EU ETS Certification

CORPORATE COMMITMENTS AND COMPLIANCE IN EMISSIONS TRADING

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EU ETS REGULATION IN THE AVIATION SECTOR?

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) was established by the European Union and the European Parliament in 2003 and officially launched on January 1, 2005. It sets a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gases that installations covered by the system are allowed to emit during each trading period.

Greenhouse gas emissions—particularly carbon dioxide—are also a major concern in the aviation industry. To address the growing environmental impact of air travel, the EU ETS Directive extended its scope to include aviation in February 2009. Since 2012, CO₂ emissions from flights have been incorporated into the EU ETS framework. As a result, aircraft operators are now required to surrender one emissions allowance for every tonne of CO₂ they emit. This ensures that only the amount of carbon dioxide covered by valid allowances is released into the atmosphere. Airlines must monitor and report CO₂ emissions from nearly all flights departing from or arriving at airports within EU member states.

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HOW IS THE EU ETS CERTIFICATION PROCESS STRUCTURED?

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) verification is a structured process through which an accredited and independent third party ensures that the reported annual greenhouse gas emissions or activity levels are accurate and compliant with the approved Monitoring Plan. Bureau Veritas adopts a risk-based approach to carry out this process efficiently and reliably. The verification process includes the following key passages:

  • Verification Team Selection
    Teams are selected based on specific criteria related to the sector and process type, ensuring that only qualified and competent professionals carry out the verification of emissions data and activity levels
  • Strategic Review
    An initial assessment of the client’s operations, emission sources (CO₂eq), system boundaries, sub-installations, monitoring structure, data management, and quality assurance practices
  • System Review and Risk Analysis
    A critical evaluation of the client’s management system and methodologies used for emissions calculation. This includes reviewing procedures, documentation, and tools used to manage greenhouse gas data and activity levels
  • Process Analysis
    Validation of the data used to determine the uncertainty level defined in the Monitoring Plan. This step also includes verifying that the approved Monitoring Plan is correctly implemented and that the reported data is accurate.

EU ETS verifications are conducted on an annual basis to ensure timely compliance with regulatory deadlines. The process concludes with the issuance of a verification statement, which must accompany the emissions report submitted to the Competent Authority.
 

FAQ – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EU ETS REGULATION

  • What Does Tonne-Kilometre Performance mean?

    Tonne kilometre performance refers to the product of an aircraft’s payload and the distance flown. It is a key metric used to determine the free allocation of emission allowances under the EU ETS. The higher the tonne kilometre performance, the greater the share of allowances an aircraft operator may receive, as it reflects the scale of their operations and associated emissions.