ETS vs. CORSIA
Same Goals, Different Impact?
Copyright: PtX Lab Lausitz
PtX Lab Paper | 06/2026 | Topic: Aviation | 17 Pages
The PtX Lab paper ETS vs. CORSIA: Same Goals, Different Impact? examines the two principal market-based mechanisms used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in aviation: the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The paper assesses their effectiveness in reducing emissions, their ability to support the market uptake of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and their contribution to the defossilisation of the aviation sector.
Aviation is among the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. International long-haul flights account for a disproportionate share of fuel consumption and associated emissions, while viable alternatives to conventional jet fuel remain limited. Against this backdrop, the paper explores how market-based mechanisms can incentivise investments in low-carbon technologies and sustainable aviation fuels.
The analysis finds that the EU ETS is likely to achieve greater emission reductions than CORSIA due to its declining emissions cap, increasing carbon prices, and targeted incentives for SAF. By contrast, CORSIA relies primarily on carbon offsetting through voluntary carbon markets and provides weaker incentives for investments within the aviation value chain. At the same time, both systems face limitations in addressing emissions from international long-haul aviation.
The paper therefore discusses several options for extending the EU ETS to international aviation. It identifies a hybrid approach as a particularly balanced solution, under which 50 % of emissions from international flights would be covered by the EU ETS, while the remaining 50 % would be addressed through CORSIA, national emissions trading systems, or carbon taxes. Such an approach could strengthen climate ambition, promote international cooperation, and support the market uptake of sustainable aviation fuels.
Bibliographic data
- Publication: ETS vs. CORSIA: Same Goals, Different Impact?
- Publication date: June 2026
- Publisher: PtX Lab Lausitz – Think and Do Tank for Fuels and Basic Materials from Green Hydrogen, Calauer Straße 70, 03048 Cottbus
- Suggested citation: PtX Lab Lausitz (2026): ETS vs. CORSIA: Same Goals, Different Impact?
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