The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has introduced the region’s first digital platform to implement ‘CORSIA’, highlighting its commitment to mitigating aviation’s carbon footprint.
The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a global scheme established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under its General Assembly resolution in 2016, with an aim to reduce carbon emissions in aviation.
This pioneering digital platform plays a crucial role in implementing CORSIA by simplifying the calculation of offset and reduction values for carbon units used by national carriers. CORSIA provides a comprehensive framework to minimize international aviation emissions while considering the unique circumstances and capabilities of each country.
National carriers and operators must offset any unavoidable carbon dioxide emissions that cannot be reduced through technological innovation, operational enhancements, or the use of sustainable aviation fuel, using carbon market emission units.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi Director-General – GCAA
“The UAE is fully committed to adhering to all global and international requirements to reduce the negative impact of international aviation emissions. Since ICAO’s first climate change resolution for the aviation sector in 2010, the UAE has supported ICAO’s efforts in this vital area and has continuously collaborated with ICAO member states to achieve all targets aimed at reducing international aviation emissions. A prime example is the recent adoption of the ‘Dubai Framework for Aviation Fuel’ in November 2023, with an ambitious goal of reducing international aviation emissions by 5 percent by 2030.”
Al Suwaidi also highlighted that CORSIA is the only globally approved system for implementation. All fuel standards and future fuel developments fall under its framework.
The introduction represents a significant shift from traditional data submission processes where the national carriers manually submitted data to GCAA representatives. The new platform ensures data confidentiality and ease of use for UAE carriers while reducing review times and human error.
Moreover, the digital platform functions as a crucial archival system and provides a comprehensive digital record of international emissions data. This will pave the way for the development of future applications focused on offsetting and reducing carbon emissions in aviation.
