Trump administration pushes to keep weak aviation carbon offset rules under CORSIA

The US is lobbying to maintain weak climate rules for international aviation under the CORSIA offset program. The scheme allows airlines to offset emissions growth by buying carbon credits, effectively permitting air traffic to keep rising while claiming carbon neutral growth. Critics argue this undermines real decarbonization efforts. William Todts, executive director of Transport & Environment, examines why the Trump administration favors this approach and what it means for global aviation emissions. The piece explores how offset quality, baseline setting, and enforcement gaps could determine whether CORSIA delivers genuine reductions or becomes another accounting exercise.