SAF Procurement: Connect the Fuel Offer to the Emissions Evidence

An aviation fuel offer needs a clear evidence trail

A sustainable aviation fuel proposal can involve several teams before a purchase is ready: fuel procurement, operations, sustainability, finance and the people responsible for reporting. Each team needs to understand what is being bought and what evidence will support its intended use.

For Indian aviation businesses and companies evaluating aviation-related climate initiatives, the first useful distinction is between a commercial description and a supported claim. A supplier presentation may describe an attractive opportunity, but the buyer still needs to connect the transaction to the applicable certification and reporting requirements.

The workflow below is ClimateCred's recommended approach to preparing that review. It focuses on questions and responsibilities rather than fuel prices, guaranteed emissions savings or a particular buyer's regulatory obligations.

Define the intended transaction and claim

Start with a short statement of purpose. Is the buyer seeking physical fuel delivery, evaluating a fuel-supply agreement, or considering an environmental-attribute arrangement? Who will receive the product, and who intends to report an emissions benefit?

Record those answers separately. A purchase description should not leave the reporting team to infer what rights accompany the transaction.

ICAO explains that CORSIA eligible fuels can be used by aircraft operators to reduce their CORSIA offsetting requirements. Its framework includes monitoring, reporting and verification of eligible-fuel claims.

That does not establish that every offer labelled SAF will support every buyer's intended claim. If the proposal involves a corporate travel programme or an attribute-only arrangement, request a separate explanation of the applicable accounting framework. Do not assume an aircraft operator's CORSIA treatment transfers automatically to a corporate purchaser.

Identify the producer and certification scope

Ask the supplier to identify the producer and the sustainability certification associated with the proposed supply. Make the relationship between the seller, producer and supporting documents explicit.

ICAO's sustainability certification guidance states that CORSIA eligible fuels must come from producers certified through an ICAO Council-approved Sustainability Certification Scheme. The approval of a scheme and the certification of a particular producer are distinct checks.

For the procurement file, request a current certificate or an appropriate verification reference and identify the entity and activity it covers. Ask who will confirm that the evidence applies to the proposed transaction. A corporate logo or a general statement about participation in a certification programme is not enough to answer that question.

Keep a dated record of the official sources checked. If a proposal changes producer or supply route, repeat the relevant review before treating the earlier assessment as still applicable.

Understand the basis of the emissions figure

A percentage reduction is difficult to assess without the calculation behind it. Request the life-cycle emissions value, its units, the pathway information and the basis used to establish it.

ICAO's SAF life-cycle guidance describes default values linked to factors such as feedstock, conversion process and production region, as well as an actual-value route supported by technical information.

The buyer's practical task is to understand which approach the supplier used and whether the supporting evidence corresponds to the proposed fuel. Ask the reviewer to document unresolved assumptions rather than carrying a headline percentage into a presentation as an established result.

Where offers use different calculation bases, resolve the difference before comparing their emissions claims. Keep the technical review attached to the commercial comparison so later price negotiations do not detach the offer from its evidence.

Agree on document delivery before settlement

Create an evidence schedule alongside the commercial terms. Specify what should be available during evaluation, what becomes available at delivery and what is needed for the intended reporting process.

Review item	Question for the supplier	Buyer responsibility
Product and quantity	What exactly does the quoted quantity represent?	Reconcile it with the purchase specification
Certification	Which producer and activity do the documents cover?	Verify relevance to the proposed supply
Emissions information	Which method and supporting records underpin the value?	Arrange technical review
Transaction evidence	How will documents link to the purchased supply?	Maintain a consistent transaction reference
Reporting rights	What may each party report under the agreed framework?	Obtain appropriate accounting review

This is an editorial preparation checklist, not a replacement for the official requirements. Its purpose is to turn an evidence request into a delivery obligation with a named owner.

Ask the commercial team to address incomplete, delayed or inconsistent documents in the proposed agreement. The appropriate remedy depends on the transaction and should be reviewed with the relevant advisers.

Keep physical delivery and reporting reviews connected

Operations needs to understand delivery arrangements, acceptance responsibilities and technical requirements. Sustainability needs to understand the intended claim and its evidence. Finance needs a clear basis for payment and reconciliation.

Bring those reviews together before commitment. For example, a hypothetical buyer might receive satisfactory logistics information while the emissions evidence remains unresolved. The transaction file should show both results instead of describing the entire proposal as approved.

Use separate review statuses for commercial terms, technical acceptance, certification evidence and reporting treatment. Escalate differences to the decision owner. This makes it easier to identify what is actually holding up a decision and which team can resolve it.

Preserve the review after the purchase

Create one transaction folder with the agreed specification, final contract, relevant certification records, emissions review, delivery evidence and approval history. Keep superseded documents identifiable so a later reviewer can reconstruct changes.

Before publishing a sustainability statement, compare its wording with the evidence and rights documented in that folder. A claim should not become broader simply because it moves from a procurement file into marketing copy.

ClimateCred recommends piloting this process with one offer. Ask procurement, sustainability and finance to review the same file and list the questions they cannot yet answer. Use those questions to improve the next request for proposals.

ClimateCred lists aviation-fuel services among its climate and energy capabilities. To discuss a proposed transaction, request a consultation with the available specification and supporting documents. A clearly defined evidence package gives that discussion a practical starting point.