Plane with gradient trail flying across darkened sky

We can drastically cut aviation's climate impact.

Contrails cause 1 – 2% of global warming. We can eliminate most of that at near-zero cost.

The Problem

Contrails have a substantial warming effect on the climate.

Aircraft cause warming in two ways: greenhouse gas emissions and contrails. That's because contrails (aircraft condensation trails) often grow into cirrus clouds that trap heat in the lower atmosphere and significantly add to global warming. Recent estimates show that contrail-cirrus warming is roughly equivalent to the warming caused by the greenhouse gas emissions of those same aircraft.

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The Solution

Only 5% of planes have to adjust their routes for significant climate benefit.

Using weather forecasts, satellite imagery and other data, we can model, detect, and avoid contrails just like turbulence, icing, or storms. We are advancing the latest science and building contrail mitigation systems that can be used by the aviation industry to significantly reduce their climate impact, immediately. Still curious? Go deeper on the science.

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5%
Number of planes slightly redirected to avoid making most harmful contrails
80%
Portion of contrail climate warming avoided by re-routing 5% of planes
<$0.5
Average cost of avoiding warming equivalent to one tonne of CO2
Days
Time it takes to get the full cooling effect of avoiding contrails
An infographic displaying the connections between Reviate and researchers, policy makers, airlines, and technlogoy

Who We Are

Reviate is a working group at Breakthrough Energy focused on contrails. We are a small team of engineers and scientists building on the work of our many collaborators to enable, verify, and ultimately accredit contrail-mitigating flight operations. The core of our work is open-source software tools that can accurately forecast and verify contrail impact and inform more sustainable flight plans. Learn more about our mission, team, and collaborators.

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See How It Works

Explore the contrail map

Our contrail map shows you how contrail-induced cirrus clouds are warming the planet. Learn whether your recent flight created harmful contrails, see how small changes to flight paths can prevent contrails, and more.

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Laptop displaying a globe overlaid with contrail data
A woman sits in lush grass with her child as they look out at the blue sky and fluffy clouds on the horizon

Take Action

What can you do to help?

Aircraft condensation trails—or contrails—can turn into artificial cirrus clouds that trap radiation and significantly add to global warming. Recent estimates show that contrail-cirrus warming is comparable to the total CO2 emissions of aviation. Share our site with a friend and add your name to our mailing list so we can keep you posted on our progress and action you can take.

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Industry Professionals

If you work for or represent an airline, aircraft manufacturer, or other aviation industry vertical, we'd love to connect. We also need help improving our data and validating our model, and are currently launching a pilot program. Fill out our industry contact form.

Contact

Contrail Science in the Press

The New York Times logoMIT Technology Review logoNature logoCNN logoBBC News logoNational Geographic logoThe Boston Globe logoWired logoThe Washington Post logoThe Wall Street Journal logo