IATA lays groundwork for SAF Registry

In advance of launching the IATA SAF Registry, the agency has released its instructions for accounting and reporting the emissions reduction associated with the use of sustainable aviation fuel by airlines. IATA and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have said sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the most reliable way to eliminate carbon emissions from aviation in the next twenty-five years. IATA set an aviation industry target of reaching net-zero by 2050. [caption id="attachment_89599" align="aligncenter" width="1204"] (Photo/CanStock)[/caption] The IATA SAF Registry, scheduled to launch in April, aims to help create a global SAF market , according to a release from IATA last week. The methodology supports the registry by ensuring SAF’s contribution to aviation’s decarbonization is accurately, consistently and transparently recorded. The registry will enable airlines to document SAF benefits to show compliance with regulatory and voluntary obligations, according to IATA. “The IATA methodology will provide a consistent approach to accounting for the environmental benefits of SAF purchases, regardless of location,” Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president of sustainability and chief economist, said in a release. “The transparency of a published global standard methodology will give confidence that the registry is robust and fair, with no double-counting.” The methodology was developed in collaboration with more than forty airline experts. Key features are: Purchase-based emissions calculations, irrespective of chain-of-custody used and SAF uplift locations; Optional tank-to-wake or well-to-wake emissions factors; and Guidance for SAF emissions reduction in per-shipment and per-passenger calculations. Carbon offsetting credits Consistent and accurate emission reductions accounting will support the fair and global purchasing of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) eligible emissions units (EEU). Under CORSIA, airlines are obliged to purchase and cancel EEUs to offset the increase in carbon emissions covered by the scheme. The EEUs must meet eligibility criteria defined by ICAO. One EEU equates to one tonne of carbon emissions reduction. CORSIA is being implemented in three phases. A pilot phase ran from 2021-2023. Phase 1 is a voluntary period from 2021-2026, followed by the mandatory Phase 2 starting in 2027 for most countries. CORSIA requires airlines to monitor, report and verify their carbon emissions. IATA estimates that CORSIA will cut between 1.2 billion and 2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions between now and 2035, when it is scheduled to end, IATA told Cargo Facts . Procurement events IATA held its first CORSIA EEU procurement event last year from Oct. 28 to Nov. 29 in collaboration with the government of Guyana, energy company Mercuria and energy exchange platform Xpansiv. Xpansiv and IATA operate the Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE), which facilitated the sale. Thirty-two airlines participated in the event and eleven airlines purchased CORSIA Phase 1 EEUs from the government of Guyana. The CORSIA EEUs purchased were jurisdictional Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) credits, which remain the only CORSIA EEUs available. They sold for $21.70 per tonne as part of the fixed-price auction. Airlines can use these credits to fulfill their CORSIA Phase 1 offsetting obligations covering traffic for 2024-2026. The EEUs must be canceled by Jan. 31, 2028. IATA, via ACE, intends to hold quarterly CORSIA EEU procurement events for airlines in 2025, according to IATA. Money from the EEU sales goes to develop projects that generate EEUs, IATA said. “The major challenge is availability of credits to meet demand,” Owens Thomsen said in another release. “The solution rests on the CORSIA agreement, which obligates countries to make credits available. Other governments should follow Guyana’s strong lead.” Register now for Cargo Facts' essential regional events for industry stakeholders: Cargo Facts LATAM 2025 on Feb. 10-11 at the Pullman Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport in Brazil; Cargo Facts Asia 2025 on March 24-26 at the W Shanghai in China; and Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

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