Three factors ahead China’s path to CORSIA membership: Understanding China’s position through its ETS development status

As a significant contributor to climate change, carbon emissions from the international aviation were estimated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to continue growing dramatically by 2050. Currently, the international effort to reduce emissions from aviation has mainly been undertaken through two existing market-based measures (MBMs), namely the EU ETS and the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

Among the largest global emitters and concurrently key players in the international climate negotiations, China however remains a vocal opponent of both schemes. This article unravels three main factors behind China’s rigid stance toward reducing aviation emissions, particularly toward CORSIA. These factors include legal-related, economic-related, and particularly China ETS development-related ones.