The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will hold the fourth World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) in Brussels, Belgium, on 13-14 October 2026. Bringing together leaders from aviation, energy, finance, technology, academia, and government, the event will focus on the policies and actions needed to advance air transport’s transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Taking place in Brussels, where many of aviation’s most consequential sustainability policies are shaped, WSS will provide a unique opportunity to connect industry leaders and the policymakers responsible for designing the frameworks that will influence aviation’s energy transition. The Symposium will facilitate constructive dialogue to accelerate decarbonization while preserving the economic and social benefits of air connectivity.
“The air transport industry is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But airlines’ energy transition cannot happen in isolation. Success depends on increasing renewable energy production for all, building new infrastructure, advancing novel technologies, support investment, transfer risk, and design policies with the whole system in mind. Today, the challenge is constrained not by ambition but by the pace at which interdependent solutions can be developed and scaled.
Europe has set ambitious objectives for air transport’s decarbonization, but policies often do not recognise these interdependencies. Bringing WSS to Brussels is an opportunity to close that gap and build consensus among transport, energy, finance, and policy professionals regarding how best to accelerate decarbonization, preserve competitiveness, and protect the travelling public. With energy security top of mind, the discussion could not be more timely,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.
The agenda will focus on three key themes critical to aviation’s decarbonization:
- Scaling solutions for air transport’s energy transition, with a focus on the “low-hanging fruit”, including HEFA Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and co-processing.
- Designing and harmonizing policies that favor global, transparent, liquid, and competitive markets in SAF, carbon credits, and other solutions for air transport’s decarbonization.
- Advancing innovation and understanding, including emerging technologies, non-CO2 effects and sustainability throughout the aircraft lifecycle.
The Symposium program will feature senior executives, policymakers, regulators, investors, fuel producers, and sustainability experts. Confirmed speakers include:
- Roberto Alvo, CEO, LATAM Airlines Group
- Eddy Liégeois, Head of Unit for Aviation Policy, DG MOVE
- Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Member of the European Parliament
- Leif Holmberg, Board Co-chair, Green Climate Fund and Deputy Director, Department for Multilateral Development Banks, Sustainability and Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden
- Paolo Frankl, Head, Renewable Energy Division, International Energy Agency
- Margarita Cabrera Botero, Head of Climate Business, The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group
- Jonathon Counsell, Group Head of Sustainability, IAG
- Patricia Grossi, Head of Carbon Markets and Biofuel Certification, Acelen Renewables
- Bertrand de Lacombe, VP Sustainability Regulatory & External Engagement, AIRBUS
- Denise Pronk, Head of Sustainability, Schiphol Airport
Additional speakers representing airlines, energy companies, financial institutions, governments, and technology innovators will be announced in the coming weeks.
For the first time, the WSS and Wings of Change Europe (WOCE) will take place consecutively in the same venue, creating a unique week of dialogue among sustainability specialists, airline leaders, policymakers, regulators and industry experts. Participants registered for WSS will receive complimentary access to WOCE on 15 October 2026.
Together, the two events will provide a comprehensive platform to examine both the decarbonization of air transport and the broader strategic issues shaping Europe’s aviation sector. Discussions will explore how sustainability, competitiveness, connectivity and economic growth can be advanced together, bringing industry and policymakers into a single conversation at a critical time for European aviation.
