Postponement of review of Russia's CORSIA application to 2027 not expected to hurt airlines - Economic Development Ministry
MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax) - The Technical Advisory Board (TAB) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reviewed Russia's application for accreditation in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and recommended it be resubmitted in 2027 after revisions, the Economic Development Ministry told Interfax.
The procedures, standards, and management mechanisms of Russia's system for implementing climate projects and issuing carbon credits that were in effect and assessed in 2026 partially comply with the Emissions Units Eligibility Criteria (EUC) for reductions since January 1, 2021, materials posted on the ICAO website said. The TAB recommended resuming the assessment process as soon as the Russian side is confident that its procedures are stable and comply with all EUC requirements.
The Economic Development Ministry said that when the TAB reviews applications it assesses the system architecture, including the rules for implementing climate projects, independent validation and verification, and issuing of carbon units, as well as the reliability of the system when responding to the risks of implementing climate projects (double counting, leaks and releases of greenhouse gases) and the stability of its operation in the long term.
"Working with TAB experts for a year [...] made it possible to receive constructive feedback and a clearer understanding of what elements the TAB pays most attention to, what additional information interests them and can be included in the application next time. Next year we plan to improve the Russian system and application accordingly. In addition, in 2027 we plan to include within the scope of the TAB assessment the segment related to climate projects with a risk of releasing greenhouse gases, which went into effect on September 1, 2026," the ministry said.
It said the postponement of the anticipated accreditation of Russia's voluntary emissions reduction system in CORSIA will not have adverse consequences for Russian airlines.
"Airlines' first compensatory obligations are supposed to be fulfilled in 2030 for the period of 2027-2029, while confirmation of the cancelation of the necessary credits [is supposed to be] completed by the ICAO deadlines in 2031. In light of this, even with the postponement of the review of the Russian application to next year, negative consequences for Russian airlines are not expected at the moment," the ministry said.
The CORSIA program developed by the ICAO is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the global aviation industry. The main ways to meet CORSIA requirements are to use fuel that meets sustainability criteria (SAF/LCAF) and buy carbon credits to offset emissions in excess of the base level.
The mandatory phase of the system's rollout, which will apply to most ICAO member countries, including Russia, begins in 2027. This will require Russian airlines to monitor fuel consumption on international flights, annually prepare and verify a carbon report and, starting in 2031, offset CO2 emissions that exceed the base level calculated by the ICAO.
The Economic Development Ministry submitted the application to recognize the compliance of the Russian system for implementing climate projects and issuing carbon units with CORSIA requirements to the ICAO in March 2026. The TAB received a total of 26 applications in 2026, of which it approved four, including two World Bank programs, Thailand's government program and the program of private UK organization Isometric.
