Cathay Pacific has appointed Sam Smith as its new head of climate action in a role that will guide the Hong Kong airline group’s decarbonisation strategy and regulatory compliance efforts.
Smith moves into the role after three and half years with Swire Pacific, Cathay’s majority owner, where he served as sustainability and innovation lead. He also previously held a role as business partner at Swire Properties.
In his new role, Smith will be responsible for developing the airline’s overall climate strategy, including reducing its carbon footprint, managing climate risks, and shaping carbon offset and policy engagement work.
The head of climate action position sits within the group sustainability department, reporting to sustainability head Grace Cheung.
The role carries oversight of climate disclosures, audits, and compliance with schemes such as Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or Corsia, and emissions trading systems in Europe and the United Kingdom.
He will also lead work on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) accounting and standards, support sourcing of carbon credits, and represent the airline in industry forums including the International Civil Aviation Organization and International Air Transport Association.
Cathay Pacific has set a long-term goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, with interim measures focused on increasing SAF use, improving operational efficiency, and participating in global carbon offsetting mechanisms.
Over his career, Smith has worked Swire’s Asia Pacific bottling operation, Swire Coca-Cola, in China and for tea and coffee company Finlay’s as sustainability manager in the United Kingdom. He started out his career as a professional actor.
