The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it will hold the fourth World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) in Brussels, Belgium, on October 13 and 14, 2026. The symposium will bring together leaders from aviation, energy, finance, technology, academia, and government to focus on the policies and concrete actions required to advance the air transport sector's transition toward net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
IATA Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist Marie Owens Thomsen noted that while the air transport industry remains committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the energy transition cannot occur in isolation. She emphasized that achieving success depends on expanding renewable energy production for all sectors, building new infrastructure, advancing novel technologies, supporting investment, transferring risk, and designing policies with the overall aviation system in mind.
The event agenda will center on three core themes critical to decarbonization in aviation. These include scaling solutions for energy transition such as Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Sustainable Aviation Fuel (HEFA SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and co-processing; designing and harmonizing policies that foster global and competitive markets for SAF and carbon credits; and advancing technical innovation, non-CO2 climate effects, and lifecycle sustainability.
For the first time, the World Sustainability Symposium and the Wings of Change Europe (WOCE) conference will be held consecutively at the same venue, with WOCE scheduled for October 15, 2026. Confirmed speakers for the event include LATAM Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Roberto Alvo, Airbus Vice President Bertrand de Lacombe, and other representatives from industry, financial institutions, and regulatory authorities.
