WASHINGTON – Aug. 7, 2025 | Verra has engaged global insurance intermediary Howden to assess whether insurance products meet Verra’s criteria for credits intended for use under the Carbon Offset Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), an initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Howden will lead the evaluation of insurance offerings against Verra’s criteria to determine their suitability for mitigating the risk of double claiming, where both the aircraft operator and the host country claim the same mitigation outcomes represented by the Verified Carbon Units (VCUs).

This engagement follows Verra’s recent release of its CORSIA insurance criteria and is a key further step in operationalizing Verra’s CORSIA eligibility pathway for VCUs issued for mitigation occurring from 2021 onward. Howden has also recently been contracted to assess CORSIA insurance policies for Gold Standard, which has developed similar insurance criteria. The alignment between the insurance approaches of the world’s two largest independent greenhouse gas crediting programs presents a unique opportunity to drive greater standardization across the market.

For VCUs with vintages of 2021 onward to receive a CORSIA-eligible label in the Verra Registry, they must be from CORSIA-approved project types and have received an Article 6 label, which indicates a host country has authorized these credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and makes the credits eligible for use under CORSIA. This authorization means the host country will apply a corresponding adjustment when accounting for its emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement, so that these credits cannot be claimed toward countries’ climate targets under the Paris Agreement and airline operators’ obligations under CORSIA.

Thus, to receive a CORSIA-eligible label, the VCUs must demonstrate one of the following:

A completed corresponding adjustment for the mitigation outcomes represented by the respective VCUs. Until more host countries have completed their reporting to the UNFCCC, this evidence may not always be readily available.
A CORSIA Accounting Representation signed by an entity that commits to compensate for any VCUs affected by double claiming, along with a certificate of insurance for a Verra-approved insurance product that backs up their ability to undertake the compensation.

Verra’s CORSIA Label Guidance (PDF) provides complete information on how labels are applied.

Insurance products assessed and approved by Howden that comply with Verra criteria will be listed on Verra’s website providing market participants with clear, actionable options for bringing their credits to market.