1.1 GENERAL This regulation contains the requirements for Aeronautical Operators in compliance with the provisions of Annex 16 Volume IV of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Furthermore, it contains some requirements that have been identified as necessary for Costa Rican aviation regarding environmental protection since they allow contribution to the environmental commitments that the country has acquired, this because in the year 2007 Costa Rica committed to the voluntary and aspirational goal of achieving carbon neutrality in the year 2021. In this way, climate policy was integrated into the National Development Plan and a National Climate Change Strategy (2009) and its Action Plan (2013) were issued.
Any publication that in this regulation is indicated as an ICAO source can be found on the official ICAO website link https: //www.icao.int/. other sources of information indicated and associated with this regulation can be found on the official website of the DGAC https://www.dgac.go.cr/ and of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) https://www.cambioclimatico.go.cr/, in each related item the respective source is indicated.
SUBPART A. DEFINITIONS AND LIST OF ACRONYMS RAC-16.001 Definitions (1) Aerodrome: A defined area of land or water (including all its buildings, installations, and equipment) intended wholly or partly for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft.
(2) Administrative partnership. Delegation of the administrative tasks of this RAC from one State to another State(s).
(3) Aircraft: Any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth's surface.
(4) Fixed-wing aircraft: An aircraft that derives its lift from aerodynamic reactions exerted on surfaces that remain fixed under given conditions.
(5) Paris Agreement: At COP 21 in Paris, in December 2012, the Parties to the UNFCCC reached a historic agreement to combat climate change and accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low-carbon future. The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention and, for the first time, brings all signatory countries into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so.
(6) Airplane: An engine-driven aerodyne, which derives its lift in flight mainly from aerodynamic reactions exerted on surfaces that remain fixed under given flight conditions.
(7) Cancellation of emissions units: "Cancel" means the permanent, single-use elimination of an eligible emissions unit within the CORSIA by a Registry designated by the Eligible Emissions Unit Program such that the same emissions unit cannot be used more than once. This is also sometimes referred to as "retirement," "cancelled," or "cancellation." (8) Climate change: Large-scale change in the climate system that takes place over some decades or a shorter period, persists (or is projected to persist) for at least some decades, and causes significant disruptions in human and natural systems (Source: IPCC Glossary, 2013).
(9) Air operator certificate (AOC): A certificate authorizing an operator to carry out specified commercial air transport operations.
(10) CORSIA eligible fuel: CORSIA sustainable aviation fuel or CORSIA lower-carbon aviation fuel that an aeroplane operator may use to reduce its offsetting requirements.
(11) CORSIA lower-carbon aviation fuel: CORSIA-eligible fossil aviation fuel that meets the CORSIA sustainability criteria under this regulation.
(12) CORSIA sustainable aviation fuel (CORSIA sustainable aviation fuel): Renewable or waste-derived aviation fuel that meets the CORSIA sustainability criteria under this regulation.
(13) Fuel uplifts: Measurement of the fuel supplied by the fuel supplier, documented in the delivery notes or fuel invoices for each flight (in litres).
(14) Basket of measures: A variety of options available to reduce CO2 emissions from international aviation, including aircraft-related technology development, alternative fuels, improvements in air traffic management and infrastructure use, more efficient operations, economic/market-based measures, regulatory measures/others; and airport improvements, see more details in ICAO Doc. 9988 Appendix A.
(15) Great circle distance: The shortest distance, rounded to the nearest kilometre, between the aerodromes of origin and destination, measured over the earth's surface modelled in accordance with the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84). Note: The latitude and longitude coordinates of aerodromes can be obtained from the ICAO Location Indicators database.
(16) Verification team: A team of verifiers, or a single verifier who also qualifies as a team leader, belonging to a verification body that performs the verification of an emissions report and, when necessary, an emissions unit cancellation report. The team may be supported by technical experts.
(17) ICAO Contracting State: A State signatory to the Chicago Convention, which has consented to abide by its guidelines, whether or not it has entered into force.
(18) State of notification: A State that has submitted to ICAO the request for registration or change of the three-letter designator of an aeroplane operator over which it exercises jurisdiction.
(19) State of registry: The State in which the aircraft is registered.
(20) Aircraft operator: A person, organization, or enterprise engaged in, or proposing to engage in, the operation of aircraft or aerodromes.
(21) Approach phase: A utilization phase defined by the time during which the engine operates in the approach mode.
(22) Climb phase: A phase defined by the time during which the engine operates in the climb mode.
(23) Take-off phase: A utilization phase defined by the time during which the engine operates at nominal thrust rating.
(24) Greenhouse gases: Gaseous component of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs or emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface, the atmosphere, and clouds (some GHGs are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride), source ISO 14064.
(25) Auxiliary power unit (APU): A self-contained power unit on an aircraft commonly known as the Auxiliary Power Unit, used to provide electrical and pneumatic power to the aircraft's systems during ground or in-flight operations independently of the propulsion engine or engines.
(26) Emissions report: A document in which the aeroplane operator annually reports its CO2 emissions based on the applicability of this regulation.
(27) Greenhouse gas report: An independent document intended to communicate information related to GHGs (source ISO 14064), in the case of this regulation, from aeroplane operators and aerodrome operators to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Costa Rican State.
(28) Verification report: A document, drafted by the verification body, containing the verification statement and the required supporting information.
(29) Data gap: Refers to when the aeroplane operator lacks data needed to determine its fuel consumption on one or more international flights.
(30) Greenhouse gas inventory: The GHG sources, GHG sinks, GHG emissions, and GHG removals of aeroplane operators and aerodrome operators.
(31) Baseline: An emissions level indicated by ICAO as a global figure resulting from the accounting of carbon emissions emitted by aeroplanes with CORSIA requirements during a given period.
(32) Feedstock. Type of basic unprocessed material used to produce aviation fuels.
(33) Maximum take-off mass: The highest of all take-off masses for the type design configuration.
(34) Clean development mechanism: A procedure contemplated in the Kyoto Protocol (KP) in which developed countries can finance greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation projects in developing countries, and receive in return Certified Emissions Reductions applicable to meet their own reduction commitment.
(35) Environment: Setting in which an aeroplane/aerodrome operator operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans, and their interrelationships.
(36) New entrant: A new entrant is understood as an aeroplane operator that commences activities in an aviation sector that, on the date of entry into force of this RAC or after that date, falls within the scope of this RAC and whose activity is neither wholly nor partially the continuation of an aviation activity previously conducted by another aeroplane operator.
(37) Verification body: A legal entity that performs the verification of an emissions report and, when necessary, an emissions unit cancellation report, as an accredited independent third party.
(38) National accreditation body: A body authorized by a State to certify that a verification body is competent to provide specific verification services.
(39) Aerodrome pair: A group of two aerodromes consisting of a departure aerodrome and an arrival aerodrome.
(40) State pair: A group of two States comprising a departure State or its territories and an arrival State or its territories.
(41) Reporting period: A period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31 of a given year for which the requested information is reported. The flight departure time (UTC) determines to which reporting period the flight corresponds.
(42) National action plan on the reduction of CO2 emissions in Costa Rican aviation: A tool used by a State to present and communicate, both nationally and internationally, its initiatives to address GHG emissions from international aviation.
(43) Carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA): A form of the ICAO global market-based measure (GMBM) scheme to address any increase in total annual CO2 emissions from international civil aviation (i.e., civil aviation flights that depart from one country and arrive in another) above the levels established as the 2020 baseline, taking into account special circumstances and respective capabilities.
(44) Flight plan: Specific information provided to air traffic services units, in relation to an intended flight or a portion of a flight of an aircraft.
(45) Conversion process. Type of technology that is used to convert feedstock into aviation fuel.
(46) Aeroplane owner: The person(s), organization(s), or enterprise(s) identified by the Name and Address of the owner indicated on the certificate of registration of an aeroplane in accordance with the current RAC-45.
(47) Taxi/ground idle: Utilization phases comprising taxi or low-speed operation from the initial start-up of the propulsion engine or engines until the initiation of the take-off run, and between the time of runway exit and that at which all propulsion engines are finally stopped.
(48) RTK: Revenue Tonne Kilometre, is the sum of the products obtained by multiplying the weight carried, which generated revenue for the aeroplane operator, (including cargo, passengers, mail, and baggage) on each flight stage by the stage distance. The unit of measurement is the tonne-kilometre representing 1 (one) tonne of revenue load transported 1 (one) km.
(49) Data management system: A system used by the aeroplane operator to manage data related to CO2 emissions.
(50) Operations management system: A system used by the aeroplane operator for the management of air operations, which serves as a data source for monitoring CO2 emissions.
(51) Emissions unit: An emissions unit represents one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent.
(52) Report verification: An independent, systematic, and sufficiently documented process of evaluating an emissions report and, when necessary, an eligible emissions unit cancellation report.
(53) International flight: An international flight is the operation of an aircraft from take-off at an aerodrome of a State or its territories to landing at an aerodrome of another State or its territories.
(54) Domestic flight: Also called a national flight, local flight, or domestic flight, is defined as the operation of an aircraft from take-off at an aerodrome of a State or its territories to landing at an aerodrome of the same State or its territories.
(55) Production pathway. A specific combination of feedstock and conversion process used to produce aviation fuels.
RAC-16.005 Acronyms:
ACARS: Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System AOC: Air operator certificate CAEP: ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection AMC: Acceptable Means of Compliance CCR: CORSIA Central Registry CERT: CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change CO2 : Carbon Dioxide CO2 e: Carbon Dioxide Equivalent AOC: Air operator certificate CORSIA: Carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation DCC: Climate Change Directorate DGAC: Directorate General of Civil Aviation EMP: Emissions monitoring plan ER: Emissions report EUC: Emissions unit criteria GHG: Greenhouse Gases GMBM: Global market-based measure scheme IAF: International Accreditation Forum IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ISO: International Organization for Standardization CDM: Clean Development Mechanism MRV: Monitoring, reporting, and verification MJ: Megajoule MTOM: Maximum take-off mass LSf: Approved life cycle emissions value ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization PPCN: Government of Costa Rica Carbon Neutrality Program RAC: Costa Rican Aeronautical Regulation RTK: Revenue Tonne Kilometre SUBPART B GENERAL PROVISIONS RAC-16.010 Applicability and Effectiveness for aeroplane operators (See AMC RAC-16.010) This RAC establishes to which operators attributed to the Costa Rican State the environmental protection requirements apply:
(a) The requirements associated with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and the National Action Plan on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Costa Rican Aviation, and to these specifically as follows:
(1) Subparts A, B, C, D, E, and F (AMC RAC-16.010) are applicable only to aeroplane operators producing annual CO2 emissions greater than 10,000 tonnes from the use of aeroplanes with a maximum certificated take-off mass greater than 5,700 kg conducting international flights, with the exception of humanitarian, medical, and firefighting flights. When considering whether a flight is international or domestic, the definitions for international flight and domestic flight must be followed, furthermore, for the purposes of this RAC, the Location Indicators of the Civil Aviation Aeronautical Authority, which contain the list of aerodromes and operators attributed to each State, must be consulted.
(2) Subparts A, B, C, D, E, and F apply to a new entrant when it meets the provisions of subparagraph i. of RAC-16.010, the requirements of Subparts A, B, C, D, E, and F apply to this new entrant from January 1 of the year following the start of its operations.
(3) The requirements established in RAC-16.135, RAC-16.145, and RAC-16.150 of Subpart C apply only to aeroplane operators with international flights between States that have voluntarily joined CORSIA or are eligible in accordance with the provisions of ICAO.
(b) Subparts A, B, and G of this regulation apply only to aeroplane operators with a Costa Rican AOC whose annual emissions from both domestic (internal or local) and international flights are conducted with aircraft with a maximum take-off mass less than 5,700 kg or whose annual emissions are less than 10,000 tonnes of CO2. The requirements of Subparts C, D, E, F, and G do not apply to these operators.
The specifications of this regulation are applicable from their publication in the Official Gazette La Gaceta de la República de Costa Rica.
RAC-16.015 Requirements for aerodrome operators The only requirements of this regulation applicable to aerodrome operators are those established in Subparts A, B, F, and H.
RAC-16.020 Operational Directives (See AMC RAC-16.020) Aeroplane operators must comply with the Operational Directives issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation whereby it prohibits, limits, or subjects to certain conditions an operation in the interest of operational safety.
RAC-16.025 Attribution of international flights to an aeroplane operator Aeroplane operators must identify the international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, that are attributed to them in accordance with the approach in this RAC-16.025. The attribution of a specific international flight to an aeroplane operator is determined as indicated below:
(a) ICAO designator: When Item 7 (aircraft identification) of the flight plan contains the ICAO designator, that flight is attributed to the aeroplane operator to which said designator has been assigned; (b) Registration marks: When Item 7 (aircraft identification) of the flight plan contains the nationality mark or common mark and the registration mark of an aeroplane that is its equivalent) issued by the Costa Rican State, that flight is attributed to the aeroplane operator holding the Air operator certificate (AOC) (or its equivalent); or (c) Other: When the aeroplane operator of a flight is not identified as described in a) or b), that flight is attributed to the aeroplane owner, who is then considered the aeroplane operator.
Two or more consecutive flights operated with the same flight number are considered distinct flights for the purposes of this regulation.
RAC-16.030 Aeroplane operator information for a flight Upon request from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Costa Rican State, the owners of aeroplanes registered in the Costa Rican State must provide all necessary information to identify the actual aeroplane operator of a flight.
RAC-16.035 Delegation to a third party Aeroplane operators may delegate, by contract, the administrative requirements of this regulation to a third party. That third party may not provide verification services to the aeroplane operator, as indicated in Subpart E. The aeroplane operator must remain responsible for compliance in all situations.
Aeroplane operators may not delegate to another operator the responsibility for enforcing the requirements of this regulation, nor their administrative tasks before the State to which they are attributed, and must perform the procedures to demonstrate compliance with the corresponding requirements of this RAC.
RAC-16.040 Information for the Civil Aviation Authority The Directorate General of Civil Aviation may request from an operator the information necessary to ensure the correct attribution of an international flight departing from an aerodrome of its territory to an aeroplane operator through the approach indicated in RAC-16.015 to perform the order-of-magnitude checks required to ensure the integrity of the data reported, in accordance with RAC 16.130 e).
RAC-16.045 Attribution of an aeroplane operator to a State (See AMC.RAC-16.045) An aeroplane operator conducting international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, attributed to it must identify the State to which it is attributed according to the approach in RAC-16.050.
The Costa Rican State may request from the aeroplane operator information that allows it to ensure the correct attribution of an aeroplane operator to said States according to the approach in RAC-16.050.
RAC-16.050 Methods for attributing an aeroplane operator to a State (CA RAC-16.050) An aircraft operator that operates international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, is attributed to the Costa Rican State as indicated below and the aircraft operator must be aware that the Costa Rican State ensures its correct attribution by reviewing the following aspects:
(a) ICAO Designator: When an aircraft operator has an ICAO designator, the State against which the aircraft operator meets its requirements under this regulation shall be the notifying State; (b) Air Operator Certificate: When an aircraft operator does not have an ICAO designator, but possesses a valid Air Operator Certificate (or its equivalent), the State against which the aircraft operator meets its requirements under this regulation is the State that issued the Air Operator Certificate (or its equivalent); and (c) Place of Legal Registration: When an aircraft operator has neither an ICAO designator nor an Air Operator Certificate, the Costa Rican State in which the aircraft operator is registered as a legal entity is the Costa Rican State against which the aircraft operator meets its requirements under this regulation. When the aircraft operator is a natural person, the State of residence and registration of that person is the State against which the aircraft operator meets its requirements under this regulation.
RAC-16.055 Changes to ICAO Designator, AOC (or its equivalent), or Place of Legal Registration If an aircraft operator changes its ICAO Designator, AOC (or its equivalent), or Place of Legal Registration and is subsequently attributed to a new State, but does not establish a new entity or subsidiary, then that State is the State against which the aircraft operator must meet its requirements under this RAC at the beginning of the next compliance period.
RAC-16.060 Aircraft operator with a subsidiary An aircraft operator with a wholly-owned aircraft operator subsidiary that is legally registered in the same State may be treated as a single consolidated aircraft operator responsible for meeting the requirements of this RAC, subject to the approval of the State. Evidence must be recorded in the aircraft operator's emissions monitoring plan to demonstrate that the aircraft operator subsidiary is wholly owned.
RAC-16.065 Record-keeping (CA RAC-16.065) Aircraft operators must maintain and retain records for a period of 10 years to demonstrate compliance with the requirements established in this regulation.
Every aircraft operator must preserve, electronically in digitized image format and in a database, the records relating to its CO2 emissions, therefore, by state pair as well as by aerodrome pair from the year in which its requirements under CORSIA begin for operators with CORSIA requirements, in order to perform cross-verification of its offsetting requirements calculated by the Dirección General de Aviación Civil of the Costa Rican State for the 2030-2035 compliance periods.
