CORSIA Phase 2: what 2027 changes for forest carbon
In 2027, carbon offsetting for international aviation stops being voluntary. CORSIA Phase 2 brings the airlines of participating States into a mandatory regime — and reshapes global demand for carbon credits.
CORSIA in two words
CORSIA — Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation — is the mechanism set up by ICAO to cap the net emissions of international aviation. Any growth in emissions above a baseline must be offset with eligible credits.
Since 2021, the scheme has run on a voluntary basis for States. From 2027, participation becomes mandatory for almost all ICAO member States.
What changes concretely
- Regulated demand. Airlines will no longer offset by CSR choice but by legal obligation. Demand becomes structural and grows with traffic.
- Strict eligibility criteria. Only credits labelled "CORSIA-eligible" by ICAO's Technical Advisory Body can be used.
- A premium on quality. The supply of eligible credits is currently below projected demand. A lasting price gap is anticipated between eligible and standard credits.
Why this concerns forest carbon
ARR forest credits (afforestation-reforestation), when designed to the most demanding standards, are among the categories that are candidates for CORSIA eligibility. This is why we design our projects, from their architecture, to target compatibility with Phase 2 requirements.
2027 is not a distant deadline: for a forest project, whose cycle spans several years, it is tomorrow.