SAFc Registry hits milestone with 500,000 tonnes of carbon abatement as digital infrastructure scales

The SAFc Registry, an independent not‑for‑profit platform set up to improve transparency in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market, has recorded the abatement of 500,000 metric tons of carbon‑dioxide equivalent (CO2e) through certificates issued on its ledger, the registry’s organisers announced on 19 February 2026. The milestone reflects verified displacements of conventional jet fuel and comes as corporate buyers, airlines and freight customers increasingly use SAF certificates to make traceable emissions claims.

The registry, launched in 2023 by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) with technical collaboration from Energy Web and demand coordination from the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), has issued SAF certificates that represent more than 164,000 metric tons of neat SAF , equivalent to roughly 54 million gallons of fuel , as of February 2026. Organisers say those volumes have translated into the half‑million tonnes of CO2e abated recorded on the public, auditable platform.

“The SAFc Registry has reached a major growth milestone, underscoring its role in translating early market demand into momentum for sustainable aviation fuel,” said Bryan Fisher, the managing director at RMI. “The registry was designed to deliver the transparency and credibility buyers need to meet climate targets, and this level of uptake demonstrates how verifiable emissions claims through a trusted system can help support the scale‑up of low‑carbon fuels.”

RMI and EDF launched the registry at COP28 to furnish an enterprise‑grade digital tool that links corporate purchasers, airlines, freight companies and fuel producers, offering a standardised way to record origin, chain of custody and retirement of SAF certificates. According to RMI, the platform is governed by a multistakeholder board and is intended to work alongside evolving standards, accounting guidance and procurement mechanisms to reduce ambiguity around SAF use and claims.

Industry participants on the registry now include 17 fuel suppliers and 21 production facilities across five countries, and the certificates issued to date have been used by 62 aviation customers, 13 air‑transport providers and three logistics service providers. Registry operators say transactions are validated, sensitive information is redacted for confidentiality, and each retirement is digitally recorded to enable continuous third‑party oversight.

“Surpassing this milestone makes clear that companies aren’t waiting on the sidelines, they are demanding high‑integrity sustainable aviation fuels,” said EDF Vice President Elizabeth Sturcken. “The SAFc Registry is helping turn that demand into credible climate action by ensuring every emissions claim is traceable, verifiable and grounded in strong environmental integrity. That kind of trust and transparency is exactly what’s needed to accelerate investment and scale the clean‑fuels aviation needs to achieve net zero.”

SABA, co‑founded by RMI and EDF to aggregate corporate SAF demand and run joint procurement, has channelled buyer interest into the registry as a routing mechanism for verified credits. “Corporate SAF buyers need the right tools to ensure they are getting what they pay for, real carbon reductions from high‑integrity fuel, with no questions or confusion about its chain of custody,” said Kim Carnahan, CEO of the Center for Green Market Activation and head of SABA’s secretariat. “The SAFc Registry meets this critical need. We’re thrilled by this early milestone and look forward to even more growth as we continue to channel SABA member demand to this best‑in‑class piece of market infrastructure.”

Technological design and interoperability have been emphasised as crucial to the registry’s adoption. Energy Web developed the decentralised software foundation that operators say provides machine‑readable, continuous data flows and a user experience intended for enterprise buyers. “Half‑a‑million tons of CO2 abated proves the SAFc market has traction,” said Ewald Hesse, CEO of Energy Web. “Now the priority is liquidity and scale. Markets move in real time and environmental claims must follow. Continuous, machine‑verifiable data replaces static documents and periodic audits, unlocking faster transactions, lower compliance friction and stronger capital flows.”

Integrations with third‑party platforms are already under way to streamline transactions and broaden access. RMI notes an early partnership with environmental‑attribute manager Chooose, used by airlines such as Alaska Airlines, to automate transfers and enable customers to track the impact of their purchases end‑to‑end.

Feedstock diversity is reflected in the certificates issued to date, with SAF traced to inputs including tallow, other animal fats and used cooking oil that meet stated quality and sustainability criteria. Registry organisers stress that their public ledger and validation processes are designed to protect sensitive commercial information while enabling auditors, buyers and the public to verify claims.

For corporates and logistics operators seeking to address scope‑3 aviation emissions, the registry provides a standardised channel to procure and retire SAF certificates with documented climate outcomes. Industry sources say the combination of buyer demand aggregation, interoperable digital infrastructure and independent governance is intended to reduce transaction friction and mobilise capital toward larger, lower‑carbon fuel production capacity.

While organisers present the half‑million‑tonne figure as evidence of early market traction, they also highlight the need for deeper liquidity and faster scaling of SAF production to meet long‑term aviation decarbonisation goals. According to RMI and partners, sustaining momentum will require continued alignment between standards bodies, fuel producers, corporate offtakers and digital market infrastructure to ensure high integrity claims translate into tangible fuels deployment.