Aviation resource list

Explore the sections below for our aviation resources. For our aviation blog posts, visit Climate 411.

• CORSIA
• Transparency
• Alternative fuels
• Efficiency
• Historical resources

CORSIA

The following resources provide information on the development of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and EDF’s work to ensure it operates effectively with robust accountability and environmental integrity rules.

• Linking forests and flights

  Conservation International and Environmental Defense Fund

  Factsheet

  October 2020

• Environmental Defense Fund ICAO public comments June 2020

  International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Technical Advisory Body

  Public Comments

  June 2020

• Letter to ICAO's Council President and Members on CORSIA Baseline

  International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation (ICSA)

  Letter

  June 2020

• COVID-19, International Aviation and Climate Change

  Piris-Cabezas, Pedro, Petsonk, Annie and McCallister, Margaret

  Analysis

  May 2020

• Coronavirus and CORSIA

  Piris-Cabezas, Pedro and Petsonk, Annie

  Analysis

  March 2020

• ICAO 2020 applications for offset programs that wish to apply for CORSIA eligibility: 2020 Application Form, Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Timeline

  ICAO

  Application forms

  March 2020

• Climate benefits of proposed carbon dioxide mitigation strategies for international shipping and aviation

  Ivanovich, Catherine C. et al

  Journal article

  December 11, 2019

• 2019 Program Applications

  ICAO

  Program applications

  August 2019

• American Carbon Registry [PDF]
• British Columbia Offset Program [PDF]
• China GHG Voluntary Emission Reduction Program [PDF]
• Clean Development Mechanism [PDF]
• Climate Action Reserve [PDF]
• Forest Carbon Partnership Facility [PDF]
• Global Carbon Trust [PDF]
• Gold Standard [PDF]
• myclimate [PDF]
• Nori [PDF]
• Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization [PDF]
• VCS Program (managed by Verra) [PDF]

• TAB Recommendations on CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units

  ICAO

  Technical Advisory Body Report

  March 2020

• Bad carbon credits could derail CORSIA

  Fact sheet

  February 22, 2019

• Clouds on the horizon: The legal status of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog post

  May 1, 2018

• Carbon prices under carbon market scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement: Implications for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)

  Report

  March 20, 2018

• The future of clean development mechanism under a new regime of higher climate ambition

  Qui, Kristin

  Report

  2018

• States should welcome REDD+ into International Aviation Carbon Offset Program

  Meyer, Chris

  Blog post

  March 27, 2018

• ICAO adopts crucial rules for implementing 15-year aviation climate agreement

  Press release

  June 27, 2018

Transparency

A fully operational CORSIA must be transparent with strong accounting rules and avoidance of double counting to ensure that it brings the promised environmental benefits. More information is in the following resources.

• How to avoid double counting of emissions reductions under the Paris Agreement

  Discussion draft

  June 2018

• Ensuring Transparency in CORSIA

  Report

  May 16, 2017

• Trust but Verify Aviation's Climate Deal: CORSIA Registries and Transparency

  Report

  May 2017

Alternative fuels

Under CORSIA, airlines can earn credit by using alternative fuels that emit less greenhouse gas emissions over their life cycle than conventional fossil fuels. Robust standards are also needed for the use of biofuels in CORSIA.

• Sustainable fuels: What shipping can learn from aviation

  Rehmatulla, Nishatabbas, O’Leary, Aoife, et al

  Report

  July 7, 2020

• Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and Land

  Searchinger, Timothy and Heimlich, Ralph

  Report

  January, 2015

• Fixing a critical climate accounting error

  Hamburg, Steven

  Journal article

  October 23, 2009

Efficiency

The following resources provide information about how technological and efficiency improvements can contribute to reducing aviation’s emissions as part of the necessary basket of measures.

