CORSIA Acronyms and Abbreviations Reference

A single lookup table for every acronym you will meet in CORSIA documents and market conversations, grouped by area, with what each expands to and why it matters.

A single lookup for every abbreviation you will meet in CORSIA documents, regulatory correspondence and market conversations.

CORSIA knowledge base

Scheme and Governance

Acronym	Expansion	Why it matters
CORSIA	Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation	The scheme itself
ICAO	International Civil Aviation Organization	Administers CORSIA
CAEP	Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection	Develops technical standards
TAB	Technical Advisory Body	Assesses crediting programmes
SARPs	Standards and Recommended Practices	The instruments in ICAO Annexes
ETM	Environmental Technical Manual	Guidance supporting Annex 16
A39-3	Assembly Resolution 39-3	The resolution that adopted CORSIA

Compliance and Reporting

Acronym	Expansion	Why it matters
MRV	Monitoring, Reporting and Verification	The annual cycle
EMP	Emissions Monitoring Plan	Must be approved before monitoring
AER	Annual Emissions Report	Submitted and verified each year
EUCR	Emissions Unit Cancellation Report	Closes the compliance loop
CERT	CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool	ICAO estimation tool for small emitters
MTOM	Maximum certificated Take-Off Mass	The 5,700 kg scope threshold
AOC	Air Operator Certificate	Identifies the operator entity
SGF	Sectoral Growth Factor	Sector-wide growth basis
IGF	Individual Growth Factor	Operator-specific growth, from 2030

Units and Eligibility

Acronym	Expansion	Why it matters
EEU	CORSIA Eligible Emissions Unit	What you must cancel
EUC	Emissions Unit Criteria	What makes a unit eligible
ITMO	Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcome	Article 6.2 authorised outcome
CA	Corresponding Adjustment	The binding supply constraint
DNA	Designated National Authority	Grants Article 6 authorisation
LoA	Letter of Authorisation	Host-State authorisation document
NDC	Nationally Determined Contribution	The host State's climate target
PoA	Programme of Activities	Aggregation structure for small projects
PDD	Project Design Document	The project's core documentation
VVB	Validation and Verification Body	Accredited third party

Crediting Programmes

Acronym	Expansion
ACR	American Carbon Registry
ART	Architecture for REDD+ Transactions
CAR	Climate Action Reserve
GCC	Global Carbon Council
GS	Gold Standard
VCS	Verified Carbon Standard (Verra)
TREES	The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (ART)
CDM	Clean Development Mechanism (Kyoto-era)

Programme approval status changes by ICAO Council decision. Always verify against the ICAO emissions units page rather than assuming inclusion here implies current approval.

Fuels

Acronym	Expansion	Why it matters
CEF	CORSIA Eligible Fuel	Reduces the offsetting requirement
SAF	Sustainable Aviation Fuel	Renewable or waste-derived
LCAF	Lower Carbon Aviation Fuel	Fossil-based, lower lifecycle intensity
SCS	Sustainability Certification Scheme	Certifies CEF
ILUC	Induced Land Use Change	Added to lifecycle emissions
LCA	Life Cycle Assessment	Well-to-wake emissions basis
CoC	Chain of Custody	Tracks the sustainability attribute
HEFA	Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids	A common SAF production pathway
PtL	Power-to-Liquid	Synthetic fuel from renewable electricity

Other Schemes and Bodies

Acronym	Expansion
EU ETS	European Union Emissions Trading System
UK ETS	United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme
UNFCCC	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
VCM	Voluntary Carbon Market
IATA	International Air Transport Association
DGCA	Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)
FAA	Federal Aviation Administration (United States)
CCTS	Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (India)

Measurement

Acronym	Expansion	Note
tCO2	Tonnes of carbon dioxide	The unit of obligation
tCO2e	Tonnes of CO2 equivalent	Includes other greenhouse gases
RTK	Revenue Tonne Kilometres	Basis for second-phase State thresholds
gCO2e/MJ	Grams CO2e per megajoule	Lifecycle fuel intensity

Where to Go Next

CORSIA glossary — full definitions
What is CORSIA — the fundamentals
Official documents — where these terms are defined
CORSIA FAQ — common questions