Navigating Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificates (SAFc) with Confidence

Companies are increasingly looking for solutions to directly address their Scope 3 emissions and Sustainable Aviation Fuel certificates (SAFc) are an effective tool for air travel and freight emissions.

SAFc is a market-based mechanism decoupling the environmental attribute of SAF from the physical product through book and claim. This approach enables companies to take climate action in value chain segments where they have limited ability to directly reduce emissions, such as business travel and air freight, thereby supporting credible progress toward Scope 3 emissions targets.

In its draft Net-Zero guidance, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) acknowledges that companies may rely on mechanisms like SAFc and recognizes its potential role in meeting SBTi commitments.

With multiple standards, production pathways and suppliers, identifying high quality SAFc can be daunting. The market lacks standardized quality guidelines and pricing transparency, leaving buyers vulnerable to a complex market while suppliers struggle to sign offtake agreements necessary to scale production. At STX Group, we play an active role in helping corporate clients find high quality SAFc to meet their environmental targets while accelerating aviation decarbonization.

Drawing on over 20 years of expertise in trading environmental commodities gives us the experience to efficiently bridge the gap between SAFc suppliers and corporate buyers. Our unique approach to demand aggregation provides airlines with the liquidity needed to sign more SAF offtakes while providing access to SAFc for corporations of all sizes. We have developed a streamlined process which removes barriers for buyers, providing:

• Flexible terms: We do not require large minimum volume purchases, whether it is a first-time pilot or full decarbonization, corporate buyers can participate in this market through us.
• Cost effective supply: We leverage our global footprint to find the best priced SAFc that meets high quality criteria and aggregate buyers to provide competitive pricing otherwise unattainable for most buyers.
• End-to-end support: We understand buyers context and support throughout the process, from building an internal business case for SAFc to navigating the complexity for reporting and accounting.

Furthermore, to simplify buying for corporates, we pre-vet supply and ensure that every SAFc in our portfolio meets three non-negotiable quality criteria. This gives buyers confidence that their sustainability claims can be verified and are credible.

• Always on registry: All SAFc are provided and validated on third-party registries that provide batch-level sustainability data of the SAFc. This approach ensures the claims are auditable and supports traceability, transparency and trust.
• Fully third party certified: We source exclusively from ISCC or RSB certified producers, guaranteeing independent verification of the environmental attributes and traceability from feedstock to fuel blending.
• High environmental integrity: Our SAFc aligns with SABA’s Sustainability Framework – the industry’s gold standard for environmental integrity. This means the physical SAF is made from waste-based feedstocks that do not compete with food systems and that SAFc purchases do not fund production being used to meet regulatory blend mandates that would have been consumed regardless of the purchase.

The SAFc market is maturing rapidly, with evolving standards and guidelines. Whether exploring SAFc for the first time or refining an existing strategy, STRIVE by STX is the right partner to build confidence in the quality, transparency and integrity of environmental commodities.

Curious about how SAFc fits into your sustainability strategy? Connect with our team.

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