European aerospace giant Airbus has joined US rival Boeing and international airlines in supporting a UN-backed carbon offset scheme for the global aviation industry.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation last week agreed to phase in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from the start of the next decade.

The world’s first global industry pollution agreement will start as a voluntary scheme from 2021 to 2026 but will then become mandatory across the industry. Some 65 countires have already signalled they will take part in the voluntary phase.

Airlines will have to buy carbon credits to offset growth in emissions, a move that is expected to account for less than 2 per cent of revenues but has raised concerns in some states about costs.

The scheme will include provisions to deal with special circumstances such as those of fast-growing airlines and those which have made significant investments to improve environmental performance already.

Airbus said the scheme represented a key pillar in the aviation industry's climate action plan —alongside technology improvements (including sustainable fuels), efficient operations and improved infrastructure — in a crucial year for the global aviation community.

 “Following the successful agreement of a CO2 certification standard for aircraft in February this year, the international carbon offset plan is another key milestone in supporting the aviation industry's commitment in reducing CO2 emissions", said Airbus chief executive Fabrice Brégier.

"Airbus is fully committed to all pillars of the industry's climate action plan through delivering the world’s most fuel efficient aircraft, supporting air traffic management and airport operations improvements around the world and facilitating the wider adoption of sustainable alternative fuels.’’

Airbus is due to deliver its 10,000th aircraft later this week, a fuel-efficient Airbus A350 XWB heading to Singapore Airlines. September figures put the firm order backlog for the A350 at 769 as airlines move to boost the efficiency of their fleets.

In addition to the introduction of the widebody A350, The European manufacturer is also producing more efficient versions of its A320 family and A330 aircraft.