As a result of a United Nations deal earlier this month, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), the industry has committed in voluntarily offsetting all emissions growth following the start of the program. The plan covers some 65 countries but will remain voluntary from 2021 to 2026 with mandatory beginning for some countries in 2027.

This agreement does not commit airlines to reducing their emissions from current levels, and still allows for growth until their commitment start-date. However, ensuring carbon neutral growth is an excellent first step in reducing emissions from this sector, and sets the stage for more ambitious goals in the future. By committing to carbon neutral growth, this initiative will drive action on direct emissions reductions at the airline level, through biofuel, systems improvement and efficiency focus.

Work continues on the project types, standards, sectors eligible to deliver offsets for use under CORSIA. With a variety of credible, high quality offset standards available in the market today, this program has a strong opportunity to drive investment into excellent projects around the world.

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