The Government of Guyana and Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) have announced the world’s first carbon credits eligible for use under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). ART issued 7.14 million vintage 2021 carbon credits to Guyana under The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES), marking the first issuance of Paris Agreement correspondingly adjusted units reported to the UNFCCC. ART indicated that the credits will be eligible for the first phase of CORSIA (2024-2026), enabling airlines to use them towards their emission reduction targets under the program.
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. ART indicated that the TREES credits were issued to Guyana for reducing emissions from forest loss and degradation and maintaining one of the world’s most intact tropical forests as part of a jurisdictional REDD+ program. In addition, the Government of Guyana authorized the credits to be used for a range of compliance and voluntary purposes pursuant Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. As such, Guyana’s authorization for the use of the credits and its reporting of a corresponding adjustment to the UNFCCC enabled ART to label the credits as “CORSIA Eligible” on its public registry. Guyana is now the first country in the world to report a corresponding adjustment to the UNFCCC as a result of its authorization for the international transfer of emission reduction credits or internationally transferred mitigation outcomes under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
CORSIA. CORSIA requires airlines from participating countries with annual emissions over 10,000 tonnes of CO2 to monitor and report their emissions. Airlines may use carbon credits to offset any remaining emissions that exceed a percentage of their 2019 baseline emissions. ART and the America Carbon Registry are currently the only crediting programs that have been approved by ICAO to supply credits for compliance in the first phase.
Next Steps. ART noted that Guyana’s 2021 vintage TREES credits are available for voluntary and compliance uses specified under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including for (i) transfers for use towards meeting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), (ii) use by airlines towards CORSIA targets, and (iii) for voluntary corporate climate commitments.
For further information or to discuss the contents of this bulletin, please contact Lisa DeMarco at lisa@resilientllp.com.