RAC-16.070 Equivalent procedures (See CA RAC-16.070) The use of equivalent compliance procedures by the aircraft operator, in lieu of the procedures specified in this regulation, must be approved by the DGAC, considering that these equivalent procedures must demonstrably meet the requirements of this regulation.
SUBPART C. MONITORING, REPORTING, AND VERIFICATION (MRV) OF ANNUAL CO2 EMISSIONS OF AIRCRAFT OPERATORS RAC-16.075 Applicability of MRV requirements (See CA RAC-16.075) (a) The requirements of this regulation apply to any aircraft operator that produces annual CO2 emissions greater than 10,000 tonnes from the use of aircraft with a maximum certified take-off mass greater than 5,700 kg performing international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 point a), with the exception of humanitarian, medical, and firefighting flights.
(b) The requirements of this subpart do not apply to international flights, defined in RAC-16.001, preceding or following humanitarian, medical, or firefighting flights, provided that those flights are conducted with the same aircraft and it was required to perform the humanitarian, medical, or firefighting activities or subsequently reposition the aircraft for its next activity. The aircraft operator provides supporting evidence of such activities to the verification body or, upon request, to the Costa Rican State.
(c) The requirements of this subpart apply to a new aircraft operator from the year following the year in which that operator meets the requirements of RAC-16.075 a) and b).
If an aircraft operator approaches the annual CO2 emissions threshold, defined in RAC-16.075 a), from international flights, defined in RAC-16.001, it should consider contacting the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed for guidance.
RAC-16.080 Eligibility of monitoring methods Aircraft operators must monitor and record their fuel use for international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, in accordance with the eligible monitoring methods defined in this regulation and approved by the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed. After approval of the emissions monitoring plan, aircraft operators must employ the same eligible monitoring method throughout the entire compliance period.
Aircraft operators must use as guidance the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Document 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which contains additional guidance texts on the eligibility of monitoring methods and on the corresponding thresholds and measurements.
RAC-16.085 Eligible monitoring methods during the baseline generation period Air operators that generate annual CO2 emissions from international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, greater than or equal to 500,000 tonnes must use a "fuel use monitoring method" described in Appendix 2 of this regulation.
Air operators that generate annual CO2 emissions from international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, of less than 500,000 tonnes must use a "fuel use monitoring method" or the "ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT)", in the most recently published version on the official ICAO website, described respectively in Appendix 2 and 3 of this regulation.
If a single year's annual CO2 emissions from international flights of an air operator, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, exceeded the threshold of 500,000 tonnes, it must use the same chosen monitoring method in the following year; for this, the aircraft operator must make a prior consultation with the DGAC, which decides whether to permit it or not as it deems appropriate.
For aircraft operators that began monitoring their emissions voluntarily in 2019, they must employ the same monitoring method in the 2021-2023 period, taking into account their projected annual CO2 emissions for the 2021-2023 period. If the aircraft operator needs to change its monitoring method, it must submit a revised emissions monitoring plan no later than January 1, 2021, in order to implement the new monitoring method starting January 1, 2021.
If an aircraft operator does not have an emissions monitoring plan that was approved by January 1, 2021, it must monitor and record its CO2 emissions in accordance with the eligible monitoring method established in the emissions monitoring plan that it submits or has submitted after that indicated date, provided that it has been approved by the DGAC.
If it is determined that the emissions monitoring plan of an aircraft operator, defined in RAC-16.080, is incomplete and/or inconsistent with one of the eligible fuel use monitoring methods listed in Appendix 2 of this regulation, the aircraft operator must request from the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed the approval, if deemed appropriate, of a different eligible fuel use monitoring method in the emissions monitoring plan starting from the publication of this regulation, unless it is a new operator, in which case what is indicated in Subpart B of this regulation applies.
If an air operator does not have sufficient information to use a fuel use monitoring method, defined in Appendix 2 of this regulation, it must request from the DGAC approval to use the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) during the period that the DGAC deems necessary.
The operator may use as a reference Attachment B of this regulation, Figure 8-2, the flow chart of the process for the eligibility of fuel use monitoring methods during the period defined for generating the baseline.
RAC-16.090 Eligible monitoring methods during the 2021-2035 period (a) Aircraft operators with annual CO2 emissions from international flights subject to offsetting requirements, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.165, greater than or equal to 50,000 tonnes must use a fuel use monitoring method described in Appendix 2 of this regulation for these flights. For international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, that are not subject to the offsetting requirements defined in RAC-16.165, aircraft operators must employ a fuel use monitoring method, described in Appendix 2 of this regulation, or the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), described in Appendix 3 of this regulation.
(b) Aircraft operators with annual CO2 emissions from international flights subject to offsetting requirements, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.165, of less than 50,000 tonnes must use a fuel use monitoring method or the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), described respectively in Appendices 2 and 3 of this regulation.
(c) For an aircraft operator whose annual CO2 emissions from international flights subject to offsetting requirements, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.165, exceed the threshold of 50,000 tonnes in a given year (y) and also in year (y+1), they must submit an updated emissions monitoring plan no later than September 30 of year (y+2). Aircraft operators shall begin using a fuel use monitoring method, described in Appendix 2 of this regulation, on January 1 of year (y+3).
(d) For an aircraft operator whose annual CO2 emissions from international flights subject to offsetting requirements, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.165, have decreased below the threshold of 50,000 tonnes in a given year (y) and also in year (y+1), the aircraft operator may change its monitoring method on January 1 of year (y+3). If they decide to change their monitoring method, aircraft operators must submit an updated emissions monitoring plan no later than September 30 of year (y+2).
(e) The aircraft operator may use as a reference Attachment B of this regulation, Figure B-3, the flow chart of the process for determining the eligibility of fuel use monitoring methods during the 2021-2035 compliance periods.
RAC-16.095 Emissions Monitoring Plan (EMP) Aircraft operators must submit an emissions monitoring plan (EMP) to the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed for approval by the DGAC in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation. The emissions monitoring plan must contain the information defined in Appendix 4 of this regulation and any supplementary information that the DGAC requests from the operator in order to clarify parts of the EMP that the Costa Rican State considers necessary for the approval of the EMP.
New aircraft operators must submit an emissions monitoring plan (EMP) to the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed within three months of falling within the scope of applicability defined in RAC-16.075.
Aircraft operators must resubmit the emissions monitoring plan to the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed for its approval if any substantial change is made to the information contained in the emissions monitoring plan (i.e., a change in the information submitted in the plan that affects the status or eligibility of the aircraft operator for an option under the emissions monitoring requirements or that otherwise affects the decision of the Costa Rican State to which the aircraft operator is attributed regarding whether the aircraft operator's monitoring approach meets the requirements; substantial changes are established in Section 3.1.3, see Table 3.2, Chapter 3 of Doc. 9501, available on the official ICAO website).
Aircraft operators must also inform the State to which they are attributed about changes that affect that State's oversight (such as: a change in legal name or corporate address), even if the changes do not correspond to the definition of a substantial change.
If it is determined that the aircraft operator's emissions monitoring plan is incomplete and/or inconsistent with the emissions monitoring plan requirements listed in Appendix 4 of this regulation, the Costa Rican State to which that operator is attributed may request the aircraft operator to engage in an approach to work with it to resolve outstanding issues. This work may consist of returning the emissions monitoring plan to the aircraft operator along with an explanation of the reasons why the plan was deemed deficient, or requesting additional information.
The aircraft operator must consider as a fundamental reference the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which contains additional guidance texts on the emissions monitoring plan and substantial changes (Section 3.1.3, see Table 3.2, Chapter 3 of ICAO Doc. 9501).
RAC-16.100 Calculation of CO2 emissions from aviation fuel consumption (a) Aircraft operators must apply a fuel density value to calculate the mass of fuel, where the quantity of uplifted fuel is determined in volume units.
(b) The aircraft operator must record the fuel density (which may be an actual value or a standard value of 0.8 kg per liter) that is used for operational and operational safety reasons (as occurs in an operational, flight, or technical log). The procedure for reporting the use of actual or standard density is detailed in the emissions monitoring plan together with a reference to the relevant documentation of the aircraft operator.
(c) The aircraft operator must consider as a fundamental reference the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which contains additional guidance texts on fuel density.
(d) Aircraft operators that use one of the fuel use monitoring methods, defined in Appendix 2 of this regulation, must determine the CO2 emissions from international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, using the following equation:
CO2 = CO2 Emissions (in tonnes) Mf = Mass of fuel f consumed (in tonnes); and FCFf = Conversion factor for the given fuel f, equivalent to 3.16 (in kgCO2/kg of fuel) for Jet-A fuel and 3.10 (in kgCO2/kg of fuel) for AVGAS or Jet-8 fuel.
For the purposes of calculating CO2 emissions, the mass of fuel used includes all aviation fuels.
RAC-16.105 Monitoring of claims relating to CORSIA eligible fuels An aircraft operator that wishes to claim emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels must use a CORSIA eligible fuel that meets the CORSIA Sustainability Criteria defined in the ICAO document titled "CORSIA Sustainability Criteria for CORSIA Eligible Fuels", which is available on the ICAO CORSIA website.
An aircraft operator that wishes to claim emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels may only use CORSIA eligible fuels from fuel producers that are certified by an approved sustainability certification scheme included in the ICAO document titled "CORSIA Approved Sustainability Certification Schemes", which is available on the ICAO CORSIA website. These certification schemes meet the requirements included in the ICAO document titled "CORSIA Eligibility Framework and Requirements for Sustainability Certification Schemes", which is available on the official ICAO website in the CORSIA section.
If an aircraft operator cannot demonstrate that the CORSIA eligible fuel meets the CORSIA Sustainability Criteria, that fuel will not be accounted for as a CORSIA eligible fuel for the operator.
In the provisions of this Subpart, it is considered that aviation fuel supply chains are not differentiated at aerodromes and that CORSIA eligible fuels are normally blended at various points in the fuel supply infrastructure (as occurs in the case of pipelines, storage terminals, fuel storage systems at aerodromes). It is possible that CORSIA eligible fuels purchased by a given aircraft operator are not physically used in its aircraft and it is not feasible to determine the specific CORSIA eligible fuel content at the point it is uplifted into an aircraft. Claims for emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels by an aircraft operator are based on the mass of CORSIA eligible fuels under purchase and blending records.
Emissions reductions from the use of a CORSIA eligible fuel are calculated as indicated in Subpart D, RAC-16.075 as part of the calculation of CO2 offsetting requirements of Subpart D. These calculations use the approved lifecycle emissions value (LSf) for the CORSIA eligible fuel. Information on the emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuel is included in the aircraft operator's emissions report (Field 12 of Table AS-1 in Appendix 5 of this regulation), in accordance with Subpart C, RAC-16.110, RAC-16.115, and RAC-16.125.
RAC-16.110 Reporting of CO2 emissions (a) Aircraft operators must submit to the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed a copy of the verified emissions report for approval by the DGAC and a copy of the associated verification report, in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
(b) Air operators must use, for reporting the quantity of international flights, defined in RAC-16.001, the aggregation level decided by the Costa Rican State, which shall be by aerodrome pair (i.e., Table AS-1 Field 7) and CO2 emissions (i.e., Table AS-1, Field 8).
(c) The emissions report contains the information defined in Appendix 5 of this regulation, Table AS-1. Aircraft operators that must use the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) are not required to report Field 5.
(d) Aircraft operators must use the standardized emissions report template contained in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), or a template approved by the Costa Rican State, for the submission of information to the DGAC of the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed.
(e) When reporting consolidated CO2 emissions from international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, conducted by the aircraft operator during the year following the current year, including aircraft operators that are subsidiaries, they must attach to the main emissions report the disaggregated data for each aircraft operator that is a subsidiary.
RAC-16.115 Request for non-publication of information of an aircraft operator (a) In specific circumstances where an aircraft operator operates a very limited number of state pairs subject to offsetting requirements, and/or a very limited number of state pairs not subject to offsetting requirements, it may request in writing from the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed that this data not be published at the aircraft operator level, as defined in Appendix 5 of this regulation, point 3.2, explaining the reasons why the disclosure of this data harms its commercial interests. Based on this request, the Costa Rican State determines whether this data is confidential.
(b) In specific circumstances where aggregated state pair data could be attributed to an identified aircraft operator because the number of aircraft operators operating flights on a state pair is very limited, that aircraft operator may request in writing from the Costa Rican State that this data not be published at the state pair level, explaining the reasons why the disclosure of this data harms its commercial interests. Based on this request, the State determines whether this data is confidential.
RAC-16.120 Reporting by the Costa Rican State to ICAO The aircraft operator must submit all necessary information so that the Costa Rican State can calculate and inform each of its aircraft operators of their average annual total CO2 emissions, in accordance with the deadlines defined in the Appendices of this regulation.
The aircraft operator must review and provide its endorsement of the notification of its average annual emissions received from the DGAC before the Costa Rican State submits the report to ICAO, in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation. This report must contain the information defined in Appendix 5 of this regulation, Tables AS-4, AS-5, and AS-6, as applicable.
The aircraft operator must review that the emissions notification received from the Costa Rican State for reporting to ICAO contains, where the operator so requires, the indication of any reported data considered confidential under RAC-16.115 a) and b).
All aircraft operator data that has been considered confidential by the DGAC under RAC-16.115 a) and b) is aggregated without being attributed to the specific aircraft operator and will be included in the ICAO document titled "CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency", available on the ICAO CORSIA website.
RAC-16.125 Reporting of CORSIA eligible fuels Aircraft operators must subtract CORSIA eligible fuels traded or sold to a third party from their total reported quantity of CORSIA eligible fuels.
Aircraft operators must provide a declaration of any other GHG schemes in which they participate that allow them to claim emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels and a declaration that they have not made claims for the same batches of CORSIA eligible fuel under those schemes.
To claim emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels in the emissions report, aircraft operators must provide the information described in Appendix 5 of this regulation, Table AS-2, within a given compliance period for all CORSIA eligible fuel that the fuel blender received by the conclusion of that compliance period. The information provided is up to the point of blending and includes information received from the neat fuel producer and the fuel blender.
Aircraft operators must make claims relating to CORSIA eligible fuel on an annual basis to ensure that all documentation is handled in a timely manner. However, aircraft operators have the option of deciding the timing of a CORSIA eligible fuel claim within a given compliance period for all CORSIA eligible fuel received by a fuel blender within that compliance period. For blending that occurs in the second half of the final year of a compliance period, the aircraft operator and the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed must determine the flexibility, if applicable, needed in terms of reporting.
If an aircraft operator purchases fuel from a supplier downstream of the fuel blender (such as in the case of a distributor, another aircraft operator, or a fuel distributor based at an aerodrome), this fuel supplier must provide all necessary documentation so that the aircraft operator can claim emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels under Subpart D.
RAC-16.130 Annual verification of an aircraft operator's CO2 emissions report (a) Aircraft operators must engage a verification body for the verification of their annual emissions report. The verification body must be one included in the list of accredited verification bodies in the States that appears in the ICAO document titled "CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency" [CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for transparency] which is available on the ICAO CORSIA website.
(b) Aircraft operators must perform an internal pre-verification of their emissions report before verification by a verification body, and the report of this verification must be attached to its annual verification report, making it clear that it corresponds to the internal pre-verification. The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains additional guidance texts on internal pre-verification.
(c) The verification body contracted by the aircraft operator must perform the verification in accordance with the ISO 14064-3:2006 standard and the relevant requirements of Appendix 6 of this regulation. The operator must inform the Costa Rican State of the time when the verification will take place; the Costa Rican State may request from the operator participation as an observer in part or all of the verification body's verification process.
(d) After the verification of the emissions report by the verification body, the aircraft operator and the verification body must independently submit, with prior authorization from the aircraft operator, a copy of the emissions report and the corresponding verification report to the Costa Rican State to which the aircraft operator is attributed, in accordance with the deadlines defined in the Appendices to this regulation.
(e) The aircraft operator must review the order-of-magnitude verification of the emissions report issued by the Costa Rican State in accordance with the deadlines defined in the Appendices to this regulation. The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains additional guidance text on order-of-magnitude verification.
(f) To facilitate order-of-magnitude verifications and ensure the integrity of the reported data, and, where necessary, to support the application of the requirements of this RAC, States, by prior agreement with another State, may exchange specific data and information contained in the emissions report of aircraft operators that operate flights to and from the requesting State. Such data and information may include the name of the aircraft operator, the reporting year, the number of international flights, defined in RAC-16.001, per aerodrome pair or State pair, and aircraft and emissions data.
(g) The aircraft operator must be aware that the Costa Rican State informs the aircraft operators concerned about requests for data exchange. If no agreement is reached between the two States, this information shall not be disclosed to third parties.
