Brazil's SAF pathway: aligning mandates and market mechanisms

InsightsArticle
Written By Jamie Bentley

Aviation plays a critical role in connecting economies and enabling global mobility, but it remains a hard-to-abate sector in the transition to net-zero emissions. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is recognized as the most viable short- and medium-term solution to reduce aviation emissions without requiring major changes to existing aircraft and infrastructure (IATA, 2024).

Brazil is uniquely positioned to contribute to this transition. With abundant biomass resources, an established biofuels industry, technical expertise developed through decades of ethanol and biodiesel production, and an innovative public policy focused on fostering SAF production and use, the country has strong potential to become a global SAF hub. Brazil’s unique perspective on policy framework and the role of book & claim systems in enabling compliance and facilitating logistics can prove to be a significant factor in global aviation decarbonization.

Brazil’s SAF mandate – an emissions-based approach

Brazil’s SAF policy introduced an emissions-based mandate (Brazil, 2024), focusing on lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions rather than prescribing fixed volumetric blending targets. This emission-centered approach combined with feedstock an technology neutrality provides flexibility for the supply chain, allowing different pathways and feedstocks to compete based on their emissions performance, as indicated by the Carbon Accounting for Sustainable Biofuels study, presented by the International Energy Agency – IEA in support of Brazil’s G20 presidency in 2024 (IEA, 2024). By prioritizing carbon intensity reductions, the mandate encourages innovation and cost-efficiency while aligning international methodologies for emissions accounting, including the introduction of a book & claim system, supporting a more gradual and scalable market development.

Alongside its emission reduction mandate, Brazil is making steady progress in establishing a policy-driven SAF market, combining regulatory frameworks with financial and institutional support to enhance investor confidence. Public financing and innovation support are already being deployed, including a R$6 billion joint initiative by Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES) and Brazilian Innovation Agency (Finep) to fund SAF and low-carbon fuels projects, alongside grants for advanced technology development.

This effort is underpinned by a broad and coordinated institutional framework, involving key public actors such as the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPOR), the related Regulatory Agencies, ANP and ANAC, and the Presidential Chief of Staff (Casa Civil), among others, signaling a consistent, state-level commitment to SAF development over the coming years.

The role of book & claim – CS-SAF

Book & claim systems are chain of custody models designed to address one of the main barriers to SAF adoption: the mismatch between supply availability and demand locations. Under this model, the environmental attributes of SAF can be decoupled from physical fuel and transferred to a different user through a verified accounting system (RSB, 2025).

Ensuring environmental integrity is central to the credibility of book & claim systems. Robust international frameworks, such as those developed under ICAO and its CORSIA scheme, establish strict criteria for lifecycle emissions accounting, sustainability certification, traceability, and the avoidance of double counting. These standards are supported by recognized certification schemes and independent verification processes, ensuring that claimed emissions reductions are real, additional, and auditable.

Although several countries recognize book & claim arrangements, Brazil is the first country, at national level, to introduce a government-backed SAF attribute instrument with mandatory compliance use and centralized regulatory oversight for compliance to its mandate, centered in the certificate named CS-SAF. It enables airlines to claim emissions reductions associated with SAF even if the fuel is not physically delivered to their own point of use. This mechanism is aligned with world’s top book & claim initiatives, including RSB (RSB, 2025) and IATA’s CADO (CADO, 2025), expanding access to SAF’s environmental benefits and helping supply chain logistics, nullifying potential emissions related to longer transport routes and facilitating exportation.

Conclusion – Brazil’s role in a global SAF market

Brazil has the potential to become a key supplier in the global SAF market, leveraging its feedstock availability, biofuel knowhow, and policy framework. The adoption of an emissions-based mandate reflects a pragmatic approach to scaling SAF while encouraging innovation and investment. Aside from policy, mechanisms such as Book & Claim are essential to overcome infrastructure and distribution constraints, particularly in the early stages of market development. Looking ahead, the integration of these systems into international frameworks could enable cross-border recognition of SAF attributes, further enhancing market liquidity and accelerating aviation decarbonization. In this context, Brazil is well positioned not only to meet domestic targets but also to contribute meaningfully to global net-zero aviation efforts.

Would you like to learn more?

JOIN APEX BRAZIL AT SAF CONGRESS, JUNE 15-17, AMSTERDAM

References

Brazilian Delegation

Jamie Bentley
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