
industry toward improving technologies, increasing the
efficient use of aircraft and airport infrastructure, and
adopting appropriate economic incentives. Policies in place
or under consideration currently include voluntary,
regulatory, and market-based options for aircraft, fuels, and
the aviation system as a whole.
In the United States, in accordance with Clean Air Act
(CAA) Section 231 (42 U.S.C. §7571), EPA sets emission
levels for specified pollutants, as promulgated in 40 C.F.R.
Part 87, Control of Air Pollution from Aircraft and
Aircraft Engines. EPA sets standards for Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA)-certified aircraft according to the
amount of thrust generated by their engines. Aircraft
emission standards currently exist for fuel venting, and
engine hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen
oxides. In 2020, EPA proposed standards for CO2 emissions
from aircraft engines.
The standard-setting language under CAA Section 231 is
similar to the statutory language for other mobile sources in
the CAA (e.g., cars, trucks, buses). However, compared to
other mobile sources, EPA must meet additional
requirements in setting emission standards for aircraft and
aircraft engines: (1) the EPA Administrator must consult
with the Administrator of the FAA and the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in developing
emission standards; (2) the EPA Administrator cannot
change standards if doing so would significantly increase
noise and adversely affect safety; and (3) the President
may disapprove any such standards if the DOT Secretary
finds that they would create a hazard to aircraft safety.
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