BCD Travel has introduced a corporate programme that lets clients add €1 to every flight booking to finance sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchases. The initiative, developed with sustainability technology partner Squake, is intended to give companies a low-cost way to trial SAF procurement and associated reporting processes before committing larger sums.
How the programme works
Under the scheme, participating companies agree to raise their existing flight booking transaction fee by an initial €1. Contributions are collected and channelled through Squake, which undertakes SAF purchases and supplies the corresponding certificates to the corporate buyer. Contract amendments set out the investment amount, the frequency of purchases and other operational requirements.
- Partner: Squake (sustainability technology provider)
- Contribution: Starting at €1 per flight booking
- Purpose: Accumulate funds and convert them into SAF purchases and certificates
- Contract: Implementation governed by a contract amendment detailing purchase frequency and criteria
Industry context and reporting
BCD positioned the offer as a response to what its senior director of sustainability solutions, Fabio Fornari, described as two primary barriers to corporate SAF adoption: the high initial cost of SAF and the challenge of aligning internal stakeholders on reporting and accounting. Fornari said the programme is designed to let customers validate their approach without making a large financial commitment up front.
“There's a desire to implement [SAF], but there are many things that need to be cleared out for SAF to be implemented in a travel programme,”
For clients, the scheme allows specification of SAF preferences, including geographic sourcing, before the arrangement is enacted. Squake’s role includes handling the actual fuel purchases and issuing certificates so companies can exercise and test their reporting and assurance workflows.
Link to science-based guidance
BCD’s launch follows a June revision of the Science Based Targets initiative’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard, which recognised SAF certificates and book-and-claim accounting as acceptable mechanisms for addressing Scope 3.6 emissions. BCD said the €1 level is an entry point rather than a fixed rate; the intention is to build confidence so clients may scale contributions or adopt other procurement models, such as automated SAF buying at point of sale.
The programme offers a pragmatic, operational route for travel managers and sustainability teams to trial governance and assurance processes around SAF purchases without confronting the full cost or internal accounting changes immediately.
