Technical
ICAO publishes guidance on verification of CORSIA Eligible Fuel claims
ICAO has published guidance on the verification of CORSIA Eligible Fuel (CEF) claims, now incorporated into the Fourth Edition of the Environmental Technical Manual. The guidance establishes a harmonised approach for aircraft operators and verification bodies, clarifying the evidence and documentation expected to support eligible fuel claims during CORSIA verification.
Update details
Full summary and practical implications
ICAO has issued guidance to support a consistent verification approach for CORSIA Eligible Fuel (CEF) claims made by aircraft operators.
The guidance has been incorporated into the Fourth Edition of the Environmental Technical Manual and is intended to assist both operators and verification bodies during the annual CORSIA verification process.
It clarifies the responsibilities of aircraft operators, fuel suppliers and verification bodies in demonstrating that fuel claimed under CORSIA satisfies ICAO sustainability requirements.
Verification activities should confirm that the reported fuel quantities, sustainability characteristics, lifecycle emissions values and chain-of-custody information are fully supported by verifiable evidence.
The guidance reinforces the importance of maintaining complete, accurate and traceable documentation from fuel purchase through to annual emissions reporting.
Although the guidance does not introduce new regulatory obligations, it strengthens the consistency of verification practices and the level of evidence expected to support CORSIA Eligible Fuel claims.
To support CORSIA Eligible Fuel (CEF) claims during verification, aircraft operators should maintain a complete set of supporting documentation. This typically includes: (1) Proof of Sustainability (PoS); (2) Sustainability Certificate issued under an ICAO-approved Sustainability Certification Scheme (SCS); (3) Batch-specific sustainability information; (4) Fuel purchase agreements, contracts or invoices; (5) Fuel delivery notes or delivery receipts; (6) Fuel batch identification and traceability records; (7) Chain of Custody (CoC) documentation demonstrating the movement of the fuel through the supply chain; (8) Lifecycle Emissions Value (LCEF) information; (9) Documentation demonstrating compliance with the ICAO Sustainability Criteria; (10) Records showing the quantity of eligible fuel claimed; (11) Allocation methodology where fuel is distributed across multiple operators or reporting periods; (12) Supplier declarations or attestations where applicable; and (13) Any additional evidence requested by the verifier to substantiate the fuel claim.
Operator actions
What your team should do next
Review internal procedures for collecting CORSIA Eligible Fuel documentation from fuel suppliers before annual reporting.
Ensure Proof of Sustainability (PoS), Sustainability Certificates and other supporting evidence are received and retained for every eligible fuel batch.
Verify that lifecycle emissions values, sustainability characteristics and chain-of-custody information are complete, consistent and traceable.
Coordinate procurement, sustainability and compliance teams to ensure documentation is collected at the time of fuel purchase rather than retrospectively.
Perform an internal documentation review before engaging the verifier to identify and resolve any evidence gaps.
Discuss documentation expectations with your verification body early in the reporting cycle to minimise verification findings and avoid delays in report verification.
Useful links