Avianca Cargo, The Queen’s Flowers, and Repsol have announced a landmark collaboration, marking the first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Book & Claim operation in South America. This initiative, utilizing the RSB Book & Claim framework, coincides with the tenth anniversary of the commercial partnership between Avianca Cargo and The Queen’s Flowers. Over the past decade, this alliance has supported over 10,000 flights, solidifying the relationship between the region’s leading air-cargo carrier and Colombia’s top flower exporter.
The collaboration aims to acquire CO₂ emissions reduction certificates through SAF under the “RSB Book & Claim” model. This effort is equivalent to the fuel required for a Bogotá–Miami flight, a key route for transporting flowers in the region.
The Book & Claim model enables airlines and their partners to contribute to decarbonization by acquiring the environmental attributes of sustainable fuel without the need for a physical supply chain. This model is a crucial component of Colombia’s strategy for implementing SAF, as it facilitates more scalable commercialization and logistics, reducing emissions associated with both cargo and passenger air services.
Ignacio Gómez, General Manager of The Queen’s Flowers, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “With this project, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also demonstrating that the floriculture sector can be transformed through innovation and strategic alliances. This reflects our sustainable vision and reaffirms our commitment to a more responsible and resilient future.”
Through this pilot project, Avianca Cargo acquires environmental attributes linked to its Scope 1 emissions and offers customers a solution to reduce Scope 3 emissions generated by its logistics chain. This effort underscores the company’s commitment to minimizing environmental impact and supporting decarbonization.
To ensure proper traceability and verifiable claims of GHG emissions reductions, the CO₂ reduction certificates used in this pilot were managed through the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) platform.
Diogo Elias, CEO of Avianca Cargo, highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts: “We believe that reducing emissions in the aviation sector requires teamwork and collaborative initiatives across the supply chain. We are excited to develop this pilot project with one of our key clients in the flower industry and will continue to advance our decarbonization goals.”
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), SAF can reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional jet fuel. IATA estimates that SAF could contribute over 65 percent of the emissions reductions needed for aviation to achieve net-zero by 2050.
Luis Vásquez Madueño, Director of Communications and Institutional Relations at Repsol, noted: “This first SAF Book & Claim operation in South America, achieved in partnership with key market players, is another milestone in Repsol’s decarbonization journey and supports our commitment to becoming a Net Zero company by 2050.”
