Shaping the Future of Sustainable Aviation: Our Annual Sustainability Event – 9 September 2026
Every year on 9 September, we bring together key European policymakers, aviation industry leaders, and sustainability stakeholders for our annual Sustainability Event: a dedicated platform for dialogue, exchange and collaboration on the future of sustainable aviation in Europe.
The event gathers high-level representatives from the European Commission, including DG CLIMA, DG MOVE and DG RTD, alongside Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Investment Bank (EIB), EUROCONTROL and leading industry associations such as IATA. Representatives from fuel suppliers, airlines and other key stakeholders across the aviation value chain also take part, ensuring a broad range of perspectives and expertise.
Addressing the key challenges of aviation decarbonization
As the European aviation sector continues its transition towards climate neutrality, our annual event provides an opportunity to discuss the regulatory, technological and market developments shaping this transformation.
Discussions traditionally focus on some of the most important topics on the European sustainability agenda, including:
- Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF): examining the development of the SAF market, production capacity, availability, and affordability, as well as the measures needed to accelerate deployment, stimulate supply and ensure that airlines can access sustainable fuels at competitive conditions.
- Book & Claim mechanisms: exploring the role of market-based approaches in facilitating SAF uptake, particularly in addressing the geographical mismatch between fuel production and demand. Discussions also consider how robust Book & Claim frameworks can provide airlines with greater flexibility, while ensuring transparency, traceability and environmental integrity.
- The revision of ReFuelEU Aviation: exchanging views on the implementation and future development of the regulation, including its impact on airlines, fuel suppliers and the wider aviation value chain. Particular attention is given to ensuring that the regulatory framework remains effective, proportionate and operationally feasible, while supporting the availability and affordability of SAF.
- Non-CO₂ emissions and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV): discussing the implementation of the EU framework for monitoring, reporting, and verification of aviation’s non-CO₂ effects, including the challenges associated with data collection, monitoring methodologies and reporting requirements. From an airline perspective, it is essential to ensure a scientifically robust, transparent, and proportionate approach that recognizes the operational complexity of monitoring non-CO₂ effects and provides a sound basis for future policy developments.
Bringing policymakers and industry together
This year’s edition, held on 9 September 2026, placed particular emphasis on the upcoming revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and its implications for the European aviation sector.
As discussions on the future of the EU ETS gain momentum, the event provided an opportunity for airlines, European policymakers and industry stakeholders to exchange views on the role of carbon pricing in aviation’s decarbonisation pathway. Particular attention was given to the need for a regulatory framework that supports the sector’s climate ambitions while taking into account its international dimension, operational specificities and global competitiveness.
Discussions also addressed the interaction between the EU ETS and other European climate and aviation policies, including ReFuelEU Aviation and the development of sustainable aviation fuels. Ensuring consistency between these regulatory instruments, avoiding overlapping obligations and maintaining a predictable framework for investment and decarbonization were key considerations from an airline perspective.
Bringing together institutional representatives and stakeholders from across the aviation value chain, the event fostered constructive dialogue on how the EU ETS can contribute to reducing aviation’s climate impact while preserving the conditions for a competitive, connected and sustainable European aviation sector.
Our annual Sustainability Event is more than a meeting point: it is a platform for constructive dialogue, shared perspectives and collaboration towards a more sustainable European aviation sector.
As the regulatory landscape continues to develop, we remain committed to fostering this dialogue and bringing the aviation community together to help shape the policies and solutions that will define the future of sustainable aviation in Europe.
