RSB officially recognised by ICAO for CORSIA
RSB has officially been recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for the certification of CORSIA-eligible Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) with its new RSB CORSIA Standard.
SAF producers and airlines are now able demonstrate compliance with Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) requirements and RSB’s best-in-class sustainability, widely recognised by NGOs and other groups as the most robust, credible and practical approach for sustainability in the bio-based and circular economy.
SAF — which can deliver significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while requiring no changes to existing aircraft and infrastructure — offer the most effective and immediate solution to an industry looking to decarbonise rapidly. The RSB CORSIA Standard goes above and beyond CORSIA requirements to ensure that SAF achieves at least 50% GHG reductions on its core lifecycle analysis, and a minimum 10% when including CORSIA’s Induced Land Use Change values (ILUC). In addition, RSB-certified SAF enables further claims around zero deforestation, environmental protection, food security and human rights, as indicated in our comprehensive RSB Principles & Criteria which define best practice for sustainability along the supply chain.
A Trusted Partner in Aviation
This recognition cements RSB as a long-term trusted partner for the aviation industry. RSB is supported by aviation industry leaders who participate in our multi-stakeholder roundtable, developing robust sustainability approaches for the industry and collaborating with pioneers from industry, NGOs and government. These members include Airbus, Boeing, Air France, British Airways, KLM, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and many others.
This industry commitment is supported by global recognition of RSB’s most robust approach to sustainability and its multi-stakeholder community.
The International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation’s (ICSA) vision for a “zero climate impact” international aviation pathway towards 2050 endorses RSB as the “best-in-class sustainability certification standard for advanced aviation fuels”. In its Waypoint 2050 report on balancing aviation growth with tackling the climate emergency the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) identify joining RSB as one of the simplest early actions that can be taken to help accelerate an energy transition. The airline members of the Sustainable Air Fuel User Group (SAFUG), representing a third of global commercial aviation, have committed to developing and using alternative aviation fuels that are consistent with RSB’s robust sustainability requirements.
Ready for Certification
RSB certificate holders already include SAF producers and traders like Gevo, Nuseed, SkyNRG, World Energy and others, who are well positioned to transition to an RSB CORSIA certificate. Also committed to RSB certification are Velocys, LanzaTech and Lanzajet. Additionally, international airlines, including KLM, are committed to sourcing RSB-certified SAF.
“We congratulate RSB for achieving a significant milestone: ICAO recognition of RSB’s world-leading Standard for use in meeting the sustainability requirements of CORSIA. Use of the RSB CORSIA Standard will give airlines confidence that they can meet their vision for a truly sustainable future for aviation. LanzaTech’s commitment to RSB through the years reflects the importance of sustainability in all aspects of our business and recognition that RSB is the Gold Standard.” Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech
“The announcement from ICAO that it has recognized the RSB CORSIA Standard is very welcome news. Congratulations to RSB for this important achievement. RSB has been the leading sustainability standard for aviation since the inception of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) in 2008 and LanzaJet looks forward to working with the RSB team for our Alcohol-to-Jet production facilities.” Jimmy Samartzis, CEO, LanzaJet
Also supportive of RSB certification is Neste, with Sami Jauhiainen, Vice President Business Development, Renewable Aviation congratulating RSB, “Sustainability is at the heart of business at Neste and we are committed to supporting the aviation industry in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions with the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels. We cordially congratulate RSB for receiving the recognition for its CORSIA standard and we look forward to continuing the close collaboration.”
Reacting to the news of RSB’s recognition by ICAO, RSB Executive Director, Rolf Hogan, had this to say, “Today is an exciting day for the aviation industry as a clear pathway is now available for leaders to demonstrate that their commitment to sustainability goes above and beyond the legal requirements of CORSIA to also include a full range of social and environmental impacts as well. We look forward to working with these pioneers to implement this new RSB CORSIA Standard to help transform the industry – and the world!”
This sentiment was echoed by Pedro Piris-Cabezas, Director of Sustainable International Transport and Lead Senior Economist at the Environmental Defense Fund who said, “ICAO Council’s approval of RSB as an eligible Sustainability Certification Scheme is both an outstanding achievement for RSB and a major milestone for ICAO CORSIA, which completes CORSIA’s SAF framework. RSB CORSIA Standard also represents a paradigm shift, moving from RSB’s original focus on sustainable biofuel volumes to a new focus on emissions reductions from the use of SAF for carbon markets.”
Click here to download a slide deck summarising RSB’s CORSIA Standard approach, and here for more information about CORSIA.
Explore the new Standard and Certification here.
Learn more about our work in the aviation sector here.
To learn more about our work in aviation, please contact Arianna Baldo: [email protected]
