The rich pollute the environment CO2 emissions from private flights increase by almost 50 percent
According to a study,CO2 emissions from private flights have risen by almost half within just a few years. Most of the private aircraft taken into account are registered in the USA.
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- Only 0.003 percent of the world's population use private airplanes. But these super-rich have a hugeCO2 footprint.
- According to a study,CO2 emissions from private flights increased by almost half between 2019 and 2023.
- These are often short journeys that could also be made by car or train.
- The main culprits are older men over the age of 55 who work in banking, finance or real estate.
Between 2019 and 2023, direct emissions caused by private flights increased by 46 percent, from 10.7 to 15.6 million tons, according to the specialist journal "Communications Earth & Environment". The aircraft are often used for short distances that could easily be covered by car or train.
The researchers based their survey on flight data transmitted by so-called transponders. These are small transmitters on board aircraft that are designed to help avoid collisions. However, the data sent by these devices can be read not only by other aircraft, but also by privately operated receivers. Platforms such as Flightradar24 or ADS-B Exchange collect this data and make it publicly available.
72 different aircraft models, which are mainly used for the transportation of individuals, were included by the authors of the study - micro-aircraft were not considered.
Over 18 million private flights recorded
"The study confirms that the super-rich have a hugecarbon footprint," explained Nora Wissner from the Öko-Institut Berlin, who was not involved in the analysis herself. Private jet owners are predominantly older men over the age of 55 who work in banking, finance or real estate.
The study also shows that a significant proportion of private jet flights are used for leisure and vacation trips. "In view of growing inequality and the increasing climate crisis, we should therefore regulate private air travel more strictly."
The team led by Stefan Gössling from Linnaeus University in Kalmar, Sweden, analyzed transponder data from thousands of private aircraft from the ADS-B Exchange platform. Well over 18 million flights involving 26,000 private aircraft were recorded.
This data was linked to the average fuel consumption of 72 types of aircraft used primarily for the transportation of individuals. When evaluating the data, it should be noted thatCO2 emissions only account for a third of the climate effect of flying - alongside factors such as contrails and nitrogen oxide and water vapor emissions.
Around major sporting, cultural or political events - including the World Climate Conference in Dubai in December 2023 - the number of private aircraft was particularly high.
Football World Cup, Super Bowl and Cannes as drivers
They looked at some events in detail and found that there were certain overlaps: of the 766 private aircraft registered in connection with the Cannes Film Festival (France), 172 were also found at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). Of the 409 private aircraft at the 2022 Men's World Cup in Qatar, 66 were also at the 2023 Super Bowl in the USA and 96 at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
By far the most private aircraft taken into account - more than 18,000 - were registered in the USA. This corresponds to more than two thirds (69 percent) of the aircraft recorded. In absolute figures, Germany ranks fourth with 630 private aircraft, behind Brazil (927) and Canada (770). On a per capita basis, Malta is home to the largest fleet of private aircraft (247 or 46.5 per 100,000 inhabitants).
Often only short-haul flights of less than 500 kilometers
Just under half (47.4 percent) of the flights were over a distance of 500 kilometers or less. The total number of private aircraft has risen by 6.45% annually since 2019, while the number of kilometers traveled has increased by 11.31% per year. According to the data, only 0.003 percent of the world's population use private aircraft. TheirCO2 emissions account for around 1.8 percent of emissions from commercial aviation.
Private jets are often not covered by European emissions trading, as this defines a minimum size and a minimum level of emissions per year that private jets often do not achieve. They are also effectively subsidized, as they do not have to pay energy tax or VAT in most countries, the report continued.
The costs of private aircraft are tax-deductible in many cases - however, the data on flights during traditional vacation periods, at weekends and to well-known vacation destinations indicates that many flights are simply for leisure purposes.
SDA