Private Jets - Major Contributors to Climate Change
Aviation business lobbyists, aircraft owners, and airport operators all too often stalk the halls of Congress, state legislatures and local municipalities in search of funding aimed at foisting the cost of their lavish lifestyles onto the public. As a result, U.S. residents are routinely forced to foot the bill for runway expansions, taxiways, hangar space (oversized garages) and other infrastructure projects so that a wealthy few can fly in their luxury jets while exhibiting little if any concern for environmental impacts.
Thankfully, other countries are taking the lead in instituting and considering policies to address these glaring economic disparities as well as the harmful pollution produced by this small but entitled segment of the population. As one of the biggest contributors to global warming on the entire planet, the U.S. would be well advised to establish policies that reduce aviation global warming emissions. According to a 2021 Carbon Brief report, "By the end of 2021, the US will have emitted more than 509GtCO2 since 1850 [ed. note: A gigaton (Gt) is one billion metric tons, about 2.2 trillion pounds]. At 20.3% of the global total, this is by far the largest share and is associated with some 0.2C of warming to date."
In the interest of limiting the devastating effects of climate change, Canada has implemented a 10% luxury tax on aircraft and yachts. In addition, France is considering placing a limit on private jet flights.
An 8/25/2022 Time article, "From Private Jets to Superyachts, Here's the Climate Impact of the Rich and Famous," sheds additional light on the outsized impact of an elite few on CO2 emissions. Below are some excerpts.
"As Americans bear the brunt of heat waves, a multi-year drought, and devastating floods, celebrities are being criticized for their exorbitant lifestyles and apparent disregard for the ongoing climate crisis."
"... a recent report by Yard, a UK-based sustainability marketing agency, analyzed flight data of the celebrities with the worst private jet emissions. Taylor Swift topped the list at more than 170 flights since January, totalling up to 15.9 days in the air, and 8,293.54 metric tons of CO2 emissions—that's equivalent to all the emissions from the energy used by over 1,000 homes in the U.S. for a year.
Swift's representatives, and that of other celebrities, have since denied the claims, saying their jets have been loaned out to others, or that the individuals in question do not own them."
"In light of this, environmentalists have been calling for stronger restrictions on such wasteful habits as private air and sea journeys—which thanks in part to pandemic travel restrictions have become increasingly popular. Canada, for example, recently announced it will be implementing a new 10% tax on luxury aircrafts and yachts effective Sep. 1, which in part aims to clamp down on the climate impact of these activities."
"Aviation produces just under one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, accounting for 2.5% of global CO2 pollution.
"...while aviation remains a great contributor to the climate crisis, a small number of people are responsible for a large bulk of the impact. In the U.K., surveys in 2013 and 2014 found that just 15% of adults were responsible for 70% of the flights. And according to the clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment, 10% of all flights that departed France in 2019 were private aircrafts.
This is compared to a January Gallup Poll which found that the average American took 1.4 air trips in the past 12 months, with 62% making no trips at all.
An 8/23/2022 Axion article "France Mulls Regulation on Private Jets" also addresses concerns over private jet travel. The opening paragraphs of the report are included below.
Why it matters: Private jet use surged during the pandemic despite the copious amounts of CO2 these flights emit. Transport & Environment, a European NGO, estimates an hourlong flight in a private jet can emit roughly a fourth of the average European's annual emissions, Axios' Ben Gemen writes.
Roughly a tenth of all departure flights in France in 2019 were by private jets, half of which flew fewer than 300 miles, according to The Times.
State of play: Beaune told French newspaper Le Parisien this weekend that private jet flights should be restricted due to their contribution to climate change and noted their use could not be tolerated as before when everyday French people have been asked to make sacrifices to save energy and combat climate change."
A May 26, 2022 report, "One Percenters Take to the Air" from Real World Visuals provides additional perspective on greenhouse gas emissions released by commercial and private jets passengers traveling to the World Economic Summit this past spring.
Many invited to Davos, though, choose to travel by private jet. This is far less efficient than a scheduled flight. A private jet uses as much fuel as 9 First Class passengers, 26 Business Class passengers, or 80 Economy Class passengers. Crossing the Atlantic in a private jet adds about 25 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. That's 6 years of emissions from an average European household (each way).
This is why, overall, just one percent of the world's population account for half of all emissions from aviation."
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