(h) The aircraft operator accepts that the Costa Rican State must share, upon justified request from another State, data on the aircraft operators attributed to it, when the request concerns the correct attribution of flights to aircraft operators. This includes leased aircraft where there is a risk of incorrect flight attribution due to the complexity of parent/subsidiary leasing arrangements between aircraft operators. Furthermore, the aircraft operator must understand that States must provide mutual support and provide flight information (as in the case of ATM systems), especially in cases where the flight is conducted between two States that do not include the Costa Rican State to which the aircraft operator is attributed. Such data include origin and destination aerodromes, date and time of the flight, and aircraft type. As in the case of complex leases, operator A may lease its aircraft to operator B and both operators use the same aircraft during the year, but operator B does not operate to the State requesting the information. The State regulating operator A may wish to confirm that the leased aircraft is identified in operator B's emissions report to ensure that operator A has correctly reported its data.
(i) The aircraft operator must accept that the Costa Rican State must provide the name of the verification body used to verify each emissions report upon a request for information disclosure.
(j) The aircraft operator must be informed by the Costa Rican State about requests for data disclosure.
RAC-16.135 Verification body and national accreditation body The aircraft operator must contract a verification body that is accredited to ISO 14065:20132. This verification body must indicate to the aircraft operator that it meets the relevant requirements of Appendix 6 of this regulation, and that it was accredited by an accreditation entity under the CORSIA scheme. In the case of verification bodies external to the Costa Rican State, they must request and obtain recognition of their accreditation from the Ente Costarricense de Acreditación, ECA, in order to be eligible to verify the aircraft operator's emissions report. The OW must ensure that, prior to contracting its services by a Costa Rican operator, it can meet the technical and economic requirements necessary to obtain recognition. Said recognition must be valid at the time of performing the verification and at the time of delivering the ER to the state.
The aircraft operator may contract the services of a verification body accredited in another State, subject to the rules and regulations governing the provision of verification services in the State to which the aircraft operator is attributed. National accreditation bodies work in accordance with ISO/IEC 170113.
RAC-16.140 Verification of CORSIA eligible fuels The aircraft operator must maintain orderly records of fuel purchases, transaction reports, blending records, and sustainability credentials, as these constitute documentary evidence for the purposes of verifying and approving emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels. Aircraft operators must ensure that they, or their designated representatives, have audit rights over the production records of the CORSIA eligible fuels they purchase.
When an audit provision is triggered and the fuel producer audit is conducted, the aircraft operator must share the audit results with the fuel producer so that the producer can make them available to other aircraft operators seeking assurances regarding the fuel producer's internal processes for the purposes of this regulation.
Quality control assurances from CORSIA eligible fuel producers include process declarations and/or certifications, with periodic audits conducted by verifiers, buyers, or reliable entities. Process certifications, including sustainability credentials, ensure that the CORSIA eligible fuel producer has established business processes to prevent double counting, and periodic audits verify that the producer follows its established procedures. Buyers and the Costa Rican State may choose to conduct an independent audit of the CORSIA eligible fuel producer's production records to provide additional assurances.
To ensure the existence of such capacity, CORSIA eligible fuel procurement controls must facilitate audit rights for fuel buyers, aircraft operators, or their designated representatives.
RAC-16.145 Data gaps The aircraft operator must resolve data gaps in the event that data needed to determine its fuel use on one or more international flights according to RAC-16.080 are missing. Data related to emissions may be missing for various reasons, including irregular operations, data feed issues, or critical system failures. The aircraft operator's Emissions Monitoring Plan must detail the procedures for avoiding data gaps in accordance with Appendix 4, 2.4.1 of this regulation. When a data gap is detected, the verification body may be unable to obtain sufficient evidence to determine compliance with requirements, which, in the case of a serious data gap, may cause the verification body to find the emissions report unsatisfactory. The Costa Rican State may also detect a data gap when reviewing the verified emissions report or request evidence of a process or data if it disagrees with the information received in the emissions report.
The air operator must use as a reference The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which contains guidance text on data gaps.
RAC-16.150 Responsibilities of the Aircraft Operator regarding data gaps Aircraft operators that use one of the fuel use monitoring methods described in Appendix 2 of this regulation must remedy data gaps using the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), described in Appendix 3 of this regulation, provided that such data gap occurs during a compliance period and does not exceed the following threshold:
(a) Period 2021-2035: 5% of international flights subject to the offsetting requirements defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.165.
Aircraft operators must correct the identified problems with the data and information management system in a timely manner to mitigate data gaps and system deficiencies.
If an aircraft operator observes that its data gaps and system deficiencies exceed the threshold indicated in RAC-16.050 a) or b), it must contact the Costa Rican State to take corrective measures to resolve the situation.
When the threshold is exceeded, the aircraft operator must indicate the percentage of international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, for the period defined as baseline, or flights subject to the offsetting requirements, defined in RAC-16.165, for the 2021-2035 period, that have data gaps, and provide an explanation to the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed in its annual emissions report.
The aircraft operator must complete all data gaps and correct systematic errors and misstatements before submitting the emissions report.
RAC-16.155 Other responsibilities of the aircraft operator towards the Costa Rican State The aircraft operator must accept that, if it does not submit its annual emissions report in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation, the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed will contact said operator to obtain the necessary information. If it does not obtain results, the Costa Rican State will proceed to calculate the aircraft operator's annual emissions using the best tools and information available at the DGAC, such as the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), described in Appendix 3 of this regulation, or other statistical tools and databases that the Civil Aviation Authority has available for data estimation, and these results will be notified to ICAO, according to RAC-16.120.
The aircraft operator must accept that, in the event of not submitting to the Costa Rican State its verified annual report on total emissions to ICAO in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation, the Costa Rican State will use data provided by ICAO to address the data gap and calculate the total sectoral CO2 emissions for a given year and the Sectoral Growth Factor, defined in Subpart D.
RAC-16.160 Correction of errors in emissions reports The aircraft operator must accept if the Costa Rican State, the verification body, or the aircraft operator detects an error in a reported emissions of an aircraft operator after those CO2 emissions have been submitted to ICAO in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation, in which case the Costa Rican State will update the reported CO2 emissions to correct the error. The Costa Rican State must evaluate the implications with respect to the aircraft operator's offsetting requirements in previous years and, if necessary, will make an adjustment to compensate for the error during the compliance period in which the error was detected.
The aircraft operator will receive a copy from the Costa Rican State of the notification sent to ICAO of the errors in the aircraft operators' CO2 emissions and the results of the follow-up on the corresponding adjustments.
The aircraft operator must know that no adjustments are made to the Total Sectoral CO2 Emissions or the Sectoral Growth Factor (SGF), defined in Subpart D, resulting from the correction of errors in emissions reports.
SUBPART D CO2 OFFSETTING REQUIREMENTS FROM INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS FROM THE USE OF CORSIA ELIGIBLE FUELS RAC-16.165 Applicability of CO2 offsetting requirements (a) From January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2035, the offsetting requirements of this Subpart apply to aircraft operators with international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, between States defined in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA States for Chapter 3 State Pairs," which is available on the official ICAO CORSIA website.
(b) The provisions of this Subpart do not apply to a new aircraft operator for three years starting from the year in which it meets the requirements of RAC-16.075 a) and b), or until its annual CO2 emissions exceed 0.1% of the total baseline CO2 emissions from international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, whichever occurs earlier. The provisions of this Subpart apply, therefore, in the subsequent year. The Costa Rican State consults the information on total baseline CO2 emissions in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA 2020 Emissions," available on the ICAO CORSIA website. This information is prepared in accordance with the deadlines described in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
(c) The aircraft operator must inform itself through ICAO documentation as to whether the Costa Rican State notifies ICAO of its decision to voluntarily participate in, or cease voluntary participation in, CORSIA. The Costa Rican State's voluntary participation is published in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA States for Chapter 3 State Pairs" in accordance with the deadlines described in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
(d) The aircraft operator must know that the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA States for Chapter 3 State Pairs," available on the ICAO CORSIA website, includes:
(1) States that have volunteered to participate during the compliance periods from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2026; (2) States, with the exception of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), that meet the following criteria during the compliance periods from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2035:
(i) an individual share of international aviation activities in RTKs in 2018 exceeding 0.5% of total RTKs; or (ii) whose cumulative share in the list of States, sorted from highest to lowest RTKs, reaches 90% of total RTKs in 2018; (3) States that do not fall within the scope of b) but that have volunteered to participate.
(e) The aircraft operator must review this document, which is updated annually in accordance with the deadlines described in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
(f) Aircraft operators must know that the Costa Rican State calculates the final annual CO2 offsetting requirements for aircraft operators based on the data reported pursuant to Subpart C, the applicability requirements of RAC-16.165 and the application of RAC-16.170, RAC-16.175, and RAC-16.190, as applicable.
RAC-16.170 CO2 offsetting requirements (a) The aircraft operator must know that, for each of the aircraft operators attributed to it, the Costa Rican State calculates the amount of CO2 emissions to be offset in a given year from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023, before considering CORSIA eligible fuels, as follows:
ORy = OE * SGFy where:
ORy = Offsetting requirements of the aircraft operator in the given year y; OE = Aircraft operator's CO2 emissions covered under RAC-16.165 in the given year y, or aircraft operator's CO2 emissions covered under RAC-16.165 in the baseline, according to the option chosen by the Costa Rican State, which applies to all aircraft operators attributed to it; and SGFy = Sectoral Growth Factor.
(b) The applicable Sectoral Growth Factor for a given year (SGFy) is provided in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Annual Sector's Growth Factor (SGF)" available on the ICAO CORSIA website and is calculated as SEy - SEB,y ------------- SEy , where SEy = Total sectoral CO2 emissions covered under RAC-16.165 in the given year y, and SEB,y = Average of total annual sectoral baseline CO2 emissions covered under RAC-16.165 for the given year y, and the sectoral emissions for a given year (SEy) do not include the CO2 emissions of new operators during their exemption period, defined in RAC-16.165 b).
Since the States comprising the "CORSIA States for Chapter 3 State Pairs," defined in RAC-16.165, change over time, the average of total annual sectoral baseline CO2 emissions covered by these State pairs in the given year y (SEB,y) will be recalculated.
(c) The aircraft operator must know that, for each of the aircraft operators attributed to it, the Costa Rican State calculates the amount of CO2 emissions to be offset in a given year from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2035, before considering CORSIA eligible fuels, each year, as follows:
ORy = %Sy * (OEy * SGFy) + %Oy * (OEy * OGFy) where:
ORy = Offsetting requirements of the aircraft operator in the given year y; OEy = Aircraft operator's CO2 emissions covered under RAC-16.165 in the given year y; %Sy = Sectoral percentage in the given year y; %Oy = Individual percentage in the given year y, where %Oy = (100% - %Sy); SGFy = Sectoral Growth Factor; and OGFy = Operator Growth Factor.
The specified percentage (i.e., %Oy) is determined at the ICAO Assembly in 2028.
The aircraft operator must know that the Costa Rican State consults the applicable Sectoral Growth Factor for a given year (SGFy) in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Annual Sector's Growth Factor (SGF)" available on the ICAO CORSIA website. This information is prepared in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
The aircraft operator must know that the Costa Rican State calculates, where applicable, the Operator Growth Factor for a given year (OGFy) in accordance with the CO2 emissions from the verified emissions reports submitted by the aircraft operators attributed to it, applying the following formula:
OGFy = (OEy - OEby) / OEby where:
OEy = Total CO2 emissions of the aircraft operator covered under RAC-16.165 in the given year y; and OEby = Average of total annual CO2 emissions of the aircraft operator during the period used by ICAO for calculating the baseline, covered under RAC-16.165 in the given year y.
When calculating the offsetting requirements for a given year (ORy) for each of the aircraft operators attributed to it, the Costa Rican State informs the aircraft operator of its offsetting requirements in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
RAC-16.175 Emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels (a) An aircraft operator intending to claim emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels in a given year must calculate the emissions reductions as follows:
ERy = FCFf * ( sum over f of MSf,y * (1 - LSf / LC) ) where:
ERy: Emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels in the given year y (in tonnes) FCFf: Conversion factor for the given fuel f, equal to 3.16 (in kgCO2/kg fuel) for Jet-A fuel and 3.10 (in kgCO2/kg fuel) for AVGAS or Jet-B fuel.
MSf,y: Total mass of neat CORSIA eligible fuel claimed in the given year y (in tonnes), reported via the "total mass neat CORSIA eligible fuel (in tonnes)" column of the Emissions Report.
LSf = Life cycle emissions value for a CORSIA eligible fuel (in gCO2e/MJ), and LC = Baseline life cycle emissions value for aviation fuel, equal to 89 gCO2e/MJ for jet fuel and 95 gCO2e/MJ for AVGAS.
(b) If an aircraft operator uses a default life cycle emissions value, it must use the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Default Life Cycle Emissions Values for CORSIA Eligible Fuels," available on the ICAO CORSIA website, for the calculation in a) above.
(c) If an aircraft operator uses an actual life cycle emissions value, an approved sustainability certification scheme ensures that the methodology defined in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Methodology for Calculating Actual Life Cycle Emissions Values," available on the ICAO CORSIA website, has been correctly applied.
RAC-16.180 Final total CO2 offsetting requirements for a given compliance period with emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels (a) The aircraft operator must know that the Costa Rican State calculates the amount of CO2 emissions that the aircraft operator must offset after accounting for emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels in a given compliance period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2035, as follows:
FORc = (OR1,c + OR2,c + OR3,c) - (ER1,c + ER2,c + ER3,c) where:
FORc = Final total offsetting requirements of the aircraft operator in the given compliance period c; ORy,c = Offsetting requirements of the aircraft operator in the given year y (where y = 1, 2, or 3) of compliance period c; and ERy,c = Emissions reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels in the given year y (where y = 1, 2, or 3) of compliance period c.
If the total final offsetting requirements of the aircraft operator during a compliance period (i.e., FORc) is negative, the aircraft operator has no offsetting requirements for that compliance period. These negative offsetting requirements are not carried forward to subsequent compliance periods.
(b) The total final offsetting requirements of the aircraft operator during a compliance period (i.e., FORc) must be rounded to the nearest tonne of CO2.
(c) The aircraft operator will be informed by the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed of the total final offsetting requirements for a given period, in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
(d) Subpart E contains information on CORSIA eligible emission units, which may be used to meet the CO2 offsetting requirements.
SUBPART E EMISSION UNITS RAC-16.185 Applicability of emission units The standards and recommended methods of this Subpart apply to an aircraft operator that is subject to the offsetting requirements of Subpart D.
The relevant administrative procedures for this Subpart correspond to those established in Subpart B and the Appendices of this regulation.
RAC-16.190 Cancellation of CORSIA eligible emission units Aircraft operators must meet their offsetting requirements in accordance with RAC-16.180 c), calculated by the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed, by cancelling CORSIA eligible emission units in a quantity equivalent to their total final offsetting requirements for a given compliance period (i.e., FORc). The only CORSIA eligible emission units are those described in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units," which meet the CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria defined in the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria." Both documents are available on the ICAO CORSIA website.
CORSIA eligible emission units are determined by the ICAO Council upon the recommendation of a technical advisory body established by said Council, and must meet the CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria. The ICAO Council approves the CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria, and only this body may modify them, with technical input from CAEP, taking into account relevant developments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. Emission units generated from mechanisms established under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement are eligible for use in CORSIA, provided they are consistent with decisions made by the ICAO Council, with technical input from CAEP, including with respect to avoiding double counting and regarding the eligible reference years and timeframes.
RAC-16.195 Compliance with the cancellation of CORSIA eligible emission units To comply with the provisions of RAC-16.190, aircraft operators:
(a) must cancel CORSIA eligible emission units within a Registry designated by a CORSIA eligible emission unit Program, in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation; and (b) must request each CORSIA eligible emission unit Program Registry to disclose on the Registry's public website information about each of the CORSIA eligible emission units cancelled for the aircraft operators for a given compliance period, defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
Such information on each cancelled CORSIA eligible emission unit must include the identifying information consolidated in Field 5 of Table AS-7, except for fields 5.j, 5.k, and 5.m.
RAC-16.200 Reporting of the cancellation of emission units Aircraft operators must report to the Costa Rican State to which they are attributed the cancellation of CORSIA eligible emission units carried out in accordance with RAC-16.190 and RAC-16.195 to meet their total final offsetting requirements for a given compliance period, by submitting to the Costa Rican State a copy of the verified Emission Unit Cancellation Report for DGAC approval and a copy of the related verification report. The Emission Unit Cancellation Report must show the information using the required fields defined in Appendix 5, Table AS-7 of this regulation; said report must be submitted to the Costa Rican State in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
Aircraft operators must know that the Costa Rican State notifies ICAO in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation. This report contains the information defined in Appendix 5, Table AS-8 of this regulation, and an ICAO-approved form is used for this purpose.
Aircraft operators must know that the Costa Rican State must publish the following information, once submitted to ICAO, for a given compliance period:
(a) Total final offsetting requirements during the compliance period for each aircraft operator attributed to the Costa Rican State; and (b) Total quantity of emission units cancelled during the compliance period by each aeroplane operator to reconcile the total final offsetting requirements, as reported by each aeroplane operator attributed to the Costa Rican State.
RAC-16.205 Verification of the emission units cancellation report Aeroplane operators must use a verification body for the verification of their emission units cancellation report.
