Mastering CORSIA and ETS Compliance Through Standards
The global aviation industry faces an unprecedented challenge: to significantly reduce its environmental footprint while meeting growing demand for air travel. At the center of this challenge lies a complex regulatory landscape dominated by two major carbon frameworks - CORSIA and ETS -each with its own requirements, methodologies, and standards.
For airlines operating internationally, navigating these overlapping but distinct systems is not merely a compliance exercise. It is a strategic imperative that can impact operational efficiency, cost management, and market positioning. The key to mastering this complexity lies in understanding the standards that underpin both frameworks and implementing integrated systems that satisfy multiple requirements simultaneously.
The twin challenges: Understanding CORSIA and ETS
The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) represents aviation’s first global market-based climate measure. Administered by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), CORSIA aims to stabilize net CO₂ emissions from international flights at 2019 levels through offsetting and the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels.
In parallel, regional Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS), most notably the EU and UK ETS,take a different approach, capping total emissions and requiring airlines to surrender allowances for each tonne of CO₂ emitted on flights within their jurisdictions.
While sharing the ultimate goal of reducing aviation’s climate impact, these frameworks differ significantly in their scope, methodologies, and implementation requirements:
- CORSIA focuses exclusively on international flights, emphasizes offsetting and sustainable fuels, and relies heavily on global ISO standards and ASTM fuel specifications.
- ETS schemes typically cover domestic or regional operations, operate as cap-and-trade systems, also built on ISO frameworks alongside European standard.
For airlines operating globally, this means simultaneously complying with multiple systems across different parts of their network,a challenge that demands both technical expertise and a strategic approach.
Where CORSIA and ETS converge and diverge
To achieve efficient compliance and effective emissions reduction, it is important to understand where these frameworks align and where they diverge.
Areas of Convergence:
- Foundational GHG accounting: Both systems build upon ISO 14064-1 principles for greenhouse gas inventories
- Verification frameworks: ISO 14064-3 and ISO 14065 underpin verification processes in both schemes
- Competence requirements: ISO 14066 establishes personnel qualifications for verification across both systems
- Ultimate goal: Both aim to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint, though through different mechanisms
Areas of Divergence:
- Scope: CORSIA applies to international flights, while ETS covers regional operations
- Sustainable Fuel Standards: CORSIA emphasizes ASTM standards, while EU ETS references European standards such as EN 14181 and the Renewable Energy Directive
- Reporting Formats: CORSIA uses ICAO standardized templates, while ETS requires submission through national or EU platforms
- Calculation Methodologies: Different approaches to baseline determination, emissions factors, and data management
- Compliance Mechanisms: Offsetting versus allowance surrender
These differences create potential inefficiencies for airlines that treat CORSIA and ETS as entirely separate compliance exercises, leading to duplicated efforts, increased costs, and missed opportunities for strategic alignment.
The integrated approach: A standards-based solution
At the heart of both CORSIA and ETS lies a foundation of international standards that establish the methods for measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions, as well as the specifications for sustainable aviation fuels that will drive future decarbonization.
Industry experience shows that airlines achieve greater efficiency when they implement integrated approaches to CORSIA and ETS compliance—approaches that recognize both the overlaps and differences between the systems.
This integration begins with comprehensive access to and understanding of the core standards that underpin both frameworks. The standards that form the foundation of an integrated approach include:
Core Greenhouse Gas Standards:
- ISO 14064-1: Quantification and reporting of emissions
- ISO 14064-3: Verification of greenhouse gas statements
- ISO 14065: Requirements for verification bodies
Aviation-Specific Standards:
- ASTM D7566: Sustainable aviation fuel specification
- SAE AIR6251: Aircraft engine emissions computation
- EN 14181: Quality assurance for emissions monitoring systems
Management System Standards:
By understanding how these standards relate to one another and implementing systems that satisfy multiple requirements simultaneously, airlines can achieve significant efficiencies in their compliance processes.
Beyond compliance: Standards as a strategic advantage
Expertise in the standards provides benefits beyond just compliance. A strategic approach to standards implementation delivers advantages across multiple dimensions:
- Operational efficiency: Standards-based systems improve data collection, analysis, and reporting processes, reducing redundancy and increasing accuracy.
- Cost management: Integrated compliance reduces duplication of efforts and systems.
- Strategic foresight: Early awareness of standards developments provides advance notice of regulatory changes.
- Stakeholder confidence: Robust standards implementation enhances credibility with investors, customers, and regulators.
- Future readiness: Standards-based systems adapt more readily to evolving requirements.
The most forward-thinking airlines go further by actively participating in standards development, helping shape future requirements in ways that reflect operational realities and technological capabilities.
BSI Knowledge: Uniquely positioned for integrated standards support
BSI Knowledge provides comprehensive access to the key standards that are essential for aviation sustainability compliance. This includes:
- ISO standards - forming the backbone of greenhouse gas accounting and verification
- EN standards - providing specific guidance for European compliance
- ASTM standards - defining the specifications for sustainable aviation fuels
Beyond access to standards, BSI Knowledge provides integrated support for airlines seeking to implement efficient compliance systems, including:
- Customized standards packages: Tailored selections of standards aligned to specific airline operations and routes.
- Cost-effective company-wide sharing: No copyright concerns, seamlessly collaborate with the whole team with multi-user access.
- Early notification: Stay ahead with automatic notifications and receive tracked changes documents at no extra cost.
- Cross-industry insights: Perspective on how other sectors address similar sustainability challenges.
This integrated approach enables airlines to build more efficient compliance systems that satisfy both CORSIA and ETS requirements without unnecessary duplication.
As the aviation industry continues its sustainability journey, standards will only grow in importance as the technical foundation for both compliance and innovation. The ability to effectively implement and integrate these standards will distinguish leaders from followers in the transition to sustainable aviation.
