Russian Transport Ministry to set up center for monitoring implementation of CORSIA requirements in Russia

MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) - The Russian Transport Ministry plans to establish a national coordination center for the implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) at its Research Center.

The ministry's press service said that the new center would allow "the transition to new international requirements to be made more manageable, the interests of Russian airlines to be protected and our country's standing in the global aviation regulation system to be maintained".

"According to the plans, the coordination center will keep a national register of airlines which fall under the CORSIA requirements, coordinate work with the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization], gather and check reports from airlines based on data from Rosaviatsiya [the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency] and calculate airlines' compensation liabilities," the statement reads.

CORSIA is a program developed by the ICAO with the aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the global aviation industry. The main reduction measures are purchase of carbon units to offset emissions in excess of the base level and use of fuel that meets sustainability criteria (SAF/LCAF). The mandatory stage of the system's implementation, which will apply to most ICAO member countries, including Russia, will begin in 2027. This will require Russian airlines to monitor fuel consumption on international flights, annually compile and verify carbon reporting and, starting in 2031, offset CO2 emissions that exceed the base level calculated by the ICAO.

The ICAO registered Russia's application for CORSIA accreditation in March 2026. It is expected that accreditation in this system will give an additional push to the development of Russia's voluntary carbon market, because airlines will be able to acquire carbon units issued as a result of the implementation of climate projects in Russia.

Gazprom Neft said earlier on Tuesday that it was initiating the establishment of a certification system for aviation biofuel in Russia. This system is expected to provide an alternative to foreign certification centers and allow the reduction in CO2 emissions to be evaluated across the whole life cycle of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), from production to the end consumer.