The aeroplane operator may choose to use the same verification body used for the verification of their emissions report, although they are not obligated to do so.
The aeroplane operator must ensure that the verification body performs the verification in accordance with the ISO 14064-3:20064 standard and the pertinent requirements of Appendix 6, Section 3 of this regulation.
The aeroplane operator must provide access to the pertinent information on the cancellation of emission units that the verification body requires for the verification.
After the verification of the emission units cancellation report by the verification body, the aeroplane operator and the verification body must submit, independently and with prior authorization from the aeroplane operator, a copy of the emission units cancellation report and the corresponding verification report to the Costa Rican State to which the aeroplane operator is attributed in accordance with the deadlines in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
The aeroplane operator must be aware that the Costa Rican State performs an order-of-magnitude verification of the emission units cancellation report in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation.
The aeroplane operator must use as a fundamental reference the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which contains additional guidance text on the verification of the Emission units cancellation report.
RAC-16.210 Requirements of the Verification Body and the national accreditation body The aeroplane operator must ensure that the verification body is accredited to ISO 14065:20135 and that its accreditation under the CORSIA scheme includes the pertinent requirements of Appendix 6, Section 2 of this regulation. This accreditation must be issued by the national accreditation body, which in the case of the Costa Rican State is the Ente Costarricense de Acreditación (ECA), in order to be admissible for verifying the emission units cancellation report of the aeroplane operator.
The aeroplane operator may procure the services of a verification body accredited in another State, subject to the rules and regulations governing the provision of verification services in the Costa Rican State to which the aeroplane operator is attributed, as detailed in Appendix 6.
SUBPART F COZ EMISSION REDUCTION ACTION PLANS RAC-16.215 Implementation report on the ICAO basket of measures The aeroplane operator must annually submit, together with the fuel consumption and international operations RTK report to the DGAC, a report containing details on the initiatives and projects established for the reduction of CO2 emissions.
(a) The report must include aspects related to:
(1) Development of technologies related to aircraft, (2) Alternative fuels, (3) More efficient operations, and (4) Economic/market-based measures.
The aerodrome operator must annually submit a report containing details on the initiatives and projects established for the reduction of CO2 emissions. The report must include aspects related to:
(1) Development of technologies related to energy, (2) Alternative fuels for ground vehicles, (3) Facilities for more efficient operations, and (4) Economic/market-based measures.
The aeroplane operator and the aerodrome operator must be aware that the information submitted is used by the Costa Rican State to make the corresponding projections that the DGAC incorporates into the National Action Plan on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Costa Rican Aviation, and this is published on the ICAO website and disseminated by the DGAC in workshops, symposiums, social networks, other related documents, among others, as the DGAC considers necessary for the proper development of the plan. Furthermore, the aeroplane operator must be aware that the data is managed under due confidentiality, with their data being presented in the Action Plan in the form of statistical aggregates such as averages, trends, groups, and not individual data that could affect the commercial activity of the operator.
(b) The aeroplane operator must submit a table or ordered document covering the data necessary for the cost/benefit analysis required by the action plan, as detailed in ICAO Doc. 9988.
SUBPART G CO2 EMISSIONS INVENTORY OF COSTA RICAN AVIATION AND RECOGNITION FOR CLEAN FLIGHTS RAC-16.220 Greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the country's air operations (See AC RAC-16.220) Every aeroplane operator with an AOC from the Costa Rican State, as established in RAC-16.010 paragraph 2, must prepare a greenhouse gas emissions inventory of its operations starting from 2023 and submit this inventory to the DGAC of the Costa Rican State to which it is attributed, as indicated in AC RAC-16.220 and in the format established in Appendix 7 (in the case of air operators with requirements defined in RAC-16.010 paragraph 1, as occurs with those associated with CORSIA, the CO2 emissions inventory is prepared by the DGAC using the data from the emissions reports, which must be submitted as described in Subparts B to G of this regulation).
For the purposes of this subpart, the emissions inventory required constitutes the accounting and recording of carbon emissions that must be sent exclusively to the DGAC in digital form. The inventory must be identified by indicating the name of the aeroplane operator and the year of the emissions.
The emissions inventory must be annual, covering from January 1 to December 31 of each year, and must be submitted to the DGAC no later than June 30 of the year following the year to which the inventory corresponds.
The aeroplane operator must monitor its emissions by preparing, documenting, and maintaining an effective data control system, taking into account the characteristics and the operation of the air operations carried out, in order to guarantee that the inventories do not contain errors (the verification and offsetting of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are considered voluntary actions within this regulation).
With the objective of producing a good emissions report, air operators must apply the necessary measures to avoid the omission of data in the information submitted to the DGAC. The emissions inventory must not have more than 5% missing data in a year.
In the event that the data is not duly integrated to determine the emissions, the operator must apply the estimation method indicated by the DGAC in order to obtain approximate data for the corresponding period and the parameters that are missing or not duly integrated, presenting a justification for the missing data by means of a free-format written statement annexed to the inventory for the period in question.
Humanitarian, medical, firefighting, and search and rescue flights must be indicated in the flight type box, as indicated in Appendix 7 of this regulation, since these must not be accounted for in emission reduction or in emission offsetting processes, as they are considered exempt.
RAC-16.225 Modifications to the greenhouse gas emissions inventory The aeroplane operator may correct, by means of a free-format written statement, any inconsistency or erroneous data in the quantification of the reported emissions, indicating the correct information for the inventory in which the error arose.
If, in a verification subsequent to the submission of the inventory, the aeroplane operator detects errors or inconsistencies in the reported emissions, it must submit the correction referred to above to the DGAC.
In the event that the information presented is not complete or duly integrated, the aeroplane operator must supplement, rectify, or clarify the information before the DGAC, within a period of 30 business days counted from the day after the notification takes effect.
RAC-16.230 Verification of the Emissions Report The aeroplane operator that wishes to voluntarily carry out the removal or offsetting of emissions must perform the verification of its emissions inventory. For this, it must hire a verification body accredited or recognized by the Costa Rican State (through the Ente Costarricense de Acreditación, ECA), which validates the order of magnitude of the operator's emissions, and must submit to the DGAC a report of the verified inventory if it wishes to initiate the process described in RAC-16.235.
The requirements for the verification body that the operator may use correspond to the set of rules established in the Carbon Neutrality Program of the Government of Costa Rica (PPCN) that GHG Validation and Verification Bodies (OVV) must follow, which are responsible for carrying out the verification processes for GHG inventories and their reductions, as well as the carbon neutrality of the organizations participating in the PPCN.
The verification of the emissions by the Validation and Verification Body (OVV) must be delivered in the form of a recommendation to the DGAC, based on objective evidence, with the DGAC being solely responsible for the final decision in granting all the recognitions of the "Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica" program. The same report must be submitted to the unit that the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía defines in the regulations and procedures regarding the Programa País Carbono Neutralidad, under which the details for the granting of permission to use the official symbols of the Government's Carbon Neutrality Program of the Government of Costa Rica are found. The DGAC is independent of MINAE for granting the "Yo Vuelo Limpio" recognition to each aeroplane operator within the framework of the specific procedure for that award.
RAC-16.235 Removals of greenhouse gases (See AC RAC-16.175) The air operator that wishes to voluntarily carry out the removal or offsetting of its emissions may take into account the set of removal or offsetting actions from the ICAO basket of measures or use the Programa País Carbono Neutralidad (PPCN) of the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE); in addition, the air operator that wishes to voluntarily carry out the removal or offsetting of its emissions before the approval of these units as an offsetting mechanism must comply with the national environmental regulations to be subject to evaluation.
Humanitarian, medical, firefighting, and search and rescue flights are considered exempt from the CO2 emission removal and offsetting processes.
RAC-16.240 Report on the removal, reduction, or offsetting of emissions The aeroplane operator that, through its voluntary action, complies with RAC-16.230 and RAC-16.235 must submit to the DGAC the Report on the removal, reduction, or offsetting of emissions verified/validated by the verification body, for which purpose it uses the format in Appendix 7 of this regulation.
The verification of the removal, reduction, or offsetting of emissions by the Validation and Verification Body (OVV) must also be delivered to the DGAC by the OVV. This report must be based on objective evidence and must make clear the verification of each of the requirements established for each level of the incentive, with the DGAC being solely responsible for the final decision in granting all the recognitions of the "Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica" program. The same report must be submitted to the unit that the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía defines in the regulations and procedures regarding the Programa País Carbono Neutralidad, under which the details for the granting of permission to use the official symbols of the Government are found.
The copy of the GHG report that the aeroplane operator must deliver must include the GHG inventory as determined by the INTE 85 standard and the detail of the reduction actions and their corresponding management plan for reductions, removals, or offsetting.
In the case of offsetting, the report must include the certificate of purchase of the GHG emission offsetting service, indicating the name of the project, its location, the quantity of credits acquired, and the acquisition date.
RAC-16.245 "Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica" Recognition The aeroplane operator that complies with RAC-16.230, RAC-16.235, and RAC-16.240 due to its environmental management in the process of removal, reduction, or offsetting of emissions may request from the DGAC the "Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica" recognition, which is granted according to the scale of removals, reductions, or offsetting established in Appendix 7 of this regulation.
RAC-16.250 Document control The aeroplane operator must retain for a period of 10 years the information and documents regarding the calculation of emissions, counted from the date on which each inventory is approved by the DGAC. The previously listed information is considered retained provided that it:
(a) is available in printed form or in electronic form (digitized image).
(b) the data reported by the aeroplane operator must be included in an electronic reporting and data management system; they are considered retained as long as there is due risk management for safeguarding the data.
The aeroplane operator must provide the information and documentation, when the DGAC so requires, in a reliable manner that allows the DGAC to determine the emissions and air operation data of the country.
RAC-16.255 Request for data confidentiality for commercial reasons Air operators may request from the DGAC the confidentiality of data for commercial reasons, which they indicate in the corresponding section for that purpose in the emissions declaration form of Appendix 7, where they must also indicate that information that, for commercial issues, they consider to be of a confidential nature.
SUBPART H ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE AERODROMES OF THE COSTA RICAN STATE RAC-16.260 Inventory, reduction, and offsetting of emissions in aerodromes of Costa Rica (See AC RAC-16.260) Aerodrome operators in the Costa Rican State that have been concessioned to a third party other than the DGAC must seek to establish actions that reduce CO2 emissions. For such actions, they must begin the annual emissions inventory processes as of January 1, 2022. The emissions inventory must be reported to the DGAC before June 30 of the year following the inventory year and must come certified by a Validation/Verification Body starting from the year 2023, that is to say that only the 2022 inventory is presented in the format established in agreement with the DGAC and without the need for a V/VB. The OVV must be accredited or recognized by the Ente Costarricense de Acreditación (ECA) in the subsector to which the organization belongs.
The airport operators of the country's international airports are invited to participate in the processes of the Programa País de Carbono Neutralidad, or to present another similar program in which they are participating as part of their environmental management for the processes of reduction, removal, and offsetting of their emissions, and must be Carbon Neutral starting from 2026. For this, the goal must be to obtain the symbol Carbon Reduction of the PPCN by 2023, or its equivalent at an international level.
Local aerodromes and international airports that are administered by the Costa Rican State through the DGAC will actively participate in environmental management in coordination with the Institutional Environmental Management Commission of the DGAC, which is in the process of implementing the Institutional Environmental Management Plan (PGAI) requested by DIGECA from public institutions (this plan must have a result in the DIGECA PGAI traffic light evaluation in green status, with a score equal to or greater than 85), or they must have the certification of their Environmental Management System under the INTE-ISO 14001 standard by a certification body accredited or recognized by ECA in the specific scope of the organization.
The environmental actions generated by the local aerodromes and international airports must be delivered to the DGAC as indicated in Subpart G, RAC-16.215 b).
APPENDICES AND ATTACHMENTS APPENDIX 1. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES 1. INTRODUCTION The procedures specified in this Appendix summarize the functions and administrative responsibilities of the related parties participating in the implementation of this regulation and are useful for air operators because they expand on or clarify processes associated with each requirement. The Appendices and Attachments are also considered a fundamental part of compliance with this regulation, since, among other requirements, they contain the list of activities and the corresponding date by which some activities must be completed.
2. COMPLIANCE PERIOD ACTIVITIES AND DEADLINES The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains additional information and guidance on some aspects that were carried out or approved related to CORSIA prior to the entry into force of this regulation.
2.1 Preliminary activities for the implementation of CORSIA During the preliminary activities for the implementation of CORSIA, the aeroplane operators, as well as the Costa Rican State, began the necessary actions, agreed upon for voluntary compliance, to meet the requirements established by ICAO. Although these have already been carried out, they are listed as background to the implementation process undertaken:
Table A1-1. Detail of preliminary CORSIA activities__ 2.2 Activities and deadlines for the 2021-2023 Period During the 2021-2023 period, aeroplane operators and the Costa Rican State must comply with the requirements according to the following deadlines, where applicable; Table A1-2. Details of compliance deadlines for the 2021-2023 period Note that the deadline for the verification of the aeroplane operator's emissions report is short during the 2021-2023 period.
During the 2021-2023 period, the Costa Rican State may determine the basis of the aeroplane operator's offsetting requirements in accordance with Subpart D, RAC-16.135.
2.3 2024-2026 Period During the 2024-2026 period, aeroplane operators and the Costa Rican State must comply with the requirements according to the following deadlines, where applicable; Table A1-3. Details of compliance deadlines for the 2024-2026 period If the sector growth factor (SGF) for 2023 is not available by October 31, 2024, preventing the Costa Rican State from informing operators in time of their total final offsetting requirements for the 2021-2023 period, ICAO publishes updated deadlines for the cancellation of the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2021-2023 period, including:
a deadline of no less than 90 days from the date the 2023 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators to cancel emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2021-2023 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.190; a deadline of no less than 180 days from the date the 2023 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators and verification bodies to submit to the Costa Rican State their respective verified reports on the cancellation of emission units and related verification reports corresponding to the 2021-2023 period in accordance with RAC-16.205; and a deadline of no less than 270 days from the date the 2023 SGF is made available for the Costa Rican State to communicate to ICAO the required information regarding the cancellation of emission units corresponding to the 2021-2023 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.200.
2.4 2027-2029 Period During the 2027-2029 period, aeroplane operators and the Costa Rican State must comply with the requirements according to the following deadlines, where applicable; Table A1-4. Details of compliance deadlines for the 2027-2029 period If the sector growth factor (SGF) for 2026 is not available by October 31, 2027, preventing the Costa Rican State from informing operators in time of their total final offsetting requirements for the 2024-2026 period, ICAO publishes updated deadlines for the cancellation of the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2024-2026 period, including: a deadline of no less than 90 days from the date the 2026 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators to cancel the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2024-2026 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.190; a deadline of no less than 180 days from the date the 2026 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators and verification bodies to submit to the Costa Rican State their respective verified reports on the cancellation of emission units and related verification reports corresponding to the 2024-2026 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.205; and - a deadline of no less than 270 days from the date the SGF for 2026 is made available for the Costa Rican State to communicate to ICAO the required information regarding the cancellation of emission units corresponding to the 2024-2026 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.200.
2.5 2030-2032 Period During the 2030-2032 period, aeroplane operators and the Costa Rican State must comply with the requirements according to the following deadlines, where applicable:
Table A1-5. Details of compliance deadlines for the 2030-2032 period If the sector growth factor (SGF) for 2029 is not available by October 31, 2030, preventing the Costa Rican State from informing operators in time of their total final offsetting requirements for the 2027-2029 period, ICAO publishes updated deadlines for the cancellation of the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2027-2029 period, including: a deadline of no less than 90 days from the date the 2029 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators to cancel the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2027-2029 period in accordance with RAC-16.190; a deadline of no less than 180 days from the date the 2029 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators and verification bodies to submit to the Costa Rican State their respective verified reports on the cancellation of emission units and related verification reports corresponding to the 2027-2029 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.205; and a deadline of no less than 270 days from the date the 2029 SGF is made available for the Costa Rican State to communicate to ICAO the required information regarding the cancellation of emission units corresponding to the 2027-2029 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.200.
2.6 2033-2035 Period 2.6.1 During the 2033-2035 period, aeroplane operators and the Costa Rican State must comply with the requirements according to the following deadlines, where applicable:
Table A1-6. Details of compliance deadlines for the 2033-2035 period If the sector growth factor (SGF) for 2032 is not available by October 31, 2033, preventing the Costa Rican State from informing operators in time of their total final offsetting requirements for the 2030-2032 period, ICAO publishes updated deadlines for the cancellation of the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2030-2032 period, including: a deadline of no less than 90 days from the date the 2032 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators to cancel emission units corresponding to compliance with the period 2030-2032 in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.190; a deadline of no less than 180 days from the date the 2032 SGF is made available for aeroplane operators and verification bodies to submit to the Costa Rican State their respective verified reports on the cancellation of emission units and related verification reports corresponding to the 2030-2032 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.205; and a deadline of no less than 270 days from the date the 2032 SGF is made available for the Costa Rican State to communicate to ICAO the required information regarding the cancellation of emission units corresponding to the 2030-2032 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.200.
