Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a low carbon alternative to conventional jet fuel. It is made from renewable or waste-derived feedstocks like used cooking oil, municipal waste, or even captured CO2. SAF can reach significant emissions reductions, in some cases around an 80% reduction in CO2 compared to fossil jet fuel. SAF is the best near-term option to decarbonize aviation since it is a drop-in fuel, meaning it is compatible with existing aircraft and fueling infrastructure.

Book and claim is a chain of custody model that separates the physical fuel from its environmental attributes. It allows buyers to support SAF production even if they can’t access the fuel directly on the planes they fly on. A SAF certificate (SAFc) is created when a SAF producer generates fuel and “books” its environmental benefits into a registry. A buyer then “claims” those benefits by purchasing a SAFc. The registry ensures traceability, transparency, and prevents double counting.

Business travelers can purchase SAFc for a variety of reasons. Purchasing SAFc supports SAF market growth by funding a sustainable and readily available decarbonization solution. Many organizations purchase SAFc to make a greenhouse gas reduction claim towards their climate targets, and/or to advance their broader sustainability goals. SAFc is an example of how book and claim can be used to support companies’ decarbonization targets.

SAFc purchasers can account for their COP30 travel emissions using SAFc through the following process:

For more information on accounting, visit SABA’s SAFc Accounting and Reporting Briefer. 

Yes – companies and individuals who fly on private jets can use SAF certificates to address their Scope 1 – or direct – emissions from air travel. Most private jet travelers don’t have direct control over what fuel goes into the plane. SAF certificates allow these travelers to claim the environmental benefits of the SAF, even if their flight is flying on conventional jet fuel. Through SABA’s step-by-step process, attendees are prompted to calculate their private flight emissions, leading to a quantity of SAF certificates to address emissions from their specific flight.

The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) is a joint nonprofit initiative formed by the environmental NGOs Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and RMI, with expert support from the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA), which serve as the SABA secretariat. With over 35 members, including corporations and airlines, SABA is committed to accelerating the path to net zero air transport by driving investment in high quality SAF, catalyzing new SAF production and technological innovation, and supporting member engagement in SAF policymaking. SABA helps bridge the gap between SAF producers and buyers, making it easier for companies to invest in aviation decarbonization solutions. For more information, check out the SABA website.

To instill confidence that high-integrity SAFc can be procured in a credible manner, all SAF purchased through this platform meets SABA’s world leading SAF Sustainability Framework with certificates transferred through the best-in-class SAFc Registry.

SABA’s Sustainability Framework specifies all fuel and certification criteria SAFc needs to meet to high integrity procurement standards. This includes feedstock specifications, carbon intensity verification by an independent third party, certification and LCA methodology requirements, prevention of double counting, and ensuring that emissions reductions from SAF being claimed for use toward voluntary climate targets generate emissions reductions beyond those already incentivized by compliance obligations. SABA requires key documentation to validate these claims, such as Proof of Sustainability (POS) from a CORSIA approved sustainability certification scheme (SCS) and proof of registry account.

Certificates are issued, transferred and retired through the SAFc Registry, which provides a transparent accounting ledger, minimizing the risk of double counting. All documentation that proves the SAF is meeting SABA’s sustainability criteria is housed or otherwise verified through the registry.