Ukraine war raised flight emissions by 1% as planes rerouted, study says

A recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment indicates that the ongoing war in Ukraine has led to significant deviation of global flight paths. To avoid Ukrainian and Russian airspace, around 1,100 flights daily have been rerouted, resulting in a 1% increase in annual carbon emissions for the aviation industry. This diversion has added an estimated 8.2 million metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2023, reflecting the aviation sector's ongoing struggle to reduce its carbon footprint amidst geopolitical tensions.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, flight path diversions are significantly increasing aviation carbon emissions, worsening the climate crisis, according to a recent study.

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