The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will hold its third World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) in Hong Kong on October 21-22, 2025, marking the first time the event has been hosted in Asia.
The symposium, hosted by Cathay Pacific, will convene leaders from aviation, energy, finance, and policy to accelerate the industry’s push for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “We are at a crucial point. Airlines are fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But we have not seen sufficient, timely action by policymakers, aerospace manufacturers, oil companies, or fuel producers to support this commitment…”
The event is timed to follow the 42nd ICAO Assembly and precede COP30, aiming to bridge these two global milestones. Discussions will focus on practical solutions to key challenges, including removing hurdles to expanding Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production, attracting the necessary financing for the estimated US$4.7 trillion cost of decarbonization, integrating new technologies from both established companies and startups, and increasing collaboration across the entire aviation value chain.
The symposium will feature a leadership conversation between Patrick Healy, chair of the Cathay Group, and Willie Walsh to review progress on decarbonisation. Speakers include Jun Ma, chairman of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association; Fabiano Piccino of Kuehne+Nagel; Jouk Boeye of HSBC; Christopher Au of WTW; and Ayesha Choudhury of Infinium.
