A private jet can emit two metric tons of CO2 in just one hour. For comparison, the average car emits about 4.6 metric tons in an ENTIRE year! And private jet use is gaining in popularity. In 2021, there were over 3.3 million private flights. One report estimates that in 2016, private jets emitted about 33.7 million tons of CO2. For comparison, Denmark, a country with 5.5 million people emitted 27 million tons of CO2 in 2020. And private jets are five to 14 times MORE POLLUTING than commercial airlines on a per-passenger basis. When it comes to private jets there’s a disproportionate amount of CO2 coming from a very small group of people who can afford this luxury.

What to do about private jet pollution?

Some people are calling for a straight-up ban on private jets, which is getting some traction in places in Europe. Since trains have a much lower carbon footprint, France has already banned commercial short-distance flights when there are train routes available. Others think we should heavily tax private aviation and use those taxes to invest in greener private jet technologies–which could help reduce the environmental impact of private jets.

SOURCE LIST

• Private Jets: Can the Super Rich Super Charge Zero-Emission Private Aviation? 

This article from Transport & Environment, a nonprofit organization in Europe that studies sustainable transportation solutions, talks about the impact of very rich people on making private jets more environmentally friendly. 

• Climate…