Sustainability In The Air Why World Energy believes that bankable offtakes are key to scaling SAF
In this episode, we speak with Adam Klauber, Chief Sustainability Officer at World Energy, who has been at the forefront of developing book and claim mechanisms for sustainable aviation fuel since its earliest days.
He discusses:
- The co-claims approach: Why aviation needed to diverge from renewable electricity market models by enabling both airlines (scope 1) and their corporate customers (scope 3) to claim emissions reductions from the same SAF molecules, unlocking new sources of funding.
- What it took to get early deals done: How some of the earliest SAF buyers like Microsoft moved before the supporting infrastructure was fully in place, including clear registries and standardised accounting rules, and why that early willingness mattered.
- Insetting vs offsetting: The moral hazard of buying cheap offsets outside aviation, and how insetting addresses this while maintaining economic efficiency.
- Making SAF contracts “bankable”: How long-term commitments from credible corporate buyers can help producers secure debt capital at lower interest rates, thereby lowering financing costs and easing the SAF price premium over time.
- Building market infrastructure that benefits the whole sector: Why World Energy deliberately builds frameworks that benefit competitors, recognising that growing the overall SAF market serves everyone’s interests and that no single company wins with only a trickle of supply.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Gene Gebolys, founder and CEO of World Energy, who delves into the intricacies and future of SAF. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
Blueprints for Bankability - RMI
Re-thinking the blueprint for financing SAF - SimpliFlying
Efficient, effective decarbonization with carbon insets - World Energy