PRESS RELEASE
The Project Developer Forum (PD Forum) has signed IATA’s Supporting Alliance for CORSIA EEU Supply as a founding participant, backing its goals under the Aviation Markets Compact while making clear that mobilising consistent airline purchasing is as critical as unlocking credit supply.
The Alliance brings together over 32 airlines, standards bodies, registries and carbon market participants to boost the availability of CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs) to 225–250 million tonnes by spring 2027, ahead of the January 2028 compliance deadline under the first phase of the UN-backed offsetting scheme. The Compact commits signatories to tackle bottlenecks in the supply of eligible credits, particularly the complex process by which host countries must authorise units for CORSIA while avoiding double-counting against their own Paris Agreement targets.
The PD Forum, representing over 65 project developers across Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond, has backed the Compact’s goals while making clear that a supply-only approach will not deliver a functional market.
“Authorisations are essential groundwork, but they mean nothing if nobody shows up to buy the credits,” said Nick Marshall, Chair of the Project Developer Forum. “Right now, developers are navigating increasingly complex host country processes to generate CORSIA-eligible units while facing sporadic demand signals from airlines. If CORSIA is to deliver the billions in climate finance it promises, airlines need to enter the market early and purchase regularly. The supply is mobilising. However, the question remains as to whether demand will meet it in time.”
Rory McDougall, CFO at DelAgua, who coordinated the PD Forum’s involvement, said IATA had listened to the Forum’s feedback during consultation on the Compact. “We see a genuine recognition now that supply-side efforts are only half the picture. The risk for airlines is real and, considering the work being done to unlock authorisations, those credits won’t sit waiting indefinitely and they will flow to other demand pools. IATA is uniquely placed to prevent this by galvanising its members. Our signing reflects confidence that this will happen, and an expectation that it does.”
“In twelve months, this Alliance won’t be judged by the number of signatories or statements issued,” Marshall added. “Success will be measured by whether host countries get the practical support they need to navigate CORSIA authorisations, and whether airlines begin purchasing in a way that gives developers the confidence to keep supply flowing. These are the areas where the Alliance can add genuine, measurable value.”
The PD Forum also noted that the mid-phase introduction of the EU’s proposed CORSIA eligibility criteria represents exactly the kind of regulatory complexity that risks undermining supply efforts, and that IATA’s ability to mobilise its airline membership remains the Alliance’s most important tool for activating demand.
As the initiative progresses, the Forum will contribute its developer expertise to the Alliance’s technical workstreams while continuing to advocate for a balanced, predictable, and high-integrity CORSIA market that works for host countries, developers, and airlines alike.
