CORSIA

CORSIA is the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, a global market-based measure adopted by ICAO in 2016 to address CO2 emissions from international aviation. All aircraft operators with international flights producing annual CO2 emissions greater than 10,000 tonnes must monitor, report and verify their emissions annually starting from 2019. Operators must purchase carbon offset credits to compensate for emissions above 85% of 2019 levels, with offsetting requirements beginning in 2021. CORSIA covers all aircraft operators conducting international flights, including passenger airlines, cargo airlines, business aviation, and private aviation.

A FedEx Express flight from Memphis (MEM) to London Heathrow (LHR) operating under AWB prefix 023 generates 15,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from all international routes, requiring the cargo airline to submit verified emissions reports to the FAA and purchase offset credits for growth above the baseline. Lufthansa Cargo operating flights from Frankfurt (FRA) to Hong Kong (HKG) with AWB prefix 020 must monitor fuel consumption per flight, calculate CO2 emissions using approved methods, and obtain third-party verification before submitting annual reports to German authorities.

• Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
• carbon offsetting aviation
• ICAO carbon scheme
• CORSIA eligible fuels

What is the 10,000 tonnes CO2 threshold for CORSIA compliance?

Aircraft operators with international flights producing annual CO2 emissions greater than 10,000 tonnes from aircraft with maximum take-off mass greater than 5,700 kg must monitor, report and verify their emissions annually starting January 1, 2019. Operators with CO2 emissions of 10,000 tonnes or less are exempted from CORSIA reporting requirements.

How are CORSIA offsetting requirements calculated for airlines?

Offsetting requirements are calculated by multiplying the operator's CO2 emissions covered by CORSIA with a Sector Growth Factor (SGF), which represents the percentage growth of aviation sector international CO2 emissions in a given year compared to baseline emissions. ICAO set 85% of 2019 emissions as the baseline from 2024 until 2035, requiring operators to offset emissions above this level.