Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the regulatory framework for climate impact offsetting to account for both the direct and indirect climate impact of aviation.

As a contracting state of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) the UK will participate in the globally agreed Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from January 2021. Under the scheme, aeroplane operators on routes between participating states will be required to offset the CO₂ emissions above 2019 levels by purchasing and cancelling approved offset credits.

Currently, CORSIA only applies to CO₂ emissions. Due to the uncertainties surrounding aviation’s non-CO₂ climate impacts, ICAO does not include these in its climate policies.

The UK played an instrumental role in agreeing CORSIA through ICAO and continues to negotiate for greater environmental integrity within the scheme.