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How the aviation industry's carbon offsetting scheme will work

Thomson Reuters · Posted: Sep 24, 2019 10:23 AM ET | Last Updated: a minute ago

International airlines are counting on a global carbon offsetting plan to cap CO2 emissions from air travel at 2020 levels, mitigating the environmental impact of flying even as passenger traffic is forecast to grow.

The plan, known as Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), is the first of its kind for a single industry in response to climate change.

Aviation leaders will discuss the program at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s triennial assembly that starts on Tuesday in Montreal amid rising pressure from climate activists, including by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg.

What is CORSIA and how will it work?

CORSIA was established by ICAO, the UN body that sets standards for international air travel, in 2016, and is due to start in 2021.

To achieve carbon-neutral growth after 2020, despite rising traffic, participating commercial airlines aim to use more fuel-efficient aircraft, find more direct flight paths by improved air traffic control and substitute conventional fuel with more sustainable biofuels.

But since biofuels are costly compared with jet kerosene and in limited supply, airlines are expected to largely offset their rising emissions by purchasing carbon credits from designated environmental projects around the world.