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IATA To Launch Global Registry for Sustainable Aviation Fuels

  • 07 Jun 2024

Nearly 30 organisations representing national civil aviation authorities, airlines, OEMs and fuel producers have already pledged support

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is set to establish a Registry for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) to authoritatively account for and report emissions reductions from SAF. The Registry is anticipated to launch in the first quarter of 2025. Already, the initiative has garnered support from seventeen airlines, one airline group, six national authorities, three Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and one fuel producer. Among them are the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Singapore Airlines, with OEMs such as Airbus, Boeing, and GE Aerospace also backing the effort.

Through the establishment of the SAF Registry, IATA aims to accelerate the adoption of SAFs, which is expected to contribute up to 65% of the total carbon mitigation required to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in air transportation by 2050. The platform will feature an interoperable accounting and reporting system, aligning with internationally recognized sustainability standards like the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The CAAS, for example, has noted that the Registry will enable accurate accounting for the type and quantity of SAF purchased, the generation of SAF credits, and the allocation of these credits to airlines based on collected levies and to businesses and organizations based on voluntary purchases.   Under the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint launched by CAAS in February 2024, the use of SAF will be required for flights departing Singapore from 2026. The aim is for a 1% SAF uplift target for a start, and a SAF levy will be introduced for the purchase of SAF to achieve the target. Another key initiative under the Blueprint is the centralised procurement of SAF for the Singapore air hub, to aggregate SAF demand from both the SAF target and voluntary demand from businesses and organisations seeking to reduce their air travel emissions.

Key Features of the SAF Registry

  • Wide Geographic Scope: Airlines will be able to purchase SAF regardless of its production location. Each batch’s certified environmental attributes will be tracked and assigned to the purchasing airline, ensuring accurate reporting of emissions reductions in line with international standards.
  • Broad Application and Neutrality: The Registry will be neutral regarding regulations, types of SAF, and jurisdiction-specific requirements, making it adaptable to diverse user needs. IATA is collaborating with certification organisations and fuel producers to standardise data for efficient processing.
  • Regulatory Compliance: The Registry will assist airlines in meeting regulations such as CORSIA and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, ensuring compliance with SAF mandates and providing transparency to authorities regarding emissions reductions.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh highlighted the Registry’s importance: “The SAF Registry will help meet the critical needs of all stakeholders as part of the global effort to ramp up SAF production. Governments need a trusted system to track the quality and quantities of SAF used. SAF producers need to accurately account for what has been delivered and effectively decarbonized. Corporate customers must be able to transparently account for their Scope 3 emissions. And airlines must have certainty that they can claim the environmental benefits of the SAF they purchased. The Registry will meet all these needs. In doing so, the Registry will help create a global SAF market by ensuring that airlines have access to SAF wherever it is produced, and that SAF producers have access to airlines regardless of their location.”

By providing a transparent and standardised system for tracking and accounting for SAF use, the registry may hold the key to addressing a prime barrier to wider adoption: the lack of a robust global market. Its success also hinges on industry-wide participation. While the initial momentum is promising, continued support from airlines, fuel producers, governments, and regulatory bodies will be crucial for the registry to achieve its full potential.

Organisations already on board:

  • Airlines: Air Canada, Air France-KLM, All Nippon Airways (ANA), American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, DHL Group, Emirates, International Airlines Group (IAG), Japan Airlines, Kenya Airways, LATAM, Malaysia Aviation Group, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, United Airlines
  • National Authorities: Brazil (ANAC), Japan (JCAB), Kazakhstan (AAK), Malaysia (CAAM), Singapore (CAAS), Switzerland (FOCA)
  • OEMs: Airbus, Boeing, and GE Aerospace
  • Fuel Producers: World Energy

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