CORSIA carbon credit procurement for secure and cost-effective compliance
As the CORSIA scheme to reduce aviation emissions takes effect, the first compliance period is now fully underway, with the second phase fast approaching. This is narrowing the window for secure and scalable carbon credit procurement, making timely action increasingly important.
Navigating the procurement landscape for CORSIA carbon credits goes beyond basic compliance; it requires managing financial risk, optimising credit sourcing and safeguarding long‑term supply in a shifting market.
Long‑term operational stability is essential as the aviation sector moves toward a low‑carbon future, increasing the need for reliable procurement support.
In this evolving market, CSC offers clear options for CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs) that fit your operational, pricing and quality needs. We are a trusted partner to the aviation industry, with deep experience in emissions management and fuel hedging.
CORSIA questions YOU need answered
CORSIA introduces a new category of risk for airlines - one that stretches far beyond sustainability. As the global aviation sector enters its first multi‑year compliance cycle, carriers are now navigating exposure across capital, delivery, and regulatory performance in a market unlike any traditional fuel or commodity.
In our latest video Q&A, we unpack the questions aviation teams are asking most frequently:
- What makes CORSIA‑eligible credits fundamentally different?
- How should airlines plan for cost increases over the phase structure?
- What level of delivery, counterparty and price risk should procurement leaders expect?
- And what does a resilient CORSIA procurement strategy actually look like?
The message is clear: CORSIA isn’t only a sustainability obligation - it is a risk‑management challenge, and the gap between compliant and non‑compliant approaches is widening quickly.
How the CORSIA carbon credit program works
Aviation remains one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, with electrification constrained by strict weight and space limitations.
To address emissions from international air travel, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) launched CORSIA - the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation - the first global, industry-specific compliance mechanism of its kind.
Following a pilot phase (2021–2023), the scheme is now in Phase I (2024–2026). Airlines in participating states must purchase and retire certified carbon credits to offset any emissions exceeding an annual threshold of 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
- Who’s in scope: International operators from participating countries, covering routes between them.
- Eligible credits: Only from ICAO-approved programmes and vintages. These are known as CORSIA Emissions Units (EEUs).
With the first retirement date set for 31 January 2028, impacted airlines must now have a strategy for compliance in the short, mid- and long-term.
What are the challenges for airlines?
Price volatility
Counterparty risk
Timing mismatch
How CSC can help you de-risk carbon procurement
Airlines can buy CORSIA Emissions Units (EEUs) in several different ways. Some will buy in ‘spot’ transactions for credits that have already been issued, while others will enter multi-year agreements for the delivery of EEUs on a ‘forward’ basis.
Navigating these various procurement options requires expert insight to ensure optimal outcomes for your airline’s long-term CORSIA obligations.
Whether securing annual compliance needs or helping build a procurement roadmap for Phase I and beyond, CSC aims to deliver execution certainty in a volatile market.
Adapting to specific requirements, CSC’s trading and origination team supports buyers for the aviation industry with:
- Direct access to ICAO-approved registries
- A range of contract structures to suit your procurement objectives
- Deep expertise in voluntary and compliance markets for carbon credits
- Access to emission reduction projects in which Marex has invested
- Support for due diligence, documentation, management and retirement
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About CSC Commodities
CSC provides market-making and risk management solutions across the refined products complex and associated supply chains, including residual fuels, distillates, LPG, freight and environmental commodities.
Since joining Marex in 2019, CSC has expanded its energy capabilities, offering tailored derivatives, global clearing across major exchanges and bilateral execution through Marex.
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With increased geopolitical and climatological unpredictability, coupled with tightening mandatory emissions reduction schemes, commodities have seen higher levels of uncertainty leading to persistent volatility in prices.
At CSC, we can help create net-zero voyage hedges for the shipping sector, supporting operators through the entirety of the voyage lifecycle from freight costs, bunker fuel oil, biofuels, cargo and emissions allowances.
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CORSIA takes off: what are Eligible Emissions Units?
Managing risk in procuring CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units