• Airplane pollution danger to public health, U.S. EPA says in initial finding

  Petsonk, Annie

  Press release

  June 10, 2015

• Obama Administration Urged to Fast-Track Airplane Carbon Cuts

  Ellis, Phillip

  Article

  January 23, 2015

• Request for Strong Clean Air Act Standards to Curb Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  Petsonk, Annie

  Letter

  January 22, 2015

• U.S. Domestic Airline Fuel Efficiency Ranking, 2013

  Kwan, Irene and Rutherford, Daniel

  Report

  November, 2014

• Resolution 17/2 on Fuel Efficiency Improvement Goals and Aspirational Goal of Carbon Neutral Growth from 2020

  ICAO

  UN Resolution

  March 10, 2013

• Quick action needed from Obama Administration to limit airplane emissions

  Campos, Pamela and Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  March 14, 2012

• A New Flightplan: Getting global aviation climate measures off the ground

  Report

  February 7, 2012

Historical background

Journey through EDFs engagement since 1994 in the fight to address aviation’s climate impact.

• ICAO 2019 applications for emissions unit programs that wish to apply for CORSIA eligibility: Application Form, Appendix A, Appendix B

  ICAO

  Application forms

  July, 2019

• ICAO's market-based measure could cover 80% of aviation emissions growth in mandatory phase

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  October 16, 2016

• Cutting carbon pollution from aviation: A major breakthrough years in the making

  Keohane, Nat

  Blog

  October 11, 2016

• UN aviation agency adoptions historic global aviation climate agreement

  Press release

  October 6, 2016

• Why aviation's carbon must be capped, and how to do it

  Campos, Pamela

  Blog

  August 31, 2016

• Can airlines help reduce deforestation?

  Meyers, Chris

  Blog

  April 27, 2016

• To understand airplanes' climate pollution, a picture is worth a thousand words

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  February 12, 2016

• International action on aviation emissions: What's at stake in ICAO

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  February 7, 2016

• Implementing an ICAO Market-Based Measure to Limit Carbon Pollution

  Campos, Pamela and Petsonk, Annie

  Journal article

  December 4, 2013

• Aviation emissions deal: ICAO takes one step forward, half step back

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  October 4, 2013

• ICAO Committee agrees on path forward to limit aviation emissions, but U.S. leadership will be critical to delivering results

  Petsonk, Annie and Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  October 3, 2013

• Bloomberg-EDF analysis: Mandates plus markets could make airlines' emissions goals readily affordable

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  August 1, 2013

• Low cost of reducing international aviation emissions should encourage more ambitious targets

  Petsonk, Annie and Turner, Guy

  Press release

  July 30, 2013

• Carbon Neutral Growth for Aviation – At What Price?

  Petsonk, Annie and Turner, Guy

  Report

  July, 2013

• U.S. environmental groups echo aviation industry's call for ICAO to adopt global emissions cap this year

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  June 3, 2013

• U.S. NGOs echo aviation industry call to government: We want a global emissions cap adopted this year

  Heyd, Elizabeth and Petsonk, Annie

  Press release

  June 3, 2013

• Why a global MBM is essential in bridging the emissions gap to achieve ICAO's climate goals

  ICSA

  Presentaiton

  March 26, 2013

• Market-based measures are essential to address emissions from international aviation

  ICSA

  Position paper

  March, 2013

• Resolution 17/2 on Fuel Efficiency Improvement Goals and Aspirational Goal of Carbon Neutral Growth from 2020

  ICAO

  UN Resolution

  March 10, 2013

• Mind the gap: Airlines can't meet emissions reductions goals without global market-based measure, report finds

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  March 4, 2013

• Carbon Finance news analysis, "On the flightpath to success"

  Petsonk, Annie

  Journal article

  March 22, 2013

• "Achieving Carbon Neutral Growth from 2020"

  Petsonk, Annie and Turner, Guy

  Report

  2013

• Obama's bill signing puts spotlight on ICAO and on whether U.S. will drive agreement to cut aviation pollution

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  November 28, 2012

• Administration signals support for global efforts to cut aviation pollution, rendering bill to stymie European climate action largely irrelevant

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  November 27, 2012

• U.S. House passes superfluous bill to stop airlines from complying with EU law

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  November 13, 2012

• Senate-passed bill puts pressure on U.S. Administration, ICAO to limit aviation emissions

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  September 24, 2012

• "Aviation and the European Union's Emission Trading Scheme"

  Leggett, Jane A. et al

  Report

  September 17, 2012

• Reuters: "Reclaiming Aviation's Pioneering Spirit"

