CORSIA is a global offsetting scheme, whereby airlines and other aircraft operators will offset any growth in CO₂ emissions above 2020 levels. This means that aviation’s net CO₂ emissions will be stabilized, while other emissions reduction measures, such as technology, sustainable aviation fuel, operations and infrastructure options, are pursued.

It is anticipated that CORSIA will mitigate around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO₂ between 2021 and 2035, which is an annual average of 164 million tonnes of CO₂. This is equivalent to the total annual CO₂ emissions from the Netherlands across all sectors.

CORSIA helps aviation towards its mid-term goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onwards.

Rwanda officially communicated its voluntary participation in CORSIA Scheme in June 2020

The following Rwanda Civil Aviation Technical Standards (RCATS) are related to CORSIA Scheme implementation 

RCATS -04.015: Technical Standards for Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation

Monitoring, reporting and verification requirement

As of 1 January 2019, all aircraft operators with emissions greater than 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ will need to report their emissions to their national authority annually. To guarantee data accuracy, annual emissions reports will need to be verified by an independent third-party verification body prior to submission. Governments will then work with ICAO to inform airlines of the number of offset credits they need.

In 2018, ICAO adopted detailed requirements for the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions as part of the Chicago Convention. These rules are essential to ensuring aircraft operators and states comply with the terms of CORSIA. Uniform requirements for the monitoring of emissions are critical to ensure all operators compete on similar terms and ensure the integrity of the scheme.

Offsetting Requirement

Airlines and other aircraft operators will be subject to offsetting requirements, which will be determined by the CO₂ they emit on flights subject to offsetting. This includes all aircraft operators, from large passenger airlines, cargo airlines, business aviation and even private aviation.