CORSIA Addressing aviation emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System

The policy brief critiques the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as an insufficient replacement for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) regarding international aviation emissions. It argues that CORSIA's goal of "carbon neutral growth" allows for unlimited emissions growth and lacks the mandatory enforcement and transparency of the EU ETS. The author contends that exempting international flights from the EU ETS would undermine EU climate targets, potentially increasing the EU ETS surplus by 260 million tonnes and reducing emissions reductions by 710 Mt compared to a full-scope scenario. The brief recommends that the EU continue covering international flights, demand full transparency from ICAO's Committee on Aviation and Environmental Protection (CAEP), and end the free allocation of 85% of aviation allowances to fund decarbonization research and the Green Climate Fund.

• CORSIA is characterized as an inadequate climate measure because its goal of "carbon neutral growth from 2020 levels" does not require absolute emission reductions and ignores emissions already present below the 2020 threshold.
• The European Commission's proposal to exclude international flights from the EU ETS would reduce the demand for allowances from 49 Mt of CO2 per year to 23 Mt, increasing the EU ETS surplus by 260 million tonnes and reducing total coverage by approximately 2.1 billion tonnes.
• Maintaining the EU ETS for both intra-EU and international flights is estimated to generate over 2,060 Mt of emissions reductions, significantly more than the 1,350 Mt expected from CORSIA alone.
• The aviation sector receives significant indirect subsidies in Europe, with the absence of VAT and kerosene taxes estimated at 27-39 billion euros, and the EU ETS providing free allowances for 85% of emissions, costing an estimated 600 million euros between 2014 and 2016.
• There is a critical lack of transparency in the ICAO process, as non-disclosure agreements prevent the public distribution of information regarding CORSIA's technical groups and offset quality rules.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2017). CORSIA Addressing aviation emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CMW-_-Addressing-aviation-emissions-under-the-EU-Emissions-Trading-System_2017_web_final.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. CORSIA Addressing aviation emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System. 2017. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CMW-_-Addressing-aviation-emissions-under-the-EU-Emissions-Trading-System_2017_web_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=CORSIA Addressing aviation emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System |date=March 2017 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CMW-_-Addressing-aviation-emissions-under-the-EU-Emissions-Trading-System_2017_web_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carbonmarketwatch2017corsia, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{CORSIA Addressing aviation emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System}}, institution = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CMW-_-Addressing-aviation-emissions-under-the-EU-Emissions-Trading-System_2017_web_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }