Turn Air Freight into a Strategic Carbon-Reduction Lever

Air freight emissions are rising by 3% annually, putting pressure on corporate climate targets and customer expectations. Book-and-claim for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) lets you fund real emissions cuts today—without waiting for SAF infrastructure at every airport—so you can hit Scope 3 goals, enhance your ESG profile, and win new business.

Business Benefits at a Glance

  • Immediate Impact: Claim up to 2.5 tons of CO₂ avoided per ton of SAF certificate purchased—no local fuel delivery required.
  • Risk Reduction: Use standardized registries (Shell’s Avelia Registry, the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification, RSB) and GHG Protocol–aligned accounting to ensure audit-ready ESG reporting.
  • Commercial Advantage: Launch SAF-backed freight offerings with a 15–30% price premium, differentiate in sustainability-led tenders, and secure long-term supplier commitments.

How Book-and-Claim Works: A 3-Step Model

  1. Issuance: A producer blends SAF and registers environmental attributes in a digital platform (e.g., Shell Avelia Registry). Each certificate equals one ton of SAF and up to 2.5 tCO₂e lifecycle reduction.
  2. Transfer: Buyers purchase certificates via the registry. Ownership and transfer are recorded on-chain or in a cloud-based ledger to prevent double counting.
  3. Retirement/Claim: Certificates are retired in the registry when you report emissions. This “retirement” enables a legally defensible claim under both the GHG Protocol Scope 3 (category 4 – upstream transportation) and Smart Freight Centre methodologies.

Sample Metrics and Market Ranges

  • Emissions avoided: 2.0–2.8 tCO₂e per ton of SAF certificate, depending on feedstock type.
  • Price premium: $0.40–$1.00 per liter equivalent (15–30% over conventional jet fuel).
  • Pilot KPIs: volume of certificates (e.g., 1,000 metric tons), quarterly emissions claims, procurement cycle time, and stakeholder engagement scores.

Mini Case Study: 12-Month Pilot Program

Company: Global Express Logistics Co.

Objective: Validate book-and-claim for 2 major lanes (Shanghai–Singapore; Frankfurt–Chicago).

Volume: 1,000 tons of SAF certificates over 12 months.

Expected Impact: Avoid ~2,500 tCO₂e; support a 5% reduction in annual air-freight scope 3.

Timeline & Activities:

  • Q1: Procurement & contracting with Avelia; align legal and ESG on Environmental Attributes vs. Información.
  • Q2–Q3: Certificate purchases; integrate registry API into TMS; monthly emissions verification.
  • Q4: Retire certificates; third-party assurance audit; stakeholder debrief and RFP integration.

Stakeholder Map:

  • Procurement: Manages certificate sourcing and supplier contracts.
  • Legal/ESG: Defines claims policy; ensures alignment with GHG Protocol and regional regulations.
  • Transportation Management System (TMS): Automates certificate tracking and retirement.
  • Finance: Budgets for price premiums; monitors ROI based on emissions reductions.

Expert Insight

“Standardized digital registries are critical,” said Christoph Wolff of Smart Freight Centre. “They ensure claims withstand audit and deliver real progress.” Bettina Paschke of DHL Express added, “On our pilot lanes we saw a 20% reduction in reported Scope 3 emissions within six months.”

Jurisdictional Accounting Guidance

Depending on local regulations, some jurisdictions allow direct offset claims for Environmental Attribute certificates, while others restrict claims to funding SAF production (Environmental Attribute Information). Align with:

  • GHG Protocol Scope 3 Guidance (Category 4: Upstream Transport)
  • Smart Freight Centre Clean Cargo Methodology
  • Third-party assurance standards (ISO 14064-3)

Next Steps for Business Leaders

  • Approve a 12-month book-and-claim pilot with clear emissions and cost KPIs.
  • Set a claims policy: determine when to use Environmental Attributes vs. Environmental Attribute Information.
  • Integrate registry data into your TMS and ESG reporting tools for real-time transparency.
  • Communicate results conservatively in RFPs and sustainability reports; emphasize funded reductions vs. owned fuel.
  • Secure multi-year commitments (2–3 years) with quality criteria: feedstock, lifecycle methodology, registry integrity, additionality.

Ready to lead your industry in air-freight decarbonization? Contact Codolie for a tailored book-and-claim implementation roadmap and secure your competitive advantage today.