The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will be holding their third World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) on 21-22 October 2025. The event will be hosted by Cathay Pacific and will bring together leading organisations across the aviation, energy, finance, and policy sectors in Hong Kong to progress aviation sustainability.
IATA’s World Sustainability Symposium 2025
This year’s World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) will be held in Hong Kong and hosted by Cathay Pacific. The Symposium is IATA’s flagship event on aviation sustainability, set to welcome over 500 organisations from around the world to advance the industry’s aim of achieving net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. Airlines, fuel producers, investors, policymakers, and innovators will all be in attendance at the WSS, encouraging greater discussion and collaboration between sectors.
Taking place on 21-22 October, the Symposium will follow the 42nd ICAO Assembly, which will call for stronger government policy to support the industry’s transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The WSS also precedes COP30 – the United Nations Climate Change Conference that seeks to boost climate action. Bridging these two significant events, the WSS will focus on removing obstacles to SAF production expansion, attracting financing for decarbonisation costs, integrating emerging technology developments, and increasing collaboration.
Willie Walsh – Director General of IATA – has highlighted the importance of the WSS and what it can do for the future of sustainable aviation:
“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. This event is an essential rallying call for all those who have a stake in air transport’s future to overcome any challenges in the way of accelerating the pace of this crucial energy transition.”
The symposium will feature speeches and conversations from:
- Ronald Lam, Chief Executive Officer of the Cathay Group
- Mable Chan, Secretary of Transport & Logistics for the Hong Kong SAR Government
- Patrick Healy, Chair of the Cathay Group
- Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA
- Dr Jun Ma, Chairman & President of Hong Kong Green Finance Association
- Dr Fabiano Piccino, Air Logistics Global Head of Sustainability at Kuehne+Nagel
- Jouk Boeye, Managing Director Corporate Sourcing, Supply Chain Sustainability & Net Zero Operations at HSBC
- Christopher AU, Director of the Asia Pacific Climate Risk Centre of WTW
- Ayesha Choudhury, Chief Commercial Officer at Infinium
Lam has also commented:
“As the IATA World Sustainability Symposium lands in Asia for the first time, we are honored that Hong Kong has been selected as the location and Cathay Pacific as the host airline. Collaboration across multiple sectors and regulators is essential for aviation to achieve its decarbonization goals, and gatherings like this provide a valuable platform for leading voices to come together to drive meaningful change. Such cooperation is especially important as the industry works to develop the ecosystem of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with Hong Kong having the potential to become one of Asia’s major centers for SAF in the future.”
About Cathay Pacific
Founded in 1946, Cathay Pacific has grown to operate a passenger fleet of 179 aircraft and a cargo fleet of 20 Boeing 747 freighters.
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong and has their head office and main hub both located at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The airline continues to reinvest back into Hong Kong and sustainability efforts, including recent developments in recycling inflight food waste and the upcoming 2025 World Sustainability Symposium.
As one of the founding members of the oneworld Alliance, Cathay Pacific is committed to global connectivity, providing services to over 190 destinations across 60 different countries. Notably, Cathay Pacific was recently named the third best airline in the world by Skytrax.
What are your thoughts on IATA’s World Sustainability Symposium this year? How do you think this can progress the aims of sustainable aviation? Let us know.
