The non-profit organisation that brings together stakeholders in transport decarbonisation, says the scheme addresses a critical gap in how SAF sustainability and emissions reductions are verified across the supply chain.
The absence of such a mechanism has limited the ability of airlines to demonstrate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and restricted the ability of fuel suppliers to evidence SAF sustainability credentials to customers.
To fill this gap, Zemo Partnership is expanding its Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme (RFAS), widely used in the road transport sector, to cover the aviation fuels market. It will align with UK ETS sustainability and chain-of-custody requirements.
This expansion delivers a robust, independent mechanism for verifying the traceability of SAF across the UK distribution network, from the point of blending with conventional aviation fuel (eg Jet A-1), to the airport.
Supply chain transparency
Central to this is the introduction of a standardised SAF Declaration, developed by Zemo Partnership, which will enable fuel suppliers to provide verified SAF production pathway, feedstock and lifecycle GHG emissions data, enhancing supply chain transparency and confidence across aviation and the wider fuels distribution network.
Gloria Esposito, Director of Sustainable Business, Zemo Partnership, described the RFAS Aviation extension as “the independent verification needed to give airlines, suppliers and regulators confidence in the traceability and sustainability of SAF” before adding: “Our close collaboration with the Environment Agency has been instrumental in ensuring SAF Declarations align with UK ETS requirements and support credible emission reduction claims.
A UK SAF mandate came into force last year, requiring a proportion of SAF to be included in UK aviation fuel supply. Beginning at 2% the requirement increases linearly to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040. As SAF use scales, supply chain transparency becomes increasingly important. RFAS Aviation provides a critical framework to ensure that sustainability claims are credible, consistent, and independently verified.
Valero Energy Limited has been confirmed by Zemo Partnership to be the first SAF supplier to seek verification through RFAS Aviation signalling early industry engagement with the new scheme.
Crucially, the scheme prevents cross-market attribution to aviation claims by ensuring kerosene supplied for other uses, such as heating, is excluded.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) refers to non-fossil-derived aviation fuels produced from renewable or waste-based feedstocks such as used cooking oil, agricultural residues or synthetic processes using captured carbon. When used in place of conventional jet fuel, SAF can deliver significant lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions, making it a key lever for decarbonising a sector where few alternatives to liquid fuels currently exist.
The UK SAF mandate has been introduced to stimulate demand, unlock investment in production capacity and support aviation’s pathway to net zero. However, the policy is not without its critics. Concerns remain over the availability of sustainable feedstocks, competition with other sectors such as road and heating fuels, and whether supply can scale quickly enough to meet rising targets.
Questions are also being raised around the robustness of sustainability criteria and the risk of demand growth driven by non-essential flying, underlining the importance of credible verification frameworks such as RFAS Aviation as the SAF market develops.
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