Topic: Climate Impacts of the Global Aviation Sector and Pathways to Net-Zero Emissions

The global aviation sector plays a vital role in supporting economic growth, international trade, and global connectivity. At the same time, it is a growing contributor to climate change, driven by both carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and non-CO₂ effects such as contrails, nitrogen oxides, and induced cloud formation. With air traffic expected to continue expanding in the coming decades, addressing the aviation sector's climate impacts has become a critical challenge for achieving global climate targets and net-zero ambitions.

This Special Issue aims to advance understanding of climate impacts from global aviation and to explore realistic, evidence-based pathways toward net-zero emissions. We welcome original research and review articles that examine aviation emissions across their full life cycle, assess mitigation strategies, and evaluate the effectiveness of technological, operational, economic, and policy interventions. Interdisciplinary contributions that bridge engineering, environmental science, economics, and policy analysis are particularly encouraged. By bringing together insights from diverse disciplines and methodological approaches, this Special Issue seeks to inform policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers, supporting the development of effective and equitable pathways toward a net-zero aviation sector.

Proposed topics include, but are not limited to:

● Climate impacts of global aviation, including CO₂and non-CO₂effects;

● Aviation carbon and climate impact accounting methods;

● Life-cycle assessment of aviation fuels and technologies;

● Sustainable aviation fuels and alternative energy carriers;

● Innovations in aircraft, engine, and propulsion systems;

● Air traffic management and operational efficiency improvements;

● Demand-side measures and behavioral changes in air travel;

● Market-based mechanisms, carbon pricing, and offset schemes;

● Policy frameworks and regulatory pathways for aviation decarbonization;

● Long-term transition scenarios toward net-zero aviation emissions.

Global aviation, climate impacts, net-zero emissions, aviation carbon accounting, non-CO₂ effects, sustainable aviation fuels, aircraft and engine technologies, air traffic management, market-based mechanisms, decarbonization pathways