IATA has announced that its highly anticipated third World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) will be held on October 21-22, 2025, in Hong Kong SAR, China, hosted by Cathay Pacific.
This event will bring together more than 500 participants, including airlines, sustainable fuel producers (SAF), investors, regulators, and representatives from key sectors such as energy and finance, with the goal of accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions aviation by 2050.
A key point on the global agenda
The WSS comes at a strategic time: following the 42nd ICAO Assembly, where stronger policies were called for to boost the use of SAFs and preserve the integrity of CORSIA, and just ahead of COP30, where commitments are expected to be translated into concrete actions.
Main topics and objectives:
The symposium will explore pragmatic measures to advance decarbonization, including:
Removing barriers to SAF production
Attracting investment to address the estimated US$4.7 trillion cost of decarbonization
Integrate technological innovations from established companies and startups
Fostering collaboration across the entire aviation value chain
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Featured voices:
Ronald Lam, CEO of Cathay Group, highlighted the importance of Hong Kong hosting:
“Collaboration across multiple sectors and regulators is essential… Hong Kong has the potential to become one of Asia’s leading SAF hubs.”
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Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, stressed:
“We are at a crucial moment… this event is an essential call to action to advance the energy transition.”
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Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA SVP of Sustainability and Chief Economist:
“WSS is a platform for radical collaboration… taking a holistic approach will enable us to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”
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Program and speakers
The symposium will open with a welcome address by Ronald Lam, followed by Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Hong Kong SAR Government. This will be followed by a leadership discussion between Patrick Healy (Group Chairman of Cathay) and Willie Walsh. Confirmed panelists include:
Jun Ma – President, Hong Kong Green Finance Association
Fabiano Piccino – Global Head of Sustainability, Kuehne+Nagel
Jouk Boeye – Director, Supply Chain Sustainability & Net Zero Operations, HSBC
Christopher Au – Director, Climate Risk Centre Asia Pacific, WTW
Ayesha Choudhury – Chief Commercial Officer, Infinium
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IATA's World Sustainability Symposium 2025 represents a unique opportunity for all aviation stakeholders to come together and accelerate the journey toward a cleaner, more sustainable industry. The events taking place on October 21 and 22 in Hong Kong will be key to turning commitments into action, with a focus on policy, financing, innovation, and strategic partnerships.
Source: IATA.