San Francisco, CA & London – The burgeoning market for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) received a significant boost as Watershed, an enterprise sustainability platform, facilitated a landmark purchase of SAF certificates (SAFc) by corporate leaders BlackRock, Ripple, Samsara, and Block. Coordinated with the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), these purchases will add high-integrity SAF directly to Alaska Airlines passenger flights, reducing emissions from business travel by up to 80% relative to conventional jet fuel.
This collaboration is part of SABA’s largest-ever collection of SAF deals, which aims to drive $200 million in investments for 50 million gallons of SAF over five years. By pooling corporate demand, Watershed and SABA are accelerating SAF market growth while providing robust tracking and reporting mechanisms to ensure transparency and credibility.
“By participating in this historic investment, Watershed customers are providing a powerful demand signal for SAF.” – Kim Carnahan, SABA
Corporate Leadership in Sustainability
BlackRock, Ripple, and other corporate participants are championing SAF as a scalable solution for aviation decarbonization. Ken Weber, Ripple’s VP of Social Impact, emphasized, “SAF is a key pathway toward decarbonizing air travel, a vital global industry.”
Through the “book and claim” model, SAF certificates purchased by these companies will allow their business travel emissions to be offset even if the SAF is not physically used on their specific flights. This flexibility enables broader market adoption while maintaining rigorous sustainability standards.
Infrastructure for Market Growth
Claire Kiely, Watershed’s Head of Marketplace Carbon Supply, highlighted the critical role of aggregators: “By consolidating demand, Watershed sends a larger demand signal to the SAF market.” This approach not only strengthens SAF production but also ensures companies meet their emissions reduction goals with high-impact solutions.
SABA’s efforts include implementing tracking, registry, and reporting mechanisms that validate SAF as a carbon reduction commodity. These frameworks are essential for establishing long-term market infrastructure and credibility.
Challenges and Opportunities
While SAF offers significant carbon reductions, it remains expensive and accounts for less than 0.5% of global jet fuel supply. However, initiatives like this one are addressing these barriers by fostering demand and providing necessary capital for scaling production. Alaska Airlines, a founding member of SABA’s Aviators group, recognizes the importance of collaboration. “We will only reach our destination if we’re tackling this challenge from all angles—business, policy, and financing,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, Senior Vice President of Alaska Airlines.
The Bigger Picture
This initiative exemplifies how corporate partnerships can lead the way in sustainable innovation. By creating demand for SAF, companies like BlackRock and Ripple are driving emissions reductions in aviation while paving the way for broader adoption. As the SAF market continues to grow, collaborative efforts like this will play a crucial role in achieving global climate goals.
