Case Study
ICAO CORSIA
Summary
The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is an offsetting program adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This voluntary program includes requirements and guidelines. International airlines comply with their offsets obligations by purchasing emission units issued by ICAO-approved greenhouse gas (GHG) programs.
Background
The CORSIA program aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development
Goals framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to maintain carbon dioxide emissions at 2019 levels from 2021 onwards, with airlines fulfilling their offset obligations by purchasing emission units issued by ICAO-approved GHG programs.
Strategy
The Program Design Elements set forth 11 criteria for offset emissions unit eligibility. The CORSIA program measures require verification of annual emissions and the compensation measures taken by the operator flying, with the aim of offering reliable information and comparison of the declarations of air operators from more than 70 countries around the world.
Its goal is to limit or reduce CO2 emissions from international civil aviation. Through the implementation of CORSIA, countries seek to achieve carbon neutral growth.
The Mexican accreditation body ema collaborates with the Federal Civil Aviation Agency of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation, National Chamber of Air Transport (CANAERO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), and GHG validation and verification bodies for the development and promotion of this conformity assessment scheme.
Results and impact
For the first CORSIA compliance period (2021-23):
- The crediting period started after January 1, 2016
- Emissions reductions occurred through December 31, 2020
- Report and strengthening Sustainable Development Goals and their co-benefits through the GHG reporting
- Post 2020 credits – anticipate requirement for host country attestations, but TBD
In February, as a result of the strengthening of this program, ema has granted 3 accreditations in the CORSIA program. The bodies accredited by ema carry out the verification in the scheme to air operators registered in the CORSIA Central Register (CCR)
Contact
Martha Mejía – Technical Director at EMA (Mexico)
