How SAF Simplifies Reporting and Reduces Emissions
Oslo
Companies that want to document emission reductions from business travel must follow international standards for measurement and reporting – and understand how different SAF purchasing models work. With SAF from AFSN, you get credible and thoroughly documented reports on reduced emissions.
Offsets vs. Insetting – Why SAF Is Different?
Many corporates today face scrutiny around carbon offsets, with growing media and investor scepticism about their credibility. SAF is different. Rather than compensating emissions elsewhere, SAF is an insetting solution – it directly reduces emissions within the aviation value chain.
SAF certificates (SAF CERs) are:
- Tied to real fuel use – they represent verified reductions achieved when fossil fuel is replaced with SAF.
- Aligned with existing energy markets – built on similar principles as Guarantees of Origin (GOs) in electricity.
- Developed in a highly regulated, risk-averse industry – ensuring integrity, traceability, and recognition by authorities.
Supporting Net-Zero Targets
Public climate commitments mean corporates must demonstrate measurable progress toward net-zero. SAF helps bridge the gap:
- By purchasing SAF, companies can directly reduce their Scope 3.6 emissions from business travel in line with the GHG Protocol.
- These reductions are recognized by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), provided life-cycle data is robust and certificates are properly retired.
GHG Protocol and Scope 3.6
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol divides emissions into three categories; Scope 3.6 covers business travel in vehicles not owned or controlled by the company. The emissions reported here reflect the airline's direct emissions (Scope 1) and energy use (Scope 2). Companies can reduce these emissions by purchasing SAF – but only with robust documentation that specifies the volume purchased and the resulting reduction.
Purchasing Models – Physical SAF and Book & Claim
Physical SAF via mass balance: SAF is blended into the airport fuel system and the purchased volume is attributed to the company through a mass balance system. This provides a direct link between the company's travel and SAF usage. AFSN's model for local delivery allows full traceability from feedstock to aircraft fuel tank, simplifying reporting.
Book & Claim: When physical SAF is not available where travel takes place, companies can purchase SAF certificates. These certificates are third-party verified and recorded in public registries. Once a certificate is "retired," the reduction is locked and cannot be claimed by others.
Book & Claim: When physical SAF is not available where travel takes place, companies can purchase SAF certificates. These certificates are third-party verified and recorded in public registries. Once a certificate is "retired," the reduction is locked and cannot be claimed by others.
Reporting Requirements and Independent Assurance
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), introduced in 2024, is now being phased in across Europe and under development in Norway. Once implemented, it will require large companies to disclose their climate and environmental impact in annual reports. In this context, SAF purchases will need to be carefully documented – including volume, feedstock type, emission reduction, certificate number, and retirement of the certificate.
To further strengthen credibility, companies benefit from an independent assessment of their GHG accounting, ensuring that reductions are calculated in line with accepted standards and withstand external scrutiny.
Through our collaboration with SCB, AFSN offers the SAF Impact Partner label – a mark that confirms your SAF-related climate reductions have been independently verified against international frameworks such as the GHG Protocol and SBTi. For corporates, this provides added assurance to stakeholders, investors, and regulators that your reporting is both robust and trustworthy.
To further strengthen credibility, companies benefit from an independent assessment of their GHG accounting, ensuring that reductions are calculated in line with accepted standards and withstand external scrutiny.
Through our collaboration with SCB, AFSN offers the SAF Impact Partner label – a mark that confirms your SAF-related climate reductions have been independently verified against international frameworks such as the GHG Protocol and SBTi. For corporates, this provides added assurance to stakeholders, investors, and regulators that your reporting is both robust and trustworthy.
Safety and Standardization
SAF must meet strict international fuel quality standards (e.g., ASTM D7566) before blending and delivery. This ensures that the fuel is as safe as conventional Jet-A1 and fully compatible with today's aircraft fleet. Certification systems such as ISCC and RSB confirm that the feedstocks meet sustainability criteria and that the climate effect can be reliably reported.
The Result
When these requirements are met, companies can credibly report lower emissions from business travel, demonstrate to investors and regulators that they follow recognized standards, and at the same time contribute to accelerating a more sustainable aviation sector. With the SAF Impact Partner label, companies can also signal to the market that their climate action is independently verified and aligned with the world's leading frameworks.
