The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will hold its third World Sustainability Symposium in Hong Kong SAR, China, on October 21–22, 2025. Cathay Pacific will serve as the host airline for the event. The symposium is expected to attract leaders from aviation, energy, finance, and policy sectors to discuss strategies for achieving net zero CO2 emissions in aviation by 2050.
Ronald Lam, CEO of the Cathay Group, said: “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.”
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, commented: “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.”