ISCC, OMV, Airbus partner on SAF book-and-claim chain-of-custody models

Photo: ISCC

The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System GmbH announced Feb. 23 that it has partnered with OMV and Airbus to support the further development of the global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) ecosystem. 

Scaling SAF is one of the central challenges facing the aviation sector.

Meeting this challenge requires collaboration across the value chain, supported by credible frameworks that enable new ways of bringing SAF to market.

Against this backdrop, the new collaboration between ISCC, OMV and Airbus is grounded in a shared focus on book-and-claim chain-of-custody models.

Each partner brings a distinct perspective: energy production, aircraft manufacturing and operation, and sustainability certification. 

“Together, we are exploring how book-and-claim approaches can help scale SAF while maintaining credibility, transparency and environmental integrity,” ISCC stated.

Book-and-claim systems allow the sustainability attributes of SAF to be claimed independently of physical fuel delivery.

This can help overcome current infrastructure limitations and enable broader participation in SAF markets.

At the same time, the effectiveness of such models depends on clear rules, robust safeguards and transparent governance to ensure that sustainability claims remain trustworthy and verifiable.

ISCC said it contributes to the collaboration robust certification expertise rooted in traceability, sustainability requirements and greenhouse-gas accounting.

The collaboration focuses on exploring new roles and frameworks within book-and-claim chain-of-custody models in a way that aligns with internationally recognized standards. 

As part of this pilot project, Airbus will take on a new role in the ISCC credit-transfer system as a facilitator. 

This will involve facilitating transactions between supply-chain actors such as airlines and corporate partners. 

“In adding this new role, we aim to support cohesion and trust across global aviation value chains,” ISCC stated.

ISCC added that while similar role functions have previously existed in book-and-claim platforms, its collaboration with OMV as a fuel producer and Airbus as a market aggregator mark a first-of-its-kind partnership to strengthen frameworks and drive well-rounded, credible solutions. 

“Scaling SAF is not only a question of production and demand, but also of trust,” said Norbert Schmitz, the managing director of ISCC. “Fuel producers, aircraft manufacturers and certification systems each play different roles, but credible and scalable solutions can only emerge when such perspectives come together. ISCC’s support ensures that variable chain-of-custody approaches are transparent, comparable and robust as the SAF market evolves.”