Development of a comprehensive methodology for estimating air pollutant emissions from air traffic within the MEET project

Contribution from air traffic to the world's energy consumption and the total antropogenic exhaust emissions is rather small. However, the effects of components emitted on the highly sensitive region of atmosphere and on the world's climate are still unknown. international studies on the middle- and long-term development in traffic demand and engine technology predict a growth in world-wide air traffic greater than the progress in engine technology. This will double both aviation fuel use and exhaust emission till 2015. Consequently, policy makers, scientists and engineer have to find, assess and execute solutions that help to lower environmental impacts. Since effects of measures are often not simply understood strategic environmental assessment tools are urgently needed. Within the transport RTD programme of the 4(th) framework programme the European Commission supports a project called Methodologies for Estimating Air Pollutant Emissions from Transport (MEET) that is going to provide a basic methodology as well as a set of emission indices.