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RMI piloted three methodologies for accounting for aviation contrails in corporate travel, finding that a 'bottom-up' flight-specific approach is significantly more accurate than standard static multipliers. The pilots revealed that roughly 2% of flights cause 80% of contrail impacts, with higher risks during winter and nighttime. The report advocates for data-driven travel policies and alignment with emerging regulations, such as the EU's MRV framework, to reduce the total climate impact of aviation.

This report provides a technical overview of the climate impact of aircraft contrails and the potential for mitigation through contrail avoidance and rerouting. It emphasizes the need for radical collaboration across the aviation sector to improve atmospheric data, refine prediction models, and integrate contrail management into air traffic operations.