Carbon Offsetting and Reduction for International Aviation (CORSIA) is an emissions reduction program administered by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations body headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
CORSIA is a key element of ICAO’s strategy for achieving carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onwards. CORSIA establishes mandatory annual reporting of airplane emissions and from 2021 allows airplane operators to use emissions units from the carbon market to offset the amount of CO2 emissions that cannot be reduced through the use of technological and operational improvements or sustainable aviation fuels. ICAO maintains a list of approved programs whose carbon offsets qualify under CORSIA as eligible emissions units. The list may be accessed under the heading « ICAO document “CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units” » accessible HERE.
CORSIA’s carbon offsetting scheme has three phases:
- Pilot Phase (2021-2023) – Voluntary
- First Phase (2024-2026) – Voluntary
- Second Phase (2027-2035) – Applies to all ICAO Member States
In lieu of purchasing carbon offset credits, airplane operators may cancel their offsetting obligations under CORSIA by purchasing CORSIA eligible fuels. Reporting on the use of CORSIA eligible fuels will start in 2021 with the first reports verified in 2022. Airplane operators will cancel emissions offsets for the Pilot Phase by the end of 2024 and have its cancellation report independently verified in 2025.
Futurepast offers consulting services on CORSIA eligible fuels and, through NSF, verification services. For more information, please call 703-358-9127 or email count.carbon@futurepast.com.
To learn more about CORSIA and its implementation click below.
Futurepast’s Verification Training on CORSIA
This training is specifically intended for third-party verifiers of CORSIA emissions reports which are submitted annually to civil aviation state authorities in the countries to which airplane operators are attributed. In 2020 and 2021 third-party verification body auditors need to complete verification of airplane operator Emissions Reports by May 31. This course may also interest airplane operator personnel who are responsible for the preparation of CORSIA emissions reports or who serve as internal auditors.
Futurepast is a subcontractor to the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. In that role we prepared a report on sustainability of alternative fuels that was presented to the Alternative Fuels Task Force of ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP).
Futurepast’s President, John Shideler, developed the training in 2019 for NSF Certification, LLC, a US-based third-party accredited by the American National Standards Institute for greenhouse gas verification. The CORSIA training offered by Futurepast, which is provided under license from NSF, can be delivered as instructor-led training anywhere in the world.
For more information please contact: fptraining@futurepast.com.