Sustainable Aviation Fuel is projected to contribute up to 65% of the carbon mitigation required for the aviation sector to achieve its net-zero target. Despite this potential, SAF currently accounts for only about 0.3% of global aviation fuel consumption. The SAF Registry is designed to address this disparity by ensuring that the environmental benefits of SAF are accurately recorded and attributed, promoting increased production and adoption.
Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General, emphasized the registry's role in fostering a transparent and efficient SAF market. He stated that the registry will connect airlines with SAF producers worldwide, ensuring that carriers can access SAF regardless of their location, and producers can reach a broader market. This global approach is expected to stimulate both supply and demand, addressing one of the critical challenges in SAF adoption.
The establishment of CADO to manage the SAF Registry underscores the industry's commitment to decarbonization. CADO, incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in Canada and headquartered in Montreal, aims to provide robust governance for the registry. Membership is open to entities involved in the SAF value chain, including airlines, fuel producers, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders. This inclusive approach is intended to foster collaboration across the sector, ensuring that all parties contribute to and benefit from the registry's operations.
The SAF Registry offers several key capabilities. It provides a wide geographic scope, allowing airlines to purchase SAF from producers worldwide, with each batch's environmental attributes meticulously tracked and assigned to the purchasing airline. This system ensures accurate reporting of emissions reductions, aligning with international standards and regulatory requirements. Additionally, the registry is designed to be neutral concerning regulations and SAF types, facilitating broad application and compliance with schemes such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
The launch of the SAF Registry comes at a time when the aviation industry faces significant challenges in meeting its sustainability targets. Willie Walsh has previously expressed concerns about the industry's progress toward net-zero emissions, highlighting that efforts are falling behind schedule. He has pointed out that while airlines have committed to these goals, other stakeholders, including fuel suppliers and regulatory bodies, need to play a more active role. Walsh has criticized fuel companies for not fulfilling their SAF supply commitments, noting that airlines are bearing increasing costs as a result.
The SAF Registry is expected to address some of these challenges by providing a transparent and standardized system for tracking SAF transactions. By ensuring that the environmental benefits of SAF are properly recorded and transferred between parties, the registry aims to build confidence among stakeholders and encourage greater investment in SAF production. This, in turn, could help alleviate supply constraints and reduce costs associated with SAF adoption.
In preparation for the registry's launch, IATA released the SAF Accounting and Reporting Methodology, developed in collaboration with over 40 airline experts worldwide. This methodology provides a consistent approach to accounting for the environmental benefits of SAF purchases, ensuring transparency and preventing double-counting. It aligns with international protocols and industry best practices, offering guidance for emissions calculations and reporting.
The development of the SAF Registry has garnered support from a broad range of stakeholders. Seventeen airlines, one airline group, six national authorities, three original equipment manufacturers , and one fuel producer have been involved in the registry's development. Notable participants include Singapore Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore , reflecting the global nature of the initiative.
The aviation industry has been advocating for policies to support SAF production and adoption. IATA has called for measures such as diversifying feedstocks, facilitating co-processing at crude oil facilities, and providing incentives to renewable fuel facilities to encourage them to transition to SAF production. These policies are seen as essential to scaling up SAF production and making it a viable alternative to conventional jet fuel.
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