2.6.2 To complete the 2033-2035 period, aeroplane operators and the Costa Rican State must comply with the requirements according to the following deadlines, when applicable:
If the sector growth factor (SGF) for 2035 is not available by October 31, 2036, preventing the Costa Rican State from informing operators in time of their total final offsetting requirements for the 2033-2035 period, ICAO publishes updated deadlines for the cancellation of the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2033-2035 period, including: a deadline of no less than 90 days from the date the SGF for 2035 is made available for aeroplane operators to cancel the emission units corresponding to compliance with the 2033-2035 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.190; a deadline of no less than 180 days from the date the SGF for 2035 is made available for aeroplane operators and verification bodies to submit to the Costa Rican State their respective verified reports on the cancellation of emission units and related verification reports corresponding to the 2033-2035 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.205; and a deadline of no less than 270 days from the date the SGF for 2035 is made available for the Costa Rican State to communicate to ICAO the required information regarding the cancellation of emission units corresponding to the 2033-2035 period in accordance with Subpart E in RAC-16.200.
APPENDIX 2: METHODS FOR MONITORING FUEL USE 1. INTRODUCTION The procedures specified in this Appendix refer to the monitoring of fuel use by aeroplane operators. The methods proposed are representative of the most accurate established practices.
Only procedures equivalent to those contained in this Appendix are permitted, upon request directed to the Costa Rican State and once it has been approved.
2. FUEL USE MONITORING METHODS 2.1 Aeroplane operators, except for an aeroplane operator that meets the requirements to use the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), choose the fuel use monitoring method from among the following: a) Method A; b) Method B; c) Block-off/block-on; d) Fuel uplifted; or e) Fuel allocation with block time.
2.2 Method A See Attachment C-1 of this regulation for the process diagram for monitoring fuel use per flight using Method A.
2.2.1 Aeroplane operators use the following formula to calculate fuel use according to Method A:
where:
F N = Fuel used for the flight in question ( = flightN) determined by Method A (in tonnes); TN = Quantity of fuel contained in the aircraft tanks when all the fuel for the flight in question (i.e., flightN) has been uplifted (in tonnes); TN+t = Quantity of fuel contained in the aircraft tanks when all the fuel for the subsequent flight (i.e., flight N+1) has been uplifted (in tonnes); and UN+1 = Sum of the uplift of additional fuel (i.e., flightN+1), measured in volume and multiplied by a density value (in tonnes).
See Subpart C, RAC-16.100 for the requirements on fuel density values.
Fuel on board (U_N+1) is determined by measurement by the fuel supplier and is documented in the fuel delivery notes or fuel invoices for each flight; see Attachment C-2 of this regulation for the process diagram for collecting the data necessary to apply Method A.
To ensure data completeness, it is important to note that not only are the data generated during the flight in question (i.e., flight N) needed, but also the data generated on the following flight (i.e., flight N+1). This is particularly important when a domestic flight is followed by an international flight, as defined in RAC-16.001, or vice versa.
Therefore, to avoid data gaps, it is recommended that the fuel at block-on, or the quantity of fuel in the tank once all fuel for a flight has been boarded, always be recorded for aircraft used for international flights as defined in RAC-16.001. For the same reasons, fuel uplift data should be collected for all flights of such aircraft, before deciding which flights are international.
2.2.2 Aircraft operators performing ad hoc flights attributed to another aircraft operator shall provide that operator with the fuel measurement values according to the block-off/block-on method.
2.2.3 When no fuel is uplifted for that flight or the following flight, the quantity of fuel contained in the aircraft tanks (T_N or T_N+1) is determined at block-off for that flight or the following flight. In exceptional cases, it is not possible to determine the variable T_N+1. This occurs, for example, when an aircraft undergoes activities other than a flight, including major maintenance involving the draining of the tanks, after the flight to be monitored. In that case, aircraft operators may replace the quantity "T_N+1 + U_N+1" with the quantity of fuel remaining in the tanks at the start of the subsequent aircraft activity or the fuel in the tanks at block-on, as recorded in the technical logs.
2.3 Method B See Attachment C-3 of this regulation for the process diagram for monitoring fuel use per flight using Method B.
Aircraft operators shall use the following formula to calculate fuel use according to Method B:
where:
F_N = Fuel used for the flight in question (i.e., flight N) as determined by Method B (in tonnes); R_{N-1} = Amount of fuel remaining in the aircraft tanks at the end of the previous flight (i.e., flight N-1) at block-on (in tonnes); R_N = Amount of fuel remaining in the aircraft tanks at the end of the flight in question (i.e., flight N) at block-on after the flight (in tonnes); and U_N = Fuel uplift for the flight in question, measured in volume and multiplied by a density value (in tonnes).
See Subpart C, RAC-16.100 for requirements on fuel density values.
Fuel uplift is determined by measurement by the fuel supplier and documented in the fuel delivery notes or fuel invoices for each flight; see Attachment C-4 of this regulation for the process diagram for collecting the data necessary to apply Method B.
To ensure data completeness, it is important to note that not only are the data generated during the flight in question (i.e., flight N) needed, but also the data generated from the previous flight (i.e., flight N-1). This is particularly important when a domestic flight is followed by an international flight or vice versa. Therefore, to avoid data gaps, it is recommended that the amount of fuel remaining in the tank after the flight or the amount of fuel in the tank once all fuel has been boarded always be recorded for aircraft used for international flights as defined in RAC-16.001. For the same reasons, fuel uplift data should be collected for all flights of such aircraft, before deciding which flights are international.
2.3.2 Aircraft operators performing ad hoc flights attributed to another aircraft operator shall provide that operator with the fuel measurement values according to the block-off/block-on method.
2.3.3 If an aircraft does not perform a flight prior to the flight whose fuel use is being monitored (as occurs when the flight is after a major overhaul or maintenance), aircraft operators may replace the quantity R_{N-1} with the amount of fuel remaining in the aircraft tanks at the end of the aircraft's previous activity, as recorded in the technical logs.
2.4 Block-off/Block-on Method for Fuel Use Monitoring See Attachment C-5 of this regulation for the process diagram for monitoring fuel use per flight using the block-on/block-off method, and Attachment C-6 of this regulation for the process for collecting the data required to implement the block-off/block-on method.
2.4.1 Aircraft operators shall use the following formula to calculate fuel use according to the block-off/block-on method:
F_N = T_N - R_N where:
F_N = Fuel used for the flight in question (= flight N) as determined by the block-off/block-on method (in tonnes); T_N = Amount of fuel contained in the aircraft tanks at block-off for the flight in question, i.e., flight N (in tonnes); and R_N = Amount of fuel remaining in the aircraft tanks at block-on for the flight in question, i.e., flight N (in tonnes).
2.5 Fuel Uplift Method for Fuel Use Monitoring See Attachment C-7 of this regulation for the process diagram for monitoring fuel use per flight using the fuel uplift method.
2.5.1 For flights with fuel uplift, unless the following flight has no such uplift, aircraft operators shall use the following formula to calculate fuel use according to the fuel uplift method:
F_N = U_N where:
F_N = Fuel used for the flight in question (i.e., flight N) as determined by the fuel uplift method (in tonnes); and U_N = Fuel uplift for the flight in question, in volume, multiplied by a density value (in tonnes).
See Subpart C, RAC-16.100 for requirements on fuel density values.
For flights without fuel uplift (i.e., flight N+1, …, flight N+n), aircraft operators shall use the following formula to allocate fuel use from the previous fuel uplift (i.e., from flight N) proportionally based on block time:
where:
F_N = Fuel used for the flight in question (i.e., flight N); determined by the fuel uplift method (in tonnes); F_{N+1} = Fuel used for the subsequent flight (i.e., flight N+1) determined by the fuel uplift method (in tonnes); F_{N+n} = Fuel used for the continuation flight (i.e., flight N+n) determined by the fuel uplift method (in tonnes); U_N = Fuel uplift for the flight in question (i.e., flight N) (in tonnes); BH_N = Block time for the flight in question (i.e., flight N) (in hours); BH_{N+1} = Block time for the following flight (i.e., flight N+1) (in hours); BH_{N+n} = Block time for the continuation flight (i.e., flight N+n) (in hours).
2.6 Fuel Allocation with Block Time See Attachment C-8 of this regulation for the process diagram for monitoring fuel use per flight using the fuel allocation with block time method.
2.6.1 Calculation of Average Fuel Burn Ratios 2.6.1.1 Aircraft operators that can clearly distinguish between fuel uplift from international and domestic flights shall calculate, for each aircraft type, the average fuel burn ratios by summing all actually uplifted fuel from international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, and dividing by the sum of all actual block hours for international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, for a given year, according to the following formula:
where:
AFBR_{AO,AT} = Average fuel burn ratios per aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT) (in tonnes per hour); U_{AO,AT,N} = Fuel uplift for international flight N by aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT), determined by the fuel uplift monitoring method (in tonnes); and BH_{AO,AT,N} = Block time for international flight N by aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT) (in hours).
2.6.1.2 Aircraft operators that cannot clearly distinguish between fuel uplift from international and domestic flights shall calculate, for each aircraft type, the average fuel burn ratios by summing all actually uplifted fuel from both international and domestic flights and dividing by the sum of all actual block hours of those flights for a given year, according to the following formula:
AFBR_{AO,AT} = ∑_N U_{AO,AT,N} / ∑_N BH_{AO,AT,N} where:
AFBR_{AO,AT} = Average fuel burn ratios per aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT) (in tonnes per hour); U_{AO,AT,N} = Fuel uplift for international or domestic flight N by aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT), measured in volume and multiplied by a specific density value (in tonnes); and BH_{AO,AT,N} = Block time for international and domestic flight N by aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT) (in hours).
2.6.1.3 The aircraft operator-specific average fuel burn ratios shall be calculated annually using the annual data for the reporting year. The average fuel burn ratios shall be reported, for each aircraft type, in the aircraft operator's emissions report.
See Subpart C, RAC-16.100 for requirements on fuel density values.
Aircraft types are listed in Aircraft Type Designators (ICAO Doc 8643).
2.6.2 Calculation of Fuel Use per Flight 2.6.2.1 Aircraft operators shall calculate fuel use for each international flight by multiplying the aircraft operator-specific average fuel burn ratios by the block time of the flight, according to the following formula:
where:
F_N = Fuel allocated to the international flight in question (i.e., flight N) using the fuel allocation with block time method (in tonnes); AFBR_{AO,AT} = Average fuel burn ratios per aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT) (in tonnes per hour); BH_{AO,AT,N} = Block time for the international flight in question (= flight N) by aircraft operator (AO) and aircraft type (AT) (in hours).
Fuel uplift is determined by measurement by the fuel supplier and documented in the fuel delivery notes or fuel invoices for each flight.
The verification report from the external verification body includes an assessment of the aircraft operator-specific average fuel burn ratios per ICAO aircraft type designator used.
Average fuel burn ratios (AFBR) based on all flights for a reporting year and rounded to at least three decimal places.
2.6.2.2 A verification body shall check whether the reported emissions are reasonable compared to other fuel-related data from the aircraft operator.
APPENDIX 3. METHODS AND TOOLS FOR ESTIMATING AND REPORTING CO₂ EMISSIONS 1. INTRODUCTION The procedures specified in this Appendix relate to the estimation of CO₂ emissions by an aircraft operator for the purposes of monitoring CO₂ emissions and addressing data gaps. The proposed methods and tools are representative of the most accurate established practices.
The ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) can be obtained in the ICAO document titled "ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool" for use in a given year. The CERT is available on the ICAO CORSIA website.
2. ICAO CORSIA CO₂ ESTIMATION AND REPORTING TOOL (CERT) 2.1 Use of the ICAO CORSIA CERT to Meet Monitoring and Reporting Requirements The ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) has been developed and made available to aircraft operators to support the monitoring and reporting of their CO₂ emissions. The CERT supports aircraft operators in meeting their monitoring and reporting requirements by enabling the completion of the standardized templates for the emissions monitoring plan and emissions report found in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc 9501), Volume IV — Procedures for Demonstrating Compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). This support includes:
(a) assessing their eligibility to use the CERT, as defined in Appendix 3 of this regulation, in support of their emissions monitoring plan (such as for CO₂ emissions threshold requirements); (b) assessing whether it falls within the scope of the Subpart C MRV requirements; and (c) addressing CO₂ emissions data gaps.
The ICAO CORSIA CERT is also used by the State of Costa Rica to support order-of-magnitude verifications and to address CO₂ emissions data gaps described in RAC-16.155.
2.1.1 Aircraft operators shall use the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) in accordance with the eligibility criteria described in Subpart C and with prior approval from the State of Costa Rica to which they are attributed.
2.1.2 Aircraft operators shall use either the 1) block time entry method or 2) great-circle distance entry method to enter the necessary information into the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT).
2.1.3 Aircraft operators approved to use the block time entry method shall collect the following data, which they enter into the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) to calculate their CO₂ emissions for the compliance year:
(a) ICAO aircraft type/model designator; (b) ICAO origin aerodrome designator; (c) ICAO destination aerodrome designator; (d) Block time (in hours); (e) Number of flights; (f) Date; and (g) Flight identification.
2.1.4 Aircraft operators approved to use the great-circle distance entry method shall collect the following data, which they enter into the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) to calculate their CO₂ emissions for the compliance year:
(a) ICAO aircraft model/type designator; (b) Origin aerodrome; (c) Destination aerodrome; (d) Number of flights; (e) Date; and (f) Flight identification.
ICAO aircraft type/model designators are listed in Aircraft Type Designators (ICAO Doc 8643).
Origin and destination aerodrome designators are listed in Location Indicators (ICAO Doc 7910).
The ICAO CORSIA CERT automatically calculates the great-circle distance based on the origin aerodrome and destination aerodrome.
2.2 Data Collection to Develop and Maintain the ICAO CO₂ Estimation Module Used in the ICAO CORSIA CERT 2.2.1 Aircraft operators shall cooperate with the State of Costa Rica in improving the ICAO CO₂ estimation module used in the ICAO CORSIA CERT, and for this purpose, aircraft operators shall collect and submit to the DGAC the operators' flight-level fuel use data:
(a) Date and time (in Coordinated Universal Time); (b) ICAO aircraft type/model designators; (c) ICAO origin aerodrome designator; (d) ICAO destination aerodrome designator; (e) Block time (in hours, to two decimal places); (f) Fuel use (in tonnes, to at least one decimal place) based on a fuel use monitoring method described in Appendix 2 of this regulation; (g) Type of fuel use monitoring method; (h) Maximum certified take-off mass of the aircraft (in kg); and (i) Great-circle distance of the flight (in km).
2.2.2 The aircraft operator shall be aware that the State of Costa Rica must exchange data with ICAO for the continuous improvement of the ICAO CO₂ estimation module used in the ICAO CORSIA CERT. The data exchanged by the State of Costa Rica includes the following:
(a) Date and time (in Coordinated Universal Time); (b) Generic code to anonymize the aircraft operator's information and allow integration of data; (c) ICAO aircraft type/model designator; (d) Great-circle distance of the flight (in km); (e) Block time (in hours, to two decimal places); (f) Fuel use (in tonnes, to at least one decimal place) based on a fuel use monitoring method described in Appendix 2 of this regulation; and (g) Type of fuel use monitoring method.
2.2.3 The aircraft operator shall be aware that the State of Costa Rica will anonymize the aircraft operator data exchanged with ICAO under 2.2.2 of this appendix, if the data is shared in accordance with 2.2.2 of this appendix.
APPENDIX 4: EMISSIONS MONITORING PLANS 1. INTRODUCTION An aircraft operator's emissions monitoring plan shall contain the information listed in Section 2 of this Appendix.
2. CONTENT OF EMISSIONS MONITORING PLANS The template for an emissions monitoring plan (from aircraft operator to the State of Costa Rica) is found in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc 9501), Volume IV — Procedures for Demonstrating Compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
2.1 Identification of the Aircraft Operator 2.1.1 Name and address of the aircraft operator with legal responsibility.
2.1.2 Information for the attribution of the aircraft operator to a State:
(a) ICAO designator: The ICAO designator(s) used for air traffic control purposes listed in Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services (ICAO Doc 8585).
(b) Air operator certificate: If the aircraft operator does not have an ICAO designator, a copy of the air operator certificate.
(c) Place of legal registration: If the aircraft operator has neither an ICAO designator nor an air operator certificate, the place of legal registration of the aircraft operator.
2.1.3 Details of the ownership structure with respect to any other aircraft operator with international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, including identification of whether the aircraft operator is a parent company of other aircraft operators with international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, a subsidiary of other aircraft operator(s) with international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, and/or has a parent and/or subsidiaries that are aircraft operators with international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001.
2.1.4 If the aircraft operator that has a parent-subsidiary relationship wishes to be considered a single aircraft operator for the purposes of this regulation, it must confirm that the parent and the subsidiary(ies) are attributed to the State of Costa Rica and that the subsidiary(ies) are wholly owned by the parent company.
