The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that its third World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) will be held in Hong Kong SAR, China this year.
Slated for 21st and 22nd October and hosted by Cathay Pacific, the event will bring together leaders from aviation, energy, finance, and policy to advance the industry’s commitment to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
This is the first time that the symposium will be staged in Asia.
Cathay Group chief executive Ronald Lam said: “We are honoured 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 centres for SAF in the future.”
Aviation sustainability is at a critical point
According to IATA director-general Willie Walsh, sustainability in aviation is now at a crucial point.
While airlines are fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the industry has not seen sufficient, timely action by policymakers, aerospace manufacturers, oil companies, or fuel producers to support this commitment.
In which case, the upcoming symposium is a timely one, especially because it follows the 42nd ICAO Assembly at which the industry will have advocated for stronger government policies to support aviation’s energy transition to SAF and the integrity of CORSIA.
As Walsh puts it: “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.”
At the same time, the symposium precedes COP30 which is focusing on turning pledges into actions.
That said, it seeks to bridge these two global milestones with in-depth explorations of pragmatic measures to accelerate aviation’s decarbonization by:
- Removing hurdles standing in the way of expanding SAF production
- Attracting financing for the $4.7 trillion cost of decarbonization
- Integrating emerging technology developments by existing players and start-ups
- Increasing collaboration across the value chain
What to expect at the 3rd IATA WSS
The Symposium will open with a welcome speech from Ronald Lam, CEO of the Cathay Group, and a keynote address from Mable Chan, secretary of transport and logistics for the Hong Kong SAR Government.
These will be followed by a leadership conversation between Patrick Healy, Chair of the Cathay Group, and Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, to candidly review progress on decarbonization.
The speaker lineup of global experts for the remainder of the symposium includes:
- Dr. Jun Ma, Chairman & President, Hong Kong Green Finance Association
- Dr. Fabiano Piccino, Air Logistics Global Head of Sustainability, Kuehne+Nagel
- Jouk Boeye, Managing Director Corporate Sourcing, Supply Chain Sustainability & Net Zero Operations, HSBC
- Christopher Au, Director Asia Pacific Climate Risk Centre, WTW
- Ayesha Choudhury, Chief Commercial Officer, Infinium
IATA senior vice-president for sustainability and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen said: “WSS is where airlines and all stakeholders get together to develop the understanding and the policies that are necessary to achieve the financial and environmental sustainability of airlines. It is a platform for radical collaboration, involving all disciplines and sectors, and where efforts can be coordinated to bring practical solutions to the market. Decarbonizing the airline industry is not just an industry issue but part of the global energy-transition that cuts across the whole world economy. If treated as such, adopting a holistic approach encompassing policy, energy and finance to agriculture, technology and more, it will be possible to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions in 2050.”
