CORSIA NEWSLETTER - February 2021

(Click here for pdf version)

February 2021

The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is the first global market-based scheme that applies to a sector. It complements other aviation in-sector emissions reductions efforts such as technological innovations, operational improvements and sustainable aviation fuels to meet the ICAO aspirational goal of carbon neutral growth.

Under CORSIA, aeroplane operators with international flights are subject to monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements. As of 1 January 2019, operators are required to monitor their annual CO₂ emissions, have them verified through a third-party verification process, and submit them to the States to which they are attributed. States collect emissions data from all their operators and submit consolidated information to ICAO. In addition to annual CO₂ MRV, 88 States have volunteered to participate in offsetting CO₂ emissions under CORSIA from its pilot phase that started on 1 January 2021.

CORSIA in Numbers (As of 28 February 2021)

Navigating CORSIA - A guide to the scheme’s design & implementation

Since the adoption of the CORSIA-related Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in 2018, ICAO has developed the remaining elements needed for the CORSIA implementation.

Click here to watch on the ICAO TV the Navigating CORSIA series of pre-recorded presentations that focus on the status of implementation of CORSIA and provide information on its key design elements.

Click here for an infographic on the status of all implementation elements.

Upcoming CORSIA Deadlines

In accordance with Appendix 1 to Annex 16, Volume IV, the following deadlines apply to 2021:

31 May 2021: Aeroplane operators and verification bodies to submit to States verified Emissions Reports and associated Verification Reports for 2020 CO₂ emissions.

1 June 2021 to 31 August 2021: States to conduct an order of magnitude check of the verified Emissions Reports for 2020, including any filling in of data gaps in case of non-reporting by aeroplane operators.

30 June 2021: States to notify ICAO of any change in their decision to voluntarily participate in CORSIA for the pilot phase.

1 August 2021: States to obtain and use the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA States for Chapter 3 State Pairs" applicable for the 2022 compliance year.

31 August 2021: Using the CCR, States to submit to ICAO aggregate CO₂ emissions per State pair for 2020.

30 September 2021: States to calculate and inform aeroplane operators attributed to them of their average total CO₂ emissions during 2019 and 2020.*

30 November 2021: Using the CCR, States to update their list of aeroplane operators that are attributed to them, and the list of verification bodies accredited in them.

31 December 2021: States to obtain from the ICAO website and use the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Aeroplane Operator to State Attributions" summarising a list of aeroplane operators and the State to which they have been attributed.

* According to Annex 16, Volume IV, the baseline emissions for individual operators is needed for 2030 and beyond when offsetting requirements will be calculated based on both the sector growth factor and the operators' individual growth factor. This provision of Annex 16, Volume IV is not affected by the decision of the ICAO Council in June 2020 regarding the use of 2019 CO₂ emissions for 2020 emissions during the pilot phase (2021-2023) of CORSIA.

CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT)

Aeroplane operators can use the ICAO CORSIA CERT to support the monitoring and reporting of their CO₂ emissions by populating the standardized Emissions Monitoring Plan template and the Emissions Report template. States can also use the ICAO CORSIA CERT to fill in reporting data gaps if an operator does not submit its Emissions Report.

The ICAO Council approved the 2020 version of the ICAO CORSIA CERT, which is now available here together with information on its underlying methodology.

CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units

The Technical Advisory Body (TAB) completed its assessment of the material changes submitted by four programmes (American Carbon Registry, Climate Action Reserve, Global Carbon Council, and Gold Standard). The ICAO Council has received TAB's recommendations, which are under consideration and will inform updates to the CORSIA eligible emissions units.

The application period for the 2021 call for applications closed on 18 February 2021. Applications were received from three entities: CERCARBONO, ProClima, and REDD.Plus, and will be posted here in March 2021 for public comments. The TAB will assess these applications against the Emissions Unit Criteria and the ICAO Council will consider the results of the 2021 TAB assessment in October / November 2021.

CORSIA Capacity Building

ACT-CORSIA is the Assistance, Capacity Building and Training programme on CORSIA. It was established in June 2018 and encompasses the CORSIA Buddy Partnerships and all other ICAO outreach initiatives including sample model regulations for CORSIA, frequently asked questions (FAQs), brochure and leaflets, videos as well as CORSIA seminars/webinars and online tutorials.

CORSIA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): An updated version of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) on CORSIA, reflecting developments in 2020, is now available here.

ACT-CORSIA Buddy Partnerships are the core of capacity building activities. They rely on individual training of CORSIA Focal Points and involves experts from 131 States. In January 2021, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago received training bringing the total number of supported States under Phase III to 64. More information can be found here.

COVID-19 and CORSIA

In June 2020, the ICAO Council took a series of decisions to ensure that CORSIA implementation progresses in line with its original objectives, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the Council provided flexibility to States that had difficulties in reporting their 2019 CO₂ emissions to ICAO through the CORSIA Central Registry (CCR) within the established deadline of 31 August 2020. A majority of States have already reported their 2019 CO₂ emissions through the CCR; States currently working on their submissions are encouraged to report as soon as possible but no later than by the end of March 2021.

In March 2021, the Council will consider an interim update on the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on CORSIA, including the COVID-19 impacts on CO₂ emissions due to the reduction in international aviation activity, the sector's possible recovery scenarios in the future and the associated impacts on CORSIA offsetting requirements and cost to industry.

The Secretariat continues to update the materials on the CORSIA and COVID-19 web page, available here.

2021 CORSIA and Other Environment-related Events

Upcoming CORSIA Event:

19-23 July: Seminar on CORSIA

Other Environment Events:

March-August: ICAO Pre-Stocktaking Webinars; more information is available here
9-14 May: Global Dialogues on the Feasibility of a Long-term Aspirational Goal for International Aviation CO₂ Emissions Reductions (LTAG-GLADS)
31 August-2 September: ICAO Stocktaking Seminar on Aviation in-Sector CO₂ Emissions Reductions; more information is available here
29 November-3 December: Seminar on Green Airports

The CORSIA Verification Course provides training on how to verify CO₂ Emissions Reports that have been prepared by aeroplane operators, in accordance with the provisions of the CORSIA Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

Click on the links below for more information on the following available formats:

> Face-to-face classroom

> Virtual classroom

International Civil Aviation Organization
999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, H3C 5H7, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

For more information, visit the ICAO website: www.icao.int/corsia