  Petsonk, Annie

  Column

  August 17, 2012

• Lawsuit against EU airline pollution law would undercut U.S. goal of limiting aviation emissions

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  August 3, 2012

• Obama urged to resist aviation industry calls for blocking airline pollution law

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  August 3, 2012

• Letter to President Obama on EU Aviation Directive and Article 84

  Krupp, Fred et al

  Letter

  August 3, 2012

• Disappointing, short-sighted Senate bill could jeopardize international action on aviation pollution

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  July 31, 2012

• Senate committee approves short-sighted bill that could jeopardize action on airplane pollution

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  July 31, 2012

• Will Washington meeting on aviation pollution be undermined by U.S. airlines?

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  July 30, 2012

• Responses from Annie Petsonk, EDF International Counsel, to questions for the record, Hearing on the European Union Emissions Trading System before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

  Petsonk, Annie

  Congressional hearing

  July 23, 2012

• EU anti-pollution law is modest, reasonable start to curb aviation emissions: EDF expert to Senate

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  June 6, 2012

• Testimony of Annie Petsonk, EDF International Counsel, Hearing on the European Union Emissions Trading System before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

  Petsonk, Annie

  Congressional hearing

  June 6, 2012

• Analysis: Numerous national aviation measures reach beyond sovereign airspace

  Petsonk, Annie and Petlz, Adam

  Blog

  June 5, 2012

• U.S. airlines give up legal fight against EU anti-pollution law

  Press release

  March 28, 2012

• Effort in Moscow to coordinate attack on EU aviation emissions law fizzles

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  February 23, 2012

• Moscow effort to coordinate resistance to European climate law fizzles

  Petsonk, Annie and Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  February 22, 2012

• Letter from NGOs to U.S. State Department and White House regarding Feb. 21-22 Moscow aviation meeting

  Letter

  February 17, 2012

• On eve of Moscow meeting, new calculations reveal U.S. airlines could profit from EU cap on aviation emissions

  Petsonk, Annie and Peltz, Adam

  Blog

  February 17, 2012

• A New Flightplan: Getting global aviation climate measures off the ground

  Report

  February 7, 2012

• Europe's law to reduce emissions from aviation takes off

  Petsonk, Annie

  Blog

  January 10, 2012

• Timeline: The Long Road Toward Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation

  Timeline

  January, 2012

• Major U.S. environmental groups criticize Obama administration's efforts to undercut EU law to curb aviation emissions

  Cooper, Jenny

  Blog

  December 23, 2011

• In significant victory, Europe's highest court upholds EU law that curbs aviation pollution

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  December 21, 2011

• Environmental groups hail historic court decision upholding European law to curb airplane pollution, address climate change

  Press release

  December 21, 2011

• Letter from 9 environmental group CEOs to secretaries Clinton and LaHood after the EU's Court of Justice upholds EU aviation directive

  Letter

  December 21, 2011

• Obama Administration disappoints in objection to EU law to reduce aviation emissions

  Blog

  December 20, 2011

• Upcoming court's decision on U.S. airlines' attack on European climate law

  Press briefing

  December 19, 2011

• U.S. should accept EU invitation to reduce airplane pollution

  Press release

  December 8, 2011

• EDF calls for cooperation with European Union on aviation pollution

  Press release

  December 6, 2011

• EDF decries continued skirmishes in ICAO Council over aircraft pollution caps

  Press release

  November 2, 2011

• U.S. House passes bill to make it illegal for U.S. airlines to comply with EU law to cut aviation emissions

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  October 24, 2011

• U.S. House bill to thwart European anti-pollution law for aviation could turn U.S. airlines into international scofflaws, ignite trade war

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  October 24, 2011

• European court's preliminary opinion supports legality of EU law that curbs aviation pollution

  Press release

  October 6, 2011

• Fact sheet on the European Court of Justice

  Fact sheet

  October 5, 2011

• Media briefing on upcoming preliminary court opinion on U.S. airlines' attack on European climate law

  Press briefing

  October 3, 2011

• Obama administration falters on aviation emissions

  Press release

  September 30, 2011

• U.S. commitment to curbing aviation emissions questionable as delegation joins meeting in India