2.1.5 Contact information for the person at the aircraft operator's company who is responsible for the emissions monitoring plan.
2.1.6 Description of the aircraft operator's activities (such as scheduled/non-scheduled, passenger/cargo/business, and geographical scope of operations).
2.2 Fleet and Operations Data 2.2.1 List of aircraft types and fuel (such as the following aviation fuel types: Jet-A, Jet-A1, Jet-B, AVGAS) used in aircraft utilized for international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, at the time of submitting the emissions monitoring plan, acknowledging that changes may occur over time. The list shall include:
(a) Aircraft types with a maximum certified take-off mass of 5 700 kg or above and number of aircraft per type, including aircraft owned by the operator and those leased; aircraft types are listed in Aircraft Type Designators (ICAO Doc 8643).
Aircraft operators using the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) may use the CERT function to identify aircraft types where applicable; and (b) Type of fuel(s) used by the aircraft (such as Jet-A, Jet-A1, Jet-B, AVGAS).
Aircraft operators using the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) do not need to specify the type of fuel used in the aircraft.
2.2.2 Information used to attribute international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, to the aircraft operator:
(a) ICAO designator: List of ICAO designators used in item 7 of the aircraft operator's flight plans.
(b) Registration marks: If the aircraft operator does not have an ICAO designator, a list of the nationality or common mark and registration mark of the aircraft that are explicitly stated on the air operator certificate (or its equivalent) used in item 7 of the aircraft operator's flight plans.
2.2.3 Procedures on how changes in the aircraft fleet and fuel used are tracked and subsequently incorporated into the emissions monitoring plan.
2.2.4 Procedures on how specific aircraft flights are tracked to ensure the completeness of monitoring.
2.2.5 Procedures for determining aircraft flights that meet the definition of international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, and are therefore subject to the requirements of Subpart C.
Aircraft operators using the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) may use the CERT function to identify international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, provided that all flights (i.e., domestic and international) operated during the reporting year are entered as data into the tool.
2.2.6 List of the State of Costa Rica into which the aircraft operator operates international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, at the time of initial submission of the emissions monitoring plan.
Aircraft operators using the estimation function of the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) to assess whether they meet the requirements to use that tool may use the tool's results (i.e., the list of States) as input for the submission of the emissions monitoring plan.
2.2.7 Procedures for determining the international aircraft flights that are subject to the requirements of Subpart D.
Aircraft operators using the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) may use the CERT function to identify flights subject to offsetting requirements in accordance with Subpart D, for a given compliance year, provided the aircraft operator uses the correct version (i.e., compliance year) of the CERT.
2.2.8 Procedures for identifying domestic and/or humanitarian flights, international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, for medical or firefighting purposes that are not subject to the requirements of Subpart D, but must be identifiable in the Subpart C processes.
2.3 Methods and Means for Calculating Emissions from International Flights 2.3.1 Methods and means for establishing average emissions during the baseline period.
2.3.1.1 If an aircraft operator meets the eligibility criteria of Subpart C, and chooses to use the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), described in Appendix 3 of this regulation, the following information is provided:
(a) An estimate of CO₂ emissions from all international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, with supporting information on how that estimate was calculated.
(b) The type of entry method used in the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT):
* Great-circle distance entry method; or * Block time entry method.
The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc 9501), Volume IV — Procedures for Demonstrating Compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains guidance texts on estimating CO₂ emissions for the baseline.
2.3.1.2 If an aircraft operator meets the eligibility criteria of Subpart C RAC-16.085, or chooses to use one of the fuel use monitoring methods described in Appendix 2 of this regulation, it shall provide the following information:
(a) The fuel use monitoring method it uses:
(1) Method A; (2) Method B; (3) Block-off/Block-on; (4) Fuel uplift; or (5) Fuel allocation with block time.
(b) If different fuel use monitoring methods are used for different aircraft types, the aircraft operator must specify the method applied to each aircraft type.
(c) Information on the procedures for determining and recording the fuel density values (standard or actual) used for operational and safety purposes and a reference to the relevant aircraft operator documentation; and (d) The systems and procedures for monitoring fuel use for both aircraft owned by the operator and those leased. If the aircraft operator chose the fuel allocation with block time method, it must provide information on the systems and procedures used to determine the average fuel burn ratios, described in Appendix 2 of this regulation.
2.3.2.3 If an aircraft operator meets the eligibility criteria of Subpart C, RAC-16.090 a), or chooses to use one of the fuel use monitoring methods described in Appendix 2 of this regulation, it shall provide the following information:
(a) The fuel use monitoring method used:
(1) Method A; (2) Method B; (3) Block-off/Block-on; (4) Fuel uplift; or (5) Fuel allocation with block time.
(b) If different fuel use monitoring methods are to be used for different aircraft types, the aircraft operator must specify the method applied to each aircraft type.
(c) Information on the procedures for determining and recording the fuel density values (standard or actual) used for operational and safety purposes and a reference to the relevant aircraft operator documentation; and (d) The systems and procedures for monitoring fuel use for both aircraft owned by the operator and those leased. If the aircraft operator chose the fuel allocation with block time method, it must provide information on the systems and procedures used to determine the average fuel burn ratios, described in Appendix 2 of this regulation.
2.3.2.4 If the aircraft operator uses one of the fuel use monitoring methods defined in Appendix 2 of this regulation, it shall indicate whether it plans to use the ICAO CORSIA CERT for international flights, as defined in RAC-16.001, that are subject to emissions monitoring but not to offsetting requirements.
In that case, aircraft operators must also indicate which entry method is used in the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT) (i.e., the orthodromic distance entry method or the block-off time entry method).
2.4 Data management, data flow and control 2.4.1 Aircraft operators must provide the following information:
(a) functions, responsibilities and procedures related to data management; (b) procedures for addressing data insufficiency and erroneous data, including:
(1) Secondary data reference sources used as an alternative; (2) Alternative method in case the secondary data reference source is not available; and (3) For those aircraft operators employing a fuel use monitoring method, information on systems and procedures to identify data insufficiencies and assess whether the 5% threshold for significant data insufficiencies has been reached.
(c) records and documentation retention plan; (d) assessment of risks associated with data management processes and means to address significant risks; (e) procedures for making revisions to the emissions monitoring plan and resubmitting the relevant parts to the Costa Rican State when substantial changes occur; (f) procedures for notifying in the emissions report non-substantial changes that require the attention of the Costa Rican State; and (g) a data flow diagram summarizing the systems used to record and store data associated with the monitoring and reporting of CO₂ emissions.
APPENDIX 5: REPORTING 1. INTRODUCTION The procedures specified in this Appendix refer to the reporting requirements under this regulation.
1.1 Fuel use and CO₂ emissions must be reported rounded to the nearest tonne.
2. CONTENT OF THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR'S EMISSIONS REPORT TO THE STATE The Costa Rican State may, if it deems it necessary, notify the aircraft operator to expand this list and include additional or more detailed data.
The emissions report template (from the aircraft operator to the Costa Rican State) is found in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA); Table AS-1. Content of an aircraft operator's emissions report The emissions report template (from the aircraft operator to the Costa Rican State) is found in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Document 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA); Table AS-2. Supplementary information to an aircraft operator's emissions report if emission reductions are claimed for the use of each CORSIA eligible fuel A template for supplementary information to the emissions report (from the aircraft operator to the Costa Rican State) concerning CORSIA eligible fuels is found in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
3. CONTENT OF THE STATE'S EMISSIONS REPORT TO ICAO 3.1 List of aircraft operators attributed to the State and verification bodies accredited in a State, Table AS-3. State report on the aircraft operators attributed to it and verification bodies accredited in a State The ICAO document titled "CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency", available on the ICAO CORSIA website, contains information on the fields listed below:
1. List of aircraft operators attributed to the Costa Rican State; and 2. List of verification bodies accredited in each State.
3.2 State's emissions report to ICAO Table AS-4. Emissions report corresponding to a State's baseline to ICAO Table AS-5. State's annual emissions report to ICAO, post-2021 The ICAO document titled "CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency", available on the ICAO CORSIA website, contains information on the fields listed below:
(a) Average of total annual CO₂ emissions corresponding to the baseline and aggregated for all aircraft operators on each State pair; (b) Total annual CO₂ emissions aggregated for all aircraft operators per each State pair (indicating which State pairs are subject to offsetting requirements, i.e., Subpart D, in a given year) (Field 1); and (c) For each aircraft operator:
(1) Aircraft operator name; (2) State to which the aircraft operator is attributed; (3) Reporting year; (4) Total annual CO₂ emissions (Field 2); (5) Total annual CO₂ emissions from all State pairs subject to offsetting requirements, defined in Subpart D, RAC-16.130 (Field 3); and (6) Total annual CO₂ emissions from all State pairs not subject to offsetting requirements, defined in Subpart D, RAC-16.130 (Field 4).
If CO₂ emissions are based on the ICAO CORSIA CO₂ Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT), described in Appendix 3 of this regulation, that information must be recorded.
ICAO shall aggregate and publish all data considered confidential pursuant to Subpart C, RAC-16.025 a), without attributing it to a particular aircraft operator. ICAO shall aggregate and publish all data considered confidential pursuant to Subpart C, RAC-16.025 b), without attributing it to a particular State pair, but distinguishing between State pairs that are subject to the offsetting requirements defined in Subpart D, RAC-16.130, and those that are not.
3.3 Use of CORSIA eligible fuels in the Costa Rican State.
Table AS-6 Supplementary information to a State's emissions report to ICAO concerning CORSIA eligible fuels In order to avoid double claiming of CORSIA eligible fuels, the ICAO document titled "CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency", available on the ICAO CORSIA website, contains information on the fields listed below:
(a) Year of production of the claimed CORSIA eligible fuel; (b) Producer of the claimed CORSIA eligible fuel; (c) Fuel type, feedstock, and conversion process for each claimed CORSIA eligible fuel; (d) Batch number(s) of each claimed CORSIA eligible fuel; and (e) Total mass of each batch of the claimed CORSIA eligible fuel.
4. CONTENT OF THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR'S EMISSION UNIT CANCELLATION REPORT TO THE STATE Table A5-7. Aircraft operator's emission unit cancellation report to the Costa Rican State The Costa Rican State may expand this list and include additional or more detailed data from aircraft operators registered in the Costa Rican State; the methodology is also called "protocol" or "framework".
5. CONTENT OF THE COSTA RICAN STATE'S EMISSION UNIT CANCELLATION REPORT TO ICAO Table AS-8. Content of the State's emission unit cancellation report to ICAO The information in Field 5 is required to ensure critical CORSIA registry functions, including ICAO oversight, periodic review, and statistical analysis of CORSIA.
The ICAO document titled "CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency", available on the ICAO CORSIA website, contains information on the fields listed below:
- a)Information aggregated at the Costa Rican State and global level for a specific compliance period:
- 1)Total final offsetting requirements during the compliance period; 2) Total quantity of emission units cancelled during the compliance period to reconcile the total final offsetting requirements; and 3) Consolidated identification information for the cancelled emission units included in Field 5 of Table A5-8.
APPENDIX 6: VERIFICATION 1. INTRODUCTION The procedures specified in this appendix refer to the verification requirements of this regulation.
2. VERIFICATION BODY 2.1 The verification body must be accredited to ISO 14065:2013 and must meet the additional requirements indicated below in order to be eligible to verify the emissions report, and the emission unit cancellation report if applicable, of an aircraft operator.
The following documents must be used as normative references that serve as guidance for the implementation of this regulation:
(a) Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA); (b) The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) document titled "IAF Mandatory Document for the Application of ISO 14065:2013; (IAF MD 6:2014)"; and (c) The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) document titled "ISO 14066:2011 Greenhouse gases – Competence requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification teams".
2.2 Prevention of conflicts of interest (ISO 14065:2013, section 5.4.2) 2.2.1 If performing six annual verifications for an aircraft operator, the lead verifier must discontinue providing verification services to that same aircraft operator for three consecutive years. The maximum period of six years includes any greenhouse gas verification performed for the aircraft operator before it requires verification services under this regulation.
2.2.2 The verification body, and any part of the same legal entity, must not be an aircraft operator, owner of an aircraft operator, or owned by an aircraft operator.
2.2.3 The verification body, and any part of the same legal person, must not be an entity that trades emission units, owner of an entity that trades emission units, or owned by an entity that trades emission units.
2.2.4 The relationship between the verification body and the aircraft operator must not be based on common ownership, common governance, common management or personnel, shared resources, common finances, or common contracts or marketing.
2.2.5 The verification body must not undertake any activity delegated by the aircraft operator concerning the preparation of the emissions monitoring plan, the emissions report (including fuel use monitoring and CO₂ emissions calculation), or the emission unit cancellation report.
2.2.6 To facilitate an assessment of impartiality and independence by the national accreditation body, the verification body shall document how it relates to other parts of the same legal entity.
2.3 Management and personnel (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.1) 2.3.1 The verification body must establish, implement, and document a method for assessing the competence of verification team personnel against the competence requirements established in ISO 14065:2013, ISO 14066:2011, and paragraphs 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 of this Appendix.
2.3.2 The verification body must keep records to demonstrate the competence of the verification team and personnel in accordance with paragraph 2.4 of this Appendix.
2.4 Personnel competencies (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.2) The verification body:
- a)must identify and select competent team personnel for each activity; b) must ensure the appropriate composition of the verification team for the aviation activity; c) must ensure that the verification team, at a minimum, includes a team leader who is responsible for planning and managing the team's activity; d) ensure the ongoing competence of all personnel performing verification activities, including the ongoing professional development and training of verifiers to maintain and/or develop competencies; and e) periodically evaluate the competence assessment process to ensure it remains relevant for the purposes of this regulation.
2.5 Validation or verification team knowledge (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.3.2) 2.5.1 The verification team as a whole, and the independent reviewer, must demonstrate knowledge of:
(a) the requirements described in this Volume, Assembly Resolution A39-3, the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and any public ICAO explanatory material; (b) the verification requirements described in this regulation, the Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV – Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), including the materiality threshold, verification criteria, verification scope and objectives, and the requirements for preparing and submitting the verification report; (c) the eligibility criteria for technical exemptions, the scope of applicability, the rules for State pair incorporation, and the State pair coverage indicated in this regulation and Assembly Resolution A39-3; (d) the monitoring requirements described in this regulation; and (e) the national requirements, in addition to the provisions contained herein in this regulation.
2.5.2 When performing verification of an emission unit cancellation report, only sections 2.5.1 a), b), and e) apply.
2.6 Specialized technical knowledge of the validation or verification team (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.3.3) 2.6.1 The verification team as a whole, and the independent reviewer, must demonstrate knowledge of the following technical competencies:
(a) general technical processes in the field of civil aviation; (b) aviation fuels and their characteristics, including CORSIA eligible fuels; (c) fuel-related processes, including flight planning and fuel calculation; (d) relevant aviation sector trends or situations that may affect the estimation of CO₂ emissions; (e) CO₂ emissions quantification methodologies, described in this regulation, including the assessment of emissions monitoring plans; (f) fuel use monitoring and measuring devices and related procedures for monitoring fuel use in relation to greenhouse gas emissions, including procedures and practices for the operation, maintenance, and calibration of such measuring devices; (g) greenhouse gas data and information management systems and controls, including quality management systems and quality assurance and quality control techniques; (h) information technology systems related to aviation, such as flight planning software or operational management systems; (i) knowledge of the CORSIA approved sustainability certification schemes relevant for CORSIA eligible fuels under this regulation, including the scopes of certification; and (j) elementary knowledge of greenhouse gas markets and emission unit program registries.
2.6.2 Evidence of the mentioned competencies must include proof of relevant experience, supplemented by appropriate training and educational credentials.
2.6.3 The provisions in 2.6.1 a) to i) apply to conducting verifications of emissions reports.
2.6.4 When performing verification of an emission unit cancellation report, only section 2.6.1 g) and i) apply.
2.7 Validation or verification team data and information auditing (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.3.4) 2.7.1 The verification team as a whole must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of ISO 14064-3:2006, including the demonstrated ability to develop a risk-based verification approach, perform verification procedures, including evaluating data and information systems and controls, gathering sufficient and appropriate evidence, and drawing conclusions based on that evidence.
2.7.2 Evidence of specialized knowledge and competencies regarding data and information auditing shall include previous professional experience in auditing and assurance activities, supplemented by appropriate training and educational credentials.
2.8 Use of external validators and verifiers (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.4) The verification body must document the roles and responsibilities of verification personnel, including external persons involved in the verification activity.
2.9 Outsourcing (ISO 14065:2013 section 6.6) 2.9.1 The verification body must not leave the final verification decision and the issuance of the verification statement to outsourced external personnel.
2.9.2 The independent review may only be outsourced to external personnel provided the outsourced service is appropriate, competent, and covered by the accreditation.
2.10 Confidentiality (ISO 14065:2013 section 7.3) The verification body must have the express consent of the aircraft operator before submitting the verified emissions report, the emission unit cancellation report, if applicable, and the verification report to the Costa Rican State. The mechanism for authorizing this consent must be specified in the contract between the verification body and the aircraft operator.
