IATA Intensifies Push for Aviation Decarbonisation | By Dominick Andoh
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is stepping up its push to accelerate the aviation industry’s transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, bringing airlines, governments, energy companies, financiers and technology leaders together in Brussels for its fourth World Sustainability Symposium (WSS).
The two-day event, scheduled for 13-14 October 2026, will focus on the policies, investment and technologies needed to move aviation’s energy transition from ambition to large-scale implementation.
IATA says aviation cannot achieve net zero in isolation, arguing that progress will depend on simultaneous investment in renewable energy, fuel production, infrastructure, technology and financial mechanisms capable of supporting the transition.
The choice of Brussels is strategic. The Belgian capital is a major centre for European aviation policy, placing industry leaders in direct dialogue with policymakers responsible for regulations that could shape the sector’s energy transition.
IATA Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist, Marie Owens Thomsen, said the industry’s principal challenge is no longer a lack of ambition but the slow pace at which interconnected solutions are being developed and scaled.
She said Europe had established ambitious decarbonisation objectives, but policy frameworks needed to better recognise the links between aviation, energy, finance and infrastructure if the transition is to succeed without undermining connectivity or competitiveness.
SAF remains a priority
A major focus of the symposium will be expanding readily available decarbonisation solutions, particularly Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) and co-processing.
The agenda will also examine how governments can create harmonised policies capable of supporting global, transparent and competitive markets for SAF and carbon credits.
For airlines, securing sufficient supplies of sustainable fuel at commercially viable prices remains one of the biggest challenges in meeting long-term emissions targets.
Beyond fuel, delegates will explore emerging technologies, non-CO₂ effects of aviation and sustainability across the aircraft lifecycle.
The speaker line-up includes airline chief executives, European policymakers, energy specialists, investors and aircraft manufacturers, including LATAM Airlines Group CEO Roberto Alvo, Airbus sustainability executive Bertrand de Lacombe, and senior representatives of the International Energy Agency and World Bank Group.
The WSS will be followed immediately by Wings of Change Europe on 15 October, bringing sustainability discussions together with wider debates about European aviation’s competitiveness, connectivity and economic growth.
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