The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it will establish the SAF Registry (Registry) to accelerate the uptake of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) by authoritatively accounting and reporting emissions reductions from SAF.

Six national authorities, seventeen airlines, one airline group, three Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and one fuel producer are already supporting the effort to develop the Registry. The Registry is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2025.

SAF is expected to account for up to 65% of the total carbon mitigation needed to achieve net zero carbon emissions in air transportation by 2050.

“SAF is key to aviation’s decarbonization. Airlines want more SAF and stand ready to use every drop of it. 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,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

“This initiative is about leadership and vision on what lies ahead for aviation. It also fits very well within our aim to make of Kazakhstan a regional aviation center. SAF is the most important tool currently available to work towards NetZero 2050 and by joining forces with some of the greatest players and peers worldwide, we are showing our commitment to a cleaner and more sustainable industry. Best of all, it allows us to deepen our partnership with IATA, one of the parties that is leading the way to make aviation emissions-free. Kazakhstan will work side by side with other countries like Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Switzerland to contribute to that objective,” added Catalin Radu, Director General of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan.