Brazil Risks Rule-Taker Status by Skipping CORSIA Phase 1 as Article 6 Credits Tighten
Updated
Updated · greenairnews.com · Jun 1
Brazil Risks Rule-Taker Status by Skipping CORSIA Phase 1 as Article 6 Credits Tighten
1 articles · Updated · greenairnews.com · Jun 1
Brazil has not joined ICAO’s first CORSIA compliance phase, leaving a major potential supplier of aviation carbon credits outside a market entering its 2026 compliance cycle.
Article 6 rules are the main bottleneck: credits need both a host-country Letter of Authorization and a corresponding adjustment, steps that raise sovereignty and NDC-accounting concerns and shrink the pool of financeable units.
EU draft criteria add pressure by favoring Article 6.4 credits and casting doubt on some REDD+ supply, raising the risk of a fragmented 3-tier market with higher prices and thinner liquidity for European airlines.
Brazil’s hesitation reflects 3 gaps—protecting NDC flexibility, unfinished domestic carbon-market governance, and limited pressure from local carriers—despite assets ranging from renewables to sustainable aviation fuel policy.
The op-ed argues Brasília should finish carbon-market legislation, clarify authorization procedures and engage airlines now, or capital may shift to smaller but more predictable markets in Asia and Africa.
As aviation's 2026 carbon deadline hits, will Brazil's market delay trigger a global credit supply crisis?
Is Brazil’s carbon market hesitation a strategic play for power or a fumble of its green superpower status?
Unlocking Brazil’s Carbon Potential: Immediate Risks and Strategic Moves for CORSIA and Article 6 Integration
Overview
As of mid-2026, Brazil has not committed to the compliance phase of ICAO's CORSIA scheme, exposing itself to immediate strategic and economic risks. By staying out, Brazil risks becoming a rule-taker in the global aviation carbon market, losing its chance to influence key rules and standards. This weakens Brazil’s leverage in future negotiations and its ability to shape policies that match its national interests and environmental goals. Economically, Brazil is missing out on major opportunities in the growing carbon markets, where it could be a leading supplier of eligible carbon credits to airlines needing to meet CORSIA obligations.