2.11 Records (ISO 14065:2013 section 7.5) The verification body must keep, for a minimum of ten years, records of the verification process, including:
(a) the client's emissions monitoring plan, emissions report, and emission unit cancellation report, if applicable; (b) the verification report and related internal documentation; (c) the identification of team members and the criteria for team selection; and (d) study notes with data and information examined by the team to enable an independent party to evaluate the quality of the verification activities and conformity with the verification requirements.
2.12 Agreement (ISO 14065:2013 section 8.2.3) The contract between the verification body and the aircraft operator specifies the verification conditions and must indicate:
(a) the verification scope, verification objectives, level of assurance, materiality threshold, and relevant verification standards (ISO 14065, ISO 14064-3, this regulation, and ICAO Doc 9501 Environmental Technical Manual, Volume IV); (b) the time allocated for the verification; (c) the flexibility to change the allocated time, should this become necessary due to findings reached during the verification; (d) the conditions that must be met to carry out the verification, such as access to all relevant documentation, personnel, and facilities; (e) the requirement for the aircraft operator to accept the audit as a potential witnessed audit by assessors from the national accreditation body; (f) the requirement for the aircraft operator to authorize the delivery to the Costa Rican State of the emissions report, the emission unit cancellation report, if applicable, and the verification report from the verification body; and (g) liability coverage.
3. VERIFICATION OF THE EMISSIONS REPORT AND THE EMISSION UNIT CANCELLATION REPORT The verification team must perform the verification in accordance with ISO 14064-3:2006 and the additional requirements indicated below.
3.1 Level of assurance (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.3.1) A reasonable level of assurance is required for all verifications under this regulation.
3.2 Objectives (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.3.2) 3.2.1 When performing verification of an emissions report, the verification body must carry out sufficient procedures to conclude whether:
(a) the greenhouse gas emissions statement is materially fair and a faithful representation of the emissions recorded during the emissions report period and is supported by sufficient and appropriate evidence; (b) the aircraft operator has monitored, quantified, and reported its emissions during the emissions report period in accordance with this regulation and the approved emissions monitoring plan; (c) the aircraft operator has correctly applied the flight attribution method documented in the approved emissions monitoring plan and in accordance with Subpart B of this regulation, to ensure correct attribution of leased aircraft and international flights, defined in RAC-16.001, operated by other aircraft operators within the same corporate structure; (d) the reported amount of emission reductions due to the use of CORSIA eligible fuels is materially fair and a faithful representation of the emission reductions during the reporting period and is supported by sufficient and appropriate internal and external evidence; (e) the aircraft operator has not also claimed the same batches of CORSIA eligible fuels claimed under other voluntary or mandatory schemes in which it has participated (in the event that emission reductions can be claimed due to the use of CORSIA eligible fuels) during the current and the immediately preceding compliance period; and (f) the aircraft operator has monitored, calculated, and reported its emission reductions associated with the use of CORSIA eligible fuels during the reporting period in accordance with this regulation.
3.2.2 When performing verification of an emission unit cancellation report, the verification body must carry out sufficient procedures to conclude whether:
(a) the aircraft operator has accurately reported its cancellations of CORSIA eligible emission units in accordance with this regulation; (b) the reported amount of cancelled CORSIA eligible emission units is sufficient to meet the aircraft operator's total final offsetting requirements associated with the relevant compliance period, after considering any claimed emission reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuels, and the aircraft operator can demonstrate the exclusive right of use of those cancelled eligible emission units; and (c) the aircraft operator did not use the cancelled eligible emission units to meet its offsetting requirements under this regulation to also offset other emissions.
3.3 Scope (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.3.4) 3.3.1 When verifying an emissions report, the scope of the verification must reflect the period and information covered by the report and the claim(s) for the use of CORSIA eligible fuels, where applicable. This includes:
(a) CO₂ emissions from the aircraft fuel use monitoring methods calculated in accordance with Subpart C in RAC-16.080; and (b) Emission reductions from the use of CORSIA eligible fuel(s).
3.3.2 The scope of the verification of the claim(s) for the use of CORSIA eligible fuels in the emissions report must include the following:
(a) Any internal procedure of the aircraft operator concerning CORSIA eligible fuels, including that operator's controls to ensure that the claimed CORSIA eligible fuels meet the CORSIA sustainability criteria; (b) Double-claiming checks are limited to the aircraft operator in question. Any conclusion exceeding this scope is not relevant for the verification statement; however, it must be included in the verification report nonetheless for the Costa Rican State to examine in depth; (c) Assessment of verification risks with the relevant changes to the verification plan; and (d) Assessment of whether there is adequate access to relevant internal and external information for each CORSIA eligible fuel claim to be reliable. Where sustainability evidence or the magnitude of CORSIA eligible fuel claims are considered inadequate or insufficient, further information must be obtained directly from the fuel producer, to whom the aircraft operator must facilitate direct access.
3.3.3 When verifying an emission unit cancellation report, the scope of the verification must reflect the period and information covered by the report, and the verification body must confirm that the cancelled eligible emission units used to meet the aircraft operator's offsetting requirements under this regulation were not used to offset other emissions.
3.4 Materiality (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.3.5) 3.4.1 When performing verification of an emissions report, the verification body must apply the following materiality thresholds:
(a) 2% for aircraft operators recording annual emissions on international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, exceeding 500,000 tonnes; and (b) 5% for aircraft operators recording annual emissions on international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, less than or equal to 500,000 tonnes of CO₂.
3.4.2 When verifying an emissions report, in both cases, the offsetting of overestimates and underestimates from 3.4.1 is permitted.
3.5 General (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.4.1) Before developing the verification approach, the verification body must assess the risk of inaccuracies and non-conformities, and the likelihood that these will cause a material effect, based on a strategic analysis of the aircraft operator's greenhouse gas emissions information. Based on the information obtained during verification, the verification body must review the risk assessment and modify or repeat the verification activities to be performed.
3.6 Validation or verification plan (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.4.2) 3.6.1 The verification team must prepare the verification plan based on the strategic analysis and risk assessment. The verification plan must include a description of the verification activities for each variable that has a possible impact on the reported emissions. The verification team must consider the risk assessment and the requirement to issue a verification opinion with reasonable assurance when determining the sample size.
3.6.2 The verification plan must include the following:
(a) verification team members, roles, responsibilities, and qualifications; (b) any necessary external resources; (c) schedule of verification activities; and (d) sampling plan, including the processes, controls, and information to be verified, and the details of the risk assessment performed to identify them.
3.7 Sampling plan (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.4.3) 3.7.1 The sampling plan for the emissions report must include the following:
(a) quantity, type of records, and evidence to be examined, the mandatory IAF document for the application of ISO 14065:2013, 2nd ed. (IAF MD 6:2014) contains definitions of strategic analysis and risk assessment; (b) methodology used to determine a representative sample; and (c) justification for the selected methodology.
The Costa Rican State may request, through the aeroplane operator, that the OW submit the detailed Sampling Plan to validate what was presented in the ER.
3.7.2 When verifying an emissions unit cancellation report, the verification body does not rely on sampling.
3.8 Evaluation of GHG data and information (ISO 14064-3:2006, section 4.6) 3.8.1 The verification team must confirm that the data in the emissions report has been collected in accordance with the approved emissions monitoring plan and the monitoring requirements specified in this regulation.
3.8.2 In accordance with the sampling plan for the emissions report, the verification body must perform substantive data tests consisting of analytical procedures and data verification to assess the plausibility and completeness of the data. The verification team shall, at a minimum, evaluate the plausibility of fluctuations and trends over time or between comparable data elements and identify and evaluate immediate discrepant results, unexpected data, anomalies, and data insufficiency.
3.8.3 Based on the results of the tests and the evaluation of the emissions report data, the risk, verification, and sampling plans shall be modified, as necessary.
3.9 Evaluation of the GHG statement (ISO 14064-3:2006, section 4.8) 3.9.1 The verification body must employ an independent reviewer not involved in the verification activities to evaluate the internal verification documentation and the verification report before its submission to the aeroplane operator and the Costa Rican State.
3.9.2 The independent review, the scope of which includes the entire verification process, must be recorded in the internal verification documentation.
3.9.3 The independent review is carried out to ensure that the verification process has been conducted in accordance with ISO 14065:2013, ISO 14064-3:2006, and this regulation, and that the evidence gathered is appropriate and sufficient to allow the verification body to issue a verification report with reasonable assurance.
3.10 Validation or Verification Statement (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.9) 3.10.1 The verification body must submit a copy of the verification report to the aeroplane operator. Once authorization is received from the aeroplane operator, the verification body shall send a copy of the verification report together with the emissions report, the emissions unit cancellation report, or both, to the Costa Rican State. The verification report must include:
(a) the name of the verification body and the members of the verification team; (b) the timelines (including revisions and dates); (c) the scope of the verification; (d) the main results of the impartiality and conflict of interest prevention assessment; (e) the criteria against which the emissions report was verified; (f) the aeroplane operator information and data used by the verification body to perform cross-verification of data and other verification activities; (g) the main results of the strategic analysis and risk assessment; (h) the description of the verification activities performed, the location where each was carried out (on-site or off-site), and the results of checks performed on the CO2 emissions information system and controls; (i) the description of the data tests and sampling performed, including the records or evidence sampled, the sample size, and the sampling method(s) used; (j) the results of all data tests and sampling, including cross-verifications; (k) compliance with the emissions monitoring plan; (l) any non-compliance with the emissions monitoring plan in relation to this regulation; (m) non-compliances and inaccuracies identified (including a description of how they were resolved); (n) conclusions on data quality and materiality; (o) conclusions on the verification of the emissions report; (p) conclusions on the verification of the emissions unit cancellation report; (q) justifications for the verification opinion issued by the verification body; (r) the results of the independent review and the name of the independent reviewer; and (s) the final verification statement.
3.10.2 When verifying an emissions unit cancellation report, only paragraphs 3.10.1 a), b), c), d), t), g), h), m), p), q), r), and s) apply.
3.10.3 The verification body must present a conclusion on each of the verification objectives listed in 3.1, as appropriate, in the final verification statement.
3.10.4 When verifying an emissions report or an emissions unit cancellation report, the verification body chooses between two types of verification statements, either "satisfactory verification" or "unsatisfactory verification." If the report includes inaccuracies or non-compliances that are not material, the statement for the report must be "satisfactory verification with observations," and the inaccuracies and non-compliances are specified. If the report contains material inaccuracies and/or non-compliances, the scope of the verification is too limited, or the verification body does not consider the data to be sufficiently reliable, the statement for the report must be "unsatisfactory verification." 3.11 Validation or Verification Records (ISO 14064-3:2006 section 4.10) 3.11.1 At the request of the Costa Rican State, the verification body shall disclose the internal verification documentation to the Costa Rican State on a confidential basis.
3.11.2 When issues are brought to the attention of the verification body that could render a previously issued verification statement invalid or inaccurate, this body shall notify the DGAC of the situation.
APPENDIX 7: COSTA RICAN AVIATION CO2 EMISSIONS INVENTORY AND CLEAN FLIGHT RECOGNITION 1. COSTA RICAN AVIATION CO2 EMISSIONS INVENTORY The content of the form to submit the CO2 emissions inventory for flights, both domestic and international flights operated with aeroplanes having a maximum take-off mass of less than 5700 kg, is shown in Table 1-1. This includes the total emissions generated by each flight, both domestic and international flights operated with aeroplanes having a maximum take-off mass of less than 5700 kg, except for flights conducted for humanitarian, medical, firefighting, and search and rescue purposes, which must be indicated with the letters NA in the flight type box, as these should not be accounted for emissions reduction, and they are also exempt from emissions offsetting processes.
The aeroplane operator may download from the DGAC website the file with the form in an editable format containing the complete formulas for performing its CO2 emissions calculations.
Aeroplane operators with agricultural operations shall report their emissions using Form 5F44, which they already submit to the DGAC. For emissions reporting, a box for this purpose was added, in which fuel consumption per aerial operation performed must be indicated. With these data, we can demonstrate compliance in emissions monitoring, and their emissions report will be considered complete. An aeroplane operator wishing to voluntarily carry out the removal or offsetting of emissions must perform verification of its emissions inventory, for which it must follow the instructions presented in Subpart G of this regulation.
2. CLEAN FLIGHT RECOGNITION PLAN The aeroplane operator that has complied with RAC-16.120, RAC-16.230, RAC-16.235, and RAC-16.240 due to its environmental management in the process of removal, reduction, or offsetting of emissions shall apply by free-form letter and by providing the necessary documentation to the DGAC to be granted the recognition "Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica," which is granted according to the scale of removals, reductions, or offsets established in this Appendix, see Table 1-2. When an aeroplane operator achieves the reduction, removal, or offsetting of its CO2 emissions to 100%, and also reduces its other emissions (different from CO2 emissions), it may consider opting for Carbon Neutrality, for which it must see the requirements of the Country Carbon Neutrality Program (Decreto Nº 42884-MINAE, of March 4, 2021) or on the official MINAE website. Furthermore, the aeroplane operator that acquires Carbon Neutrality maintains its "Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica" recognition at the Expert in Environmental Protection level.
The regulation for the use of the symbol or seal of the Yo Vuelo Limpio por Costa Rica recognition is provided to the air operator with the recognition. The Regulation for the use of the PPCN Symbol is available on the official website www.cambioclimatico.go.cr. Both regulations establish the requirements and restrictions, as well as the grounds for suspension or withdrawal of the recognition and the use of the symbol.
Table 1-2 SCALE FOR RECOGNITION FOR CO2 REMOVAL, REDUCTION, OR OFFSETTING ACTIONS IN COSTA RICAN AVIATION | --- | --- | --- | | Recognition Level | Reduction, Removal, or Offsetting Actions | Scale | | Level 1 | Reduce, remove, or offset up to 25% of your CO2 emissions | I Fly Clean for Costa Rica | | Level 2 | Reduce, remove, or offset more than 25% and up to 49% of your CO2 emissions | Bronze | | Level 3 | Reduce, remove, or offset from 50% up to 74% of your CO2 emissions | Silver | | Level 4 | Reduce, remove, or offset from 75% up to 99% of your CO2 emissions | Gold | | Level 5 | Reduce, remove, or offset 100% of your CO2 emissions | Expert in Environmental Protection | APPENDIX 8: NON-SI UNITS FOR USE IN THIS REGULATION The non-SI units listed in Table 2-1 are used in place of, or in addition to, SI units as primary units of measurement under this regulation.
Table 2-1 Non-SI units for use with the SI in this regulation | --- | --- | --- | | Non-SI Unit | Symbol | Value in SI units (primary unit) or equivalent | | Minute | min | 1 min = 60 s; time | | Hour | h | 1 h = 60 min; time | | Day | d | 1 d = 24 h; time | | Litre | L | 1 L = 1 dm³; volume | | Tonne | t | 1 t = 1 Mg = 1000 kg; mass | | Knot | kt | 1 kt = 1.852 km/h; speed | | Nautical mile | NM | 1 NM = 1852 m; distance | | Foot | ft | 1 ft = 0.3048 m; height | | Pound | lb | 1 lb = 0.453592 kg; mass | | US gallon | USG | 1 USG = 3.7854118 L; volume | ATTACHMENT TO ATTRIBUTION PROCESSES The figure corresponds to Attachment A of Annex 16, Vol. IV of ICAO.
FIGURE A-1: Process of attributing a flight to an aeroplane operator FIGURE A-2 Process of attributing an aeroplane operator to a State ATTACHMENT B APPLICABILITY OF MRV REQUIREMENTS TO INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS Aeroplane size (MTOM) FIGURE B-1 Determination of the applicability of Subpart C to international flights defined in RAC-16.001 (for MRV requirements) FIGURE B-2: Determination of eligible methods for monitoring fuel use during the 2019-2020 period FIGURE B-3: Determination of eligible methods for monitoring fuel use during the compliance periods (2021-2035) FIGURE C-1: Monitoring of fuel use per flight using Method A FIGURE C-2: Collection of data required to apply Method A with fuel uplift from the fuel supplier FIGURE C-3: Monitoring of fuel use per flight using Method B FIGURE C-4: Collection of data required to apply Method B with fuel uplift (manual process)
2.1 GENERAL 2.1.1 This section contains the ADVISORY CIRCULARS (CA), which have been approved for inclusion in RAC-16.
2.1.2 If a specific paragraph does not have a CA, it is considered that said Subpart does not require them.
2.2 PRESENTATION 2.2.1 The numbers preceded by the abbreviations CA indicate the number of the paragraph of RAC-16 to which they refer.
2.2.2 The abbreviation is defined as follows:
ADVISORY CIRCULARS (CA): Text associated with the requirements of a RAC, to qualify and provide guidance for its application. It contains explanations, interpretations, and/or acceptable methods of compliance.
