Corsia Phase One Implementation 

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has updated its list of Eligible Emissions Units for both the pilot phase (2021-2024) and first phase (2024-2026) of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Read Gold Standard Approved for CORSIA Phase One,Gold Standard Approved for CORSIA Phase One As per our announcement on 30 October, Gold Standard is among the carbon standards now approved to supply Units for CORSIA’s first phase.  

To support project developers to sell eligible Gold Standard-certified credits under the scheme, we have today published a new guidance document on the eligibility of Gold Standard VERs for use under CORSIA’s first phase, and the process for project developers seeking to label VERs as eligible. The Gold Standard Impact Registry now includes functionality to label and filter for Gold Standard VERs eligible for ‘CORSIA Phase 1’, and the Impact Registry Labelling Guidance document has been updated to reflect this new feature.  

Margaret Kim, Gold Standard CEO, said:   

“With the publication of ICAO’s decision, Gold Standard projects can now begin to supply eligible emissions units for use by airlines under Phase 1 of CORSIA. Following last week’s outcomes at COP29, this announcement fires the starting gun for new uses of the Article 6 framework, built on firm foundations.  

“The bar has been set high for credits to be recognised as eligible, and we expect - and regret - that access to this market is likely to be limited to only a portion of projects. Building on the guidance published by Gold Standard today, we will explore additional steps to enable greater access for projects within the guardrails established by ICAO, while continuing our support for projects delivering vital climate and sustainable development benefits outside of the Article 6 and CORSIA frameworks.” 

In a change from CORSIA’s pilot phase, credits will need an Article 6 authorisation from the project’s host country in order to be eligible for use in the first phase, and project developers will also need to follow one of two available routes to manage the risk of double-claiming with a host country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Minor adjustments have been made to the standard to align fully with ICAO requirements in this area, and further information can be found in the new guidance document.  

Gold Standard had previously been approved as an eligible programme for CORSIA’s pilot phase, which ran from 2021-23. This new approval extends access to a compliance-driven market for Gold Standard projects, enabling developers to sell eligible carbon credits to airlines, expanding demand and long-term support for projects in areas like agriculture, waste and community-driven climate solutions.