A Step Towards Transparent SAF Accounting
The aviation industry’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions took a significant leap as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and 123Carbon announced a strategic collaboration. Their focus is on enhancing interoperability between their Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) registries. This move promises greater transparency, reduced risk of double issuance, and seamless certificate management across SAF transactions.
This collaboration aims to build trust among stakeholders by aligning data points, establishing a standardized exchange process, and introducing a dispute resolution mechanism. As the aviation sector navigates complex sustainability regulations like CORSIA and EU ETS, ensuring accuracy in SAF certificate tracking becomes critical.
Strengthening Trust in Environmental Attribute Certificates
123Carbon has positioned itself as a pioneer in carbon insetting across multiple transport modes, from aviation to maritime, road, and rail. The partnership with IATA reflects a shared commitment to integrity in the management of Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs). Airlines, fuel providers, freight forwarders, and corporate buyers can now engage with SAF certificates on a more reliable and digitalized platform, mitigating risks associated with double counting.
For aviation, the significance of this collaboration extends beyond compliance. With SAF playing a crucial role in decarbonization, ensuring credible tracking of emissions reductions is vital for airlines aiming to meet their net-zero targets. The integration of registry systems strengthens the credibility of book-and-claim mechanisms, a model increasingly recognized as an enabler of sustainable fuel adoption.
The IATA SAF Registry: A Standardized Market Approach
Scheduled for launch in April 2025, the IATA SAF Registry is designed to support the broad adoption of SAF by standardizing the issuance of certificates. By ensuring each batch of SAF is registered with clear product and environmental attribute information, the registry will serve as a foundation for credible emissions accounting.
With over 50 organizations—including airlines, fuel producers, and regulatory bodies—supporting its development, the IATA SAF Registry is set to become a cornerstone of SAF adoption. IATA’s recent release of the SAF Accounting and Reporting Methodology further underlines the association’s commitment to a harmonized approach in emissions reporting.
Expanding the Scope of SAF Stakeholders
The collaboration between IATA and 123Carbon is an open invitation for other SAF stakeholders to join the initiative. By fostering industry-wide interoperability, the goal is to create a unified system where all SAF transactions are recorded with accuracy and transparency. This initiative will be particularly relevant for companies managing sustainability strategies across multiple transport modes, as a common framework ensures coherence in emissions reduction claims.
Conclusion
As the aviation industry accelerates its transition toward SAF, the need for robust, transparent, and interoperable registries has never been greater. The IATA-123Carbon collaboration represents a crucial step in aligning sustainability frameworks, ensuring that airlines and fuel providers can operate with confidence in their emissions reduction claims.
VURDHAAN remains engaged in the aviation sustainability space, supporting airlines and stakeholders in navigating regulatory requirements and implementing effective emissions reduction strategies. The evolution of SAF registries underscores the importance of reliable emissions accounting, a challenge that VURDHAAN continues to address through its expertise in compliance and sustainability planning.