# SAF Registry Global Interoperability: Framework & Principles

**Publisher:** IATA  
**Published:** n/a  
**Category:** Global institutions & policy  
**Type:** Report  
**Access:** Free PDF  
**Official source:** https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/reports/saf-registry-global-interoperability  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/iata-saf-registry-global-interoperability

## At a glance
- SAF expected to account for up to 65% of aviation emissions reductions by 2050, but supply remains limited and geographically constrained.
- Book-and-claim approach separates physical SAF delivery from environmental attributes, enabling broader stakeholder use across markets.
- Multiple SAF registries operating in parallel create critical risk of double issuance, double counting, and double claiming of environmental attributes.
- Decentralized, consortium-based interoperability model adopted by CADO, Assure, and 123Carbon registries as most cost-effective and practical solution.
- Framework establishes API-based data exchange, duplicate-identification procedures, and governance rules to maintain integrity of self-liquidating claim markets.

## What the report covers
IATA, in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Decarbonization Organization (CADO), 4AIR, and 123Carbon, presents a Global Interoperability Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) registries. The framework addresses the growing risk of double issuance of SAF environmental attributes across multiple parallel registries worldwide. It defines operational mechanisms, governance structures, and core collaboration principles to ensure book-and-claim integrity as SAF markets expand globally.

## Key findings
SAF is positioned as a key lever for aviation decarbonisation, expected to account for up to 65% of emissions reductions in 2050, according to IATA's Net Zero Roadmaps. However, supply remains limited and geographically constrained, creating a structural market challenge that the book-and-claim approach seeks to address.

The book-and-claim model separates physical delivery of SAF from its environmental attributes, enabling broader use by stakeholders across geographies. However, as multiple SAF registries operate in parallel, the report identifies a critical risk: potential double issuance, double counting, and double claiming of environmental attributes across systems.

The Framework proposes a decentralized, consortium-based interoperability model tested and selected as the most cost-effective, practical, and easy-to-implement solution. It enables fast, consensus-based participation by registry providers while preserving autonomy and existing operations of individual registries.

Operationally, the Framework defines data processing, exchange, and validation through secure, API-based integrations. It specifies procedures for identifying and flagging potential duplicates, resolving cases through agreed workflows, and monitoring interoperability performance via shared KPIs.

The governance structure establishes clear rules for decision-making, onboarding new member registries, dispute resolution, and enforcement. Core collaboration principles—data integrity, transparency, compatibility, scalability, and mutual accountability—underpin the model and support trusted cooperation among participating registries.

## Key numbers
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Expected contribution of SAF to aviation emissions reductions by 2050 | up to 65% | Forecast from IATA Net Zero Roadmaps; based on assumption that book-and-claim integrity is maintained |
| Number of registry organizations that co-authored and implemented the Framework | 3 (CADO SAF Registry, Assure SAF Registry, 123Carbon) | Observed; framework is designed to be open and inclusive for additional registries to join |

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — SAF registries underpin corporate sustainability claims increasingly demanded by travellers and regulators. A credible interoperability framework protects destination reputations by preventing false environmental claims, safeguarding the integrity of aviation's decarbonisation narrative—critical for destinations marketing climate credentials to conscious travellers.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Hotels purchasing SAF-blended fuel through carbon offset or sustainability programmes depend on verified environmental attributes. The Framework's prevention of double-counting ensures corporate sustainability reporting remains authentic, protecting brand reputation and regulatory compliance as environmental disclosure standards tighten globally.

**Travel tech & distribution** — Distribution platforms increasingly offer carbon-neutral flight options to consumers. Registry interoperability ensures environmental claims displayed to travellers are accurate and verified, building trust in digital sustainability features and reducing litigation risk from false green marketing claims.

## Methodology and limits
The Framework was developed collaboratively by IATA, CADO, 4AIR, and 123Carbon through expert working groups and tested by three operational registries. The document presents a framework and set of principles rather than empirical research. It draws on existing SAF accounting policy papers and best practices in blockchain-based registry interoperability. The source provided is the publicly available executive summary; the full technical report is available as a PDF download.

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© IATA for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/reports/saf-registry-global-interoperability