ADVISORY CIRCULARS FOR SUBPART B GENERAL PROVISIONS CA RAC-16.010 Applicability and Effectiveness (See RAC-16.010) 1. For all purposes of this regulation, an aeroplane operator operating international flights, defined in RAC-16.001 and RAC-16.075, which are attributed to it must identify the State to which it is attributed in accordance with the points described in 1.1 to 1.5 below:
1.1 The aeroplane operator must know that the Costa Rican State uses the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Aeroplane Operator to State Attributions," available on the ICAO CORSIA website, in order to meet its requirements by ensuring the correct attribution of an aeroplane operator to said State according to the approach indicated in the following cases:
(a) ICAO Designator: When an aeroplane operator has an ICAO designator, the State with which the aeroplane operator meets its requirements under this regulation is the Costa Rican State who notifies; the ICAO designators and the notifying Costa Rican State appear in Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services (ICAO Doc 8585).
(b) Air Operator Certificate: When an aeroplane operator does not have an ICAO designator but holds a valid Air Operator Certificate (or its equivalent), the Costa Rican State with which the aeroplane operator meets its requirements under this regulation must be the State that issued the Air Operator Certificate (or its equivalent); and (c) Place of Legal Registration: When an aeroplane operator has neither an ICAO designator nor an Air Operator Certificate, the Costa Rican State in which the aeroplane operator is registered as a legal entity is the State with which the aeroplane operator meets its requirements under this regulation. When the aeroplane operator is a natural person, the State of residence and registration of that person is the State with which the aeroplane operator meets its requirements under this regulation.
1.2 The aeroplane operator must provide notification to the Costa Rican State in the event that its ICAO Designator, AOC (or its equivalent), or Place of Legal Registration changes and it is subsequently attributed to a new State, but does not establish a new entity or subsidiary. In this case, that State is then the State with which the aeroplane operator meets its requirements under CORSIA at the beginning of the next compliance period.
1.3 The aeroplane operator must know that the Dirección General de Aviación Civil of the Costa Rican State ensures the correct attribution of an aeroplane operator in accordance with approaches 1.1 to 1.5, and based on the ICAO designators appearing in Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services (ICAO Doc. 8585). The reference to point 7 is based on the ICAO flight plan form model appearing in Appendix 2 of the ICAO Procedures for Air Navigation Services - Air Traffic Management (ICAO Doc. 4444). See Attachment A of this regulation, Figure A-1, for an illustration of the process of attributing a flight to an aeroplane operator.
1.4 An aeroplane operator with a wholly-owned aeroplane operator subsidiary that is legally registered in the Costa Rican State may be treated as a single consolidated aeroplane operator responsible for complying with the requirements of this regulation, subject to the approval of the Dirección General de Aviación Civil. Evidence must be recorded in the aeroplane operator's emissions monitoring plan (see Subpart C) to demonstrate that the aeroplane operator subsidiary is wholly owned by it.
1.5 The aeroplane operator must know that the Dirección General de Aviación Civil of the Costa Rican State must submit to ICAO a list of the aeroplane operators attributed to it annually by November 30 of each year in accordance with the requirements described in Appendix 5 of this regulation, Table A5-3 (Field 1), and in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation (See Attachment A, Figure A-2 of this regulation for an illustration of the attribution of aeroplane operators to States). The Dirección General de Aviación Civil may submit updates of this list to ICAO more frequently.
1.6 Two or more consecutive flights operated under the same flight number are considered distinct flights for the purposes of this regulation.
1.7 The provisions of 1.1 to 1.6 of this CA apply to the classifications defined in this RAC.
2. Regarding "international flights for humanitarian, medical, and firefighting purposes," the requirements of Subpart A do not apply, and the importance of providing supporting evidence for such operations must be considered; primarily with the use of the RMK indicator in the flight plan: a) FFR: firefighting, b) HOSP: medical flight declared by medical authorities, and c) HUM: flight performing a humanitarian mission.
3. Regarding the applicability of the offsetting requirements associated with CORSIA, aeroplane operators must take into account the updates ICAO makes to the pairs of States that have voluntarily adhered to the implementation of CORSIA for the 2021-2026 period and are included by RTK requirements starting from the compliance cycle established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
4. See also Appendix 1 of this RAC for more information on administrative procedures.
5. The ICAO documents referenced in this RAC and listed below are texts approved by the Council for publication by ICAO in support of Annex 16 Volume IV and are essential for the implementation of CORSIA. These ICAO documents are available on the ICAO CORSIA website and may only be amended by the ICAO Council (all available on the official ICAO website www.icao.int):
5.1 CORSIA States for Chapter 3 State Pairs (which corresponds to Subpart D of this regulation); 5.2 ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool; 5.3 CORSIA Eligibility Framework and Requirements for Sustainability Certification Schemes; 5.4 CORSIA Approved Sustainability Certification Schemes; 5.5 CORSIA Sustainability Criteria for CORSIA Eligible Fuels; 5.6 CORSIA Default Life Cycle Emissions Values for CORSIA Eligible Fuels; 5.7 CORSIA Methodology for Calculating Actual Life Cycle Emissions Values; 5.8 CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units; 5.9 CORSIA Emissions Unit Eligibility Criteria; 5.10 CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for the Implementation of CORSIA; 5.11 CORSIA Aeroplane Operator to State Attributions; 5.12 CORSIA 2020 Emissions; 5.13 CORSIA Annual Sector's Growth Factor (SGF); and 5.14 CORSIA Central Registry (CCR): Information and Data for Transparency.
6. The aeroplane operator must know the responsibilities of the Costa Rican State described in this regulation, of which the following are detailed:
6.6.1 The aeroplane operator must know that the Costa Rican State must approve the aeroplane operator's compliance based on satisfactory evidence that the aeroplane operator meets requirements that are at least equivalent to the applicable standards specified in this regulation.
6.6.2 The aeroplane operator must know that the Costa Rican State does not delegate to another State the responsibility for enforcing the requirements of this regulation, or its administrative tasks before ICAO. The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains a template for administrative partnerships and guidance text on them.
6.6.3 The aeroplane operator must know that a State providing capacity support through an administrative partnership notifies ICAO of the contracting administrative authorities, the affected aeroplane operators, the scope and duration of the administrative partnership, and a copy of the bilateral agreement.
6.6.4 The aeroplane operator must know that the State providing capacity support must assess whether the Administrative Authority to which the Authority has been delegated and which carries out administrative tasks for another State has the necessary resources to provide those services.
6.6.5 The aeroplane operator must know that in the event the Costa Rican State receives capacity support, it ensures that the aeroplane operators attributed to it are informed of the administrative arrangements prior to the start of the administrative partnership and of any possible subsequent changes.
6.6.6 The aeroplane operator must know that a State must not withdraw from an administrative partnership before the notification activities at the end of the notification period have been satisfactorily completed, but may withdraw from an administrative partnership in accordance with the notification period defined in the agreement.
6.6.7 The aeroplane operator must know that the Costa Rican State must submit to ICAO a list of the verification bodies accredited by it in accordance with the requirements described in Appendix 5, Table A5-3 (Field 2) of this regulation, and in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this regulation, and in full accordance with the national laws established in the Costa Rican State for verification bodies. A verification body accredited outside Costa Rica that is interested in the CORSIA scheme must be recognized by ECA, for which it must request recognition through the process that ECA has established for this purpose, which allows compliance with Article 34 of Ley 8279 Sistema Nacional para la Calidad.
CA RAC-16.020 Operational Directives (See RAC-16.020) (a) The Operational Directives contain:
(b) The Reason for their Issuance; (c) Their scope of application and duration; (d) Action required by the service providers.
CA RAC-16.045 Attribution of international flights to an aeroplane operator (See RAC-16.045) The ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Aeroplane Operator to State Attributions," which is available on the official ICAO CORSIA website, may be consulted by the aeroplane operator in order to meet its requirements under RAC-16.045.
The ICAO designators appear in Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services (ICAO Doc. 8585).
The reference to point 7 is based on the ICAO flight plan form model appearing in Appendix 2 of the Procedures for Air Navigation Services - Air Traffic Management (ICAO Doc. 4444).
CA RAC-16.050 Attribution of an aeroplane operator to a State (See RAC-16.050) (a) The aeroplane operator must know that the Costa Rican State uses the ICAO document entitled "CORSIA Aeroplane Operator to State Attributions," available on the ICAO CORSIA website, in order to meet its requirements under RAC-16.050.
(b) The ICAO designators and the notifying Costa Rican State appear in Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services (ICAO Doc. 8585).
(c) The Dirección General de Aviación Civil will request from an operator the necessary information to ensure the correct information of the operators attributed to it, for the list it must submit to ICAO in accordance with the requirements described in Appendix 5, Table A5-3 (Field 1) of this RAC and in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this RAC. The Costa Rican State may submit updates of this list to ICAO more frequently.
(d) See Attachment A, Figure A-2 of this RAC for an illustration of the attribution of aeroplane operators to States.
CA RAC-16.065 Procedures for demonstrating compliance and deadlines (CA RAC-16.065) The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains a template for administrative partnerships and guidance text on them.
The aeroplane operator must know that the Costa Rican State maintains records relating to the aeroplane operator's CO2 emissions only on a State pair basis for the baseline, so the input from the aeroplane operator with its emissions report per aerodrome pair is essential for a finer count of emissions to calculate the aeroplane operator's offsetting requirements during the 2030-2035 compliance periods.
Aeroplane operators must comply with the standards of Subparts C, D, and F of this Part, in accordance with the deadlines defined in Appendix 1 of this RAC.
CA RAC-16.070 Equivalent Procedures (CA RAC-16.070) The Environmental Technical Manual (ICAO Doc. 9501), Volume IV - Procedures for demonstrating compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), contains guidance texts, including the use of equivalent procedures.
CA RAC-16.075 Applicability of MRV requirements (CA RAC-16.075) See Attachment 8 of this regulation, Figure 8-1, for a process flow chart for determining the applicability of Subpart C to international flights, defined in RAC-16.001.
ADVISORY CIRCULARS FOR SUBPART F CARBON OFFSETTING AND REDUCTION PLAN FOR COSTA RICAN AVIATION CA RAC-16.215 Reporting of fuel consumption and RTK for international operations (See RAC-16.215) (a) Data for the National Action Plan on CO2 Emissions Reduction in Costa Rican Aviation (1) The aeroplane operator must know regarding the National Action Plan for Emissions Reduction in Costa Rican Aviation, that this constitutes a tool used by the DGAC to communicate, both nationally and internationally, the different initiatives that, together with actors in the air sector, are promoted to address CO2 emissions from aviation.
(2) The aeroplane operator must know that the development of the National Action Plan for Emissions Reduction in Costa Rican Aviation is based on ICAO Doc. 9988 entitled "Guidance on the Development of States' Action Plans for CO2 Emissions Reduction Activities," as the main methodological framework for the development of the plan, and is also supported by national and international documents on environmental management and climate change, and all those that have been officially published by the government of the Republica de Costa Rica on this matter.
(b) Reporting of fuel consumption and RTK for international operations (1) Regarding the effective data control system, the aeroplane operator must establish and maintain procedures for fuel information management and RTK calculation to ensure the following:
(i) Ensure compliance with the requirements established in RAC-16.215, (ii) Provide routine and consistent checks to ensure the accuracy and complete coverage of fuel consumed in international flight operations, (iii) Identify and address errors and omissions, and (iv) Document and archive relevant records of fuel consumption and RTK calculation, including information management activities.
(v) In establishing the effective data control system, the aeroplane operator must do the following:
(A) The identification and review of the responsibility and authority of those responsible for preparing the fuel consumption report and RTK of international operations, taking into account the designation of the focal point for these purposes, which must be indicated in their EMP, (B) The selection and review of methodologies for calculating fuel consumption and RTK, (C) The development and maintenance of a robust data collection system.
(vi) Regular accuracy reviews, (vii) Internal audits and periodic technical reviews, and (viii) Periodic review of opportunities to improve information management processes.
(2) Report on the implementation of the ICAO basket of measures (i) Regarding the aspects of implementing the ICAO basket of measures for emissions reduction, aircraft operators must take into account the description of each of the measures, which are established in ICAO Document 9988, as follows:
(D) Development of aircraft-related technologies: This category includes medium-term, long-term, and longer-term measures. Medium-term measures include conversions and upgrades of existing aircraft and the optimization of aircraft improvements produced in the short to medium term. Long-term measures include the acquisition of new aircraft, and longer-term measures contemplate, among others, the adoption of new and revolutionary aircraft and engine designs and the establishment of more far-reaching standards, (E) Alternative fuels: Emissions reductions from the use of alternative fuels are not obtained from the reduction of fuel consumption, but from the reduction of the fuel's carbon footprint. Thus, environmental benefits can be obtained with existing aircraft, without the need to invest in fleet renewal. These benefits are determined by the availability of fuels, their life-cycle emissions, and the timeline profile of their production development, (F) More efficient operations: these measures reflect changes in the way aircraft are loaded and operated. Emissions reductions in this category can be achieved in the short term and with minimal investment. Improvements can be made to pre-flight procedures (center of gravity, takeoff mass, flight planning, taxiing, auxiliary power unit [APU]), in-flight procedures (takeoff and climb, cruise, descent, holding and approach), and post-flight maintenance procedures (airframe and engine maintenance and aerodynamic deterioration), and (G) Economic/market-based measures: This category mainly refers to all those actions related to emissions offsetting. Emissions offsetting refers to those emissions from operations that must be compensated with an equivalent amount of emission reduction or removal from specific mitigation projects outside of the operations. It is essential to accurately estimate the emissions produced by air travel in order to determine the amount of emissions to be offset.
(ii) The categories of the basket of measures are presented below, broken down into actions that aircraft operators must take into account to report on their implementation to the DGAC:
(A) Development of aircraft-related technologies 1. minimum standards on aircraft fuel performance, 2. stringent standards on aircraft fuel performance, establishing standards for the future, 3. acquisition of new aircraft, 4. conversions and upgrades of existing aircraft, 5. improvement of fuel performance through the introduction of modifications (installation of winglets, curved wingtips/"sharklets", raked wingtips, among others, drag reduction, coatings to reduce turbulent-flow drag, high-power light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, wireless/optical connections), 6. engine replacement, 7. replacement or modification of avionics, 8. optimization of aircraft improvements produced in the short to medium term:
i. maximization of the contribution of lightweight materials in aircraft planned for the immediate future, ii. maximization of the contribution of engine technology in aircraft planned for the immediate future, iii. maximization of the contribution of auxiliary power units in aircraft planned for the immediate future, 9. avionics, 10. adoption of new and revolutionary aircraft/engine designs, i. open rotor ii. blended wing body iii. enhanced laminar flow (B) Alternative fuels 1. development of biofuels, 2. development of other fuels with lower life-cycle CO2 emissions, 3. standards/requirements for the use of alternative fuels, (C) More efficient operations:
1. best operational practices i. weight reduction to the minimum ii. minimized use of flaps (takeoff and landing) iii. minimized use of reverse thrust iv. single-engine taxiing v. E-taxi (electric taxiing, only for A320 and B737) vi. improvement of load factors vii. speed reduction viii. improvement of ground operations ix. pilot instruction 2. optimization of aircraft maintenance:
i. engine washing ii. aircraft washing m. zonal drying system 3. selection of the most suitable aircraft for the mission, (D) Economic/market-based measures:
1. accredited offsetting schemes.
ADVISORY CIRCULARS FOR SUBPART G CO2 EMISSIONS INVENTORY OF COSTA RICAN AVIATION AND CLEAN FLIGHT INCENTIVE PLAN CA RAC-16.220 Inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from aerial operations conducted with aircraft having a maximum takeoff mass of less than 5700 kg (See RAC-16.220) Regarding the inventory of annual aerial operations emissions from flights with aircraft with a weight of less than 5700 kg maximum takeoff mass, the aircraft operator must take into account that this inventory must include international and national flights (the definition of domestic or internal flight corresponds to the definition defined in RAC-16.001 as the operation of an aircraft from takeoff at an aerodrome of a Costa Rican State or its territories to landing at an aerodrome of the same Costa Rican State or its territories).
The emissions inventory must be based on the form presented in Appendix 7 of this regulation; it must be submitted to the DGAC before June 30 of each year, with information from January 1 to December 31 of the previous year, starting from 2021.
The submission of the greenhouse gas emissions inventory for domestic and international operations of aircraft flights with a maximum takeoff mass of less than 5700 kg is taken as an acceptable method of compliance, all those reports prepared under the methodology of:
(a) the ISO 14064-1:2006 standard - Greenhouse gases - Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
(b) those methodologies established under a carbon program promoted by the various state environmental bodies. As occurs with the methodology established under the INTE B5:2016 standard - Standard to demonstrate Carbon Neutrality.
Requirements of the State of Costa Rica.
ADVISORY CIRCULARS FOR SUBPART H AERODROME OPERATORS IN THE COSTA RICAN STATE CA RAC-16.260 Inventory, reduction and offsetting of emissions at aerodromes in Costa Rica (See RAC-16.260) The OW authorized by the program can be consulted at www.cambioclimatico.go.cr