  Cooper, Jenny

  Blog

  September 29, 2011

• On National Aviation Day, time for airlines to start flying greener

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  August 19, 2011

• New advanced biofuels initiative "welcome," but would have greater impact if U.S. supported EU aviation law

  Press release

  August 16, 2011

• NY Times editorial on aviation spot on: European plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions makes sense

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  August 3, 2011

• New York Times: "Airlines and Carbon: The European plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions makes sense"

  Editorial

  August 3, 2011

• EDF submission to U.S. House on Aviation and the European Union Emissions Trading System

  Congressional hearing

  July 27, 2011

• Major environmental, development groups oppose bill that would obstruct pioneering anti-pollution law for airlines

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  July 27, 2011

• Letter from NGOs to Congress on H.R. 2594, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011

  Letter

  July 27, 2011

• Reuters: "Why do airlines fight rules to help the environment?"

  Goldmark, Peter

  News column

  July 26, 2011

• New bill seeks to thwart pioneering anti-pollution law for airlines -- EDF statement on the proposed "European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Press release

  July 20, 2011

• Airline Attack on E.U. Emissions Trading System Meets Powerful Opposition

  Press release

  July 5, 2011

• Environmental Organizations Urge E.U. to Resist Pressure from U.S. Aviation Industry Over Carbon Emissions

  Press release

  July 5, 2011

• Grist: "How America just lost 1 million green(ish) jobs to Europe"

  Press release

  June 30, 2011

• Why Cutting Airplanes' Carbon Pollution Matters, and Why U.S. Airlines Shouldn't be Allowed to Evade EU Law

  Fact Sheet

  June 29, 2011

• An Overview of Aviation & the European Union Emissions Trading System

  Fact Sheet

  June 29, 2011

• Advisory: Media briefing on upcoming court hearing on U.S. airlines' attack on European climate law

  Andreassen, Jennifer and Johnson, Tim

  Media advisory

  June 28, 2011

• Obama administration facing a choice in U.S.-E.U. aviation policy

  Petsonk, Annie and Campos, Pamela

  Press release

  June 22, 2011

• U.S., E.U. officials meet on aviation amid U.S. airlines' efforts to gut anti-pollution program

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  June 21, 2011

• Letter to President Obama on E.U. Aviation Directive

  Letter

  June 21, 2011

• POLITICO Ad Highlights "Greenwashing" by United and Continental Airlines

  Press release

  June 21, 2011

• Letter to Nancy Young, Vice President, Air Transport Association of America, from five environmental organizations

  Letter

  June 2, 2011

• Letter to Senators on FAA reauthorization bill

  Letter

  May 20, 2011

• Take Action Against Cynical Airline Greenwashing

  Action Alert

  May 16, 2011

• American, United, Continental Airlines "Greenwashing", say environmental groups

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  May 11, 2011

• Letter to Mr. Jeffery A. Smisek, CEO of United/Continental, from six environmental organizations

  Letter

  May 11, 2011

• Letter to Gerard J. Arpey, CEO of American Airlines, from six environmental organizations

  Letter

  May 11, 2011

• Environmental Groups Highlight "Greenwashing" by American, United, Continental Airlines

  Andreassen, Jennifer and Kreindler, Tony

  Press release

  May 11, 2011

• It's time for Continental and United to start flying cleaner

  Advertisement

  May 11, 2011

• It's time for American Airlines to start flying cleaner

  Advertisement

  May 11, 2011

• Tracking The Skies: An Airline-based system for limiting greenhouse gas emissions from international civil aviation

  Tsai, Allen Pei-Jan and Petsonk, Annie

  Journal article

  2000

• On National Aviation Day, time for airlines to start flying greener

  Andreassen, Jennifer

  Blog

  August 19, 2011

• New advanced biofuels initiative "welcome," but would have greater impact if U.S. supported EU aviation law

  Press release

  August 16, 2011

• Biofuels and the need for additional carbon

  Searchinger, Timothy

  Journal article

  June 1, 2010

• Greenhouse Gases From Planes May Send Temperatures Soaring

  Press release

  April 16, 1999

• Aircraft emissions and the global atmosphere

  Oppenheimer, Michael

  Journal article

  Jaunary 1994