Aviation emissions can be one of the hardest Scope 3 sources for companies to address. Business travel, freight and logistics can all contribute, but companies have limited control over the fuel used for the flights they rely on.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) certificates are emerging as one way to address this challenge. With guidance on market-based instruments under the updated SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificates are gaining attention as a potential tool for companies looking to tackle aviation-related Scope 3 emissions. This article explains how SAF certificates work, what to consider when assessing their quality and credibility, and how they can fit into a corporate decarbonisation strategy.
The Challenge of Aviation-Related Scope 3 Emissions
For many companies, aviation-related activities, including business travel, freight and logistics, represent a significant source of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although these emissions fall under established Scope 3 categories, reducing them can be challenging because companies generally do not control the aircraft or its fuel use. The use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) certificates to address these emissions has also remained a grey area. Transparency and clarity remain limited on how these can be applied to demonstrate carbon reduction in line with leading international frameworks.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) recently published Version 2.0 of its Corporate Net-Zero Standard, taking effect from 1 February 2027, which provides greater clarity on the use of market instruments, including those based on a book-and-claim model. This allows companies to consider high-quality SAF certificates as part of their approach to addressing aviation-related Scope 3 emissions. For sustainability and procurement teams within companies committed to decarbonisation, SAF certificates may offer another option for tackling emissions from business travel and logistics while supporting growth in the SAF market.
What are SAF Certificates?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an alternative to conventional jet fuel, produced from non-petroleum sources such as agricultural residues, municipal waste, used cooking oil, and other waste materials. SAF can produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional jet fuel and is therefore an attractive solution for decarbonising air travel-related emissions.
SAF certificates use a book-and-claim model that separates the physical delivery of SAF from its environmental attributes. Under the SAF book-and-claim model, SAF is produced and used within the aviation network, while a company elsewhere can purchase and claim the associated emissions reductions. This allows companies to support SAF use even when the physical fuel is not available for direct use by the reporting company.
The SAF book-and-claim model existed before the SBTi update; however, the treatment of SAF certificates across corporate emissions reporting was not always consistent. Differences in certification, traceability, and registry controls have previously raised concerns about double-counting carbon-reduction claims and the credibility of environmental claims. The updated SBTi standard provides clearer transparency and accountability criteria for using these types of market instruments as part of corporate decarbonisation strategies.
SAF Market and Availability
The SAF market is expanding as airlines and corporations seek practical ways to reduce aviation- related emissions. Production is increasing in response to growing voluntary demand and regulatory requirements. However, SAF remains scarce compared with conventional jet fuel. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that SAF will account for only approximately 0.8% of total global jet fuel consumption in 2026.
Limited supply, higher production costs, and increasing demand have created significant price premiums for SAF. Physical availability is also concentrated at certain production facilities and airports, meaning companies may not be able to procure SAF directly for the flights associated with business activities. Book-and-claim certificates can help address this limitation by allowing companies to support SAF use elsewhere in the aviation network and claim the associated environmental attributes.
SAF Certificate Quality and Implementation Criteria
For SAF certificates to credibly support climate targets, both the underlying fuel and the certificate must meet strong quality and integrity standards. Companies should consider the following:
- Technical Fuel Standards: The underlying SAF must comply with applicable aviation fuel specifications, such as ASTM D7566, to ensure it meets the technical and safety requirements for use in existing aircraft and fueling infrastructure.
- Sustainability Certification: The underlying SAF should be certified under a recognised sustainability framework, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) or an ICAO-recognised CORSIA certification scheme.
- Lifecycle Emissions Reduction: The emissions benefit should be calculated across the fuel’s full life cycle and compared with an established conventional jet fuel baseline. The calculation should account for factors such as the feedstock, production process and transportation of the fuel.
- Activity and Volume Matching: The certificates must relate to the same type of activity being addressed, which in this case is aviation. The volume and emissions reductions claimed should also correspond with the company’s reported business travel or logistics activity.
- Temporal Alignment: The certificates should generally correspond with aviation activity occurring within the same reporting period. Under the SBTi criteria, qualifying actions should take place within 12 months of the underlying activity unless a longer period can be justified.
- Registry Tracking and Retirement: Certificates should be uniquely recorded and retired through a credible registry. This provides evidence of ownership and helps prevent the same environmental attributes from being sold or claimed more than once.
- Verification and Documentation: Companies should maintain clear and auditable documentation covering the underlying SAF, emissions calculations, certificate ownership and retirement. This information should be sufficient to support independent verification where required.
Supporting Scope 3 Decarbonisation
For companies with significant Scope 3 emissions from corporate travel, SAF book-and-claim certificates can provide another way to address a portion of aviation-related emissions that cannot currently be reduced directly. The first step is to calculate those emissions and implement practical carbon reduction measures, which may include avoiding unnecessary flights, choosing more sustainable travel options or routes, and working with airlines or logistics providers that have credible decarbonisation strategies.
Then, SAF certificates can help address a portion of the remaining emissions that cannot currently be reduced directly. By purchasing and retiring these certificates, companies support the physical use of SAF elsewhere in the aviation network and receive the associated environmental benefits. If the certificates meet the applicable quality and SBTi criteria, they can support progress toward the company’s Scope 3 targets, even when SAF is not physically available for its specific flights.
However, purchasing SAF certificates does not automatically erase emissions from a company’s GHG inventory. If the reductions are not reflected in the physical inventory, companies must account for them and report them separately. SAF certificates should therefore support direct emissions-reduction efforts, not replace them.
Looking ahead, the SAF certificate market is likely to attract increasing interest as companies continue seeking credible ways to address aviation-related Scope 3 emissions. The greater clarity and accountability introduced by the updated SBTi standard may build market confidence and support further demand.
How NUS Can help
NUS Consulting Group’s Sustainability team works with global industrial and commercial organisations to support decarbonisation action plans. To learn more about how SAF certificates can support your company’s Scope 3 decarbonisation targets, alongside how to procure these in a compliant and cost-effective way, get in touch today.