UK researchers say no scientific consensus on the “multiplier effect” of high-altitude aircraft emissions; warn against ‘hard-coding’ policy on aviation and climate change

In England, UK researchers at an aviation emissions summit at the Royal Society said that there was not yet a scientific consensus on the “multiplier” effect of high-altitude nitrous oxide emissions. The scientists said that policymakers should avoid making decisions on climate change actions based on guessing about probable multipliers until more data and consensus had emerged.  Professor Keith Shine of Reading University said that “NOx has some particularly slippery issues we have to grapple with. It is a very reactive gas in the atmosphere and has different impacts.”

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