(Bloomberg) -- The use of private jets is soaring in Europe and with it the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
The number of flights increased 64% last year, leading to an almost-doubling of CO2 emissions, according to a study conducted by Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft and commissioned by Greenpeace. The UK was the top destination, with Paris to London the most popular route, according to the study.
The bounce-back from the pandemic has spurred a recovery in the most polluting transport sector, emitting as much as 14 times more greenhouse gases than conventional air travel, and 50 times more than taking the train. Over the past three years, private flying in the region has increased almost five times to 572,806 trips in 2022, according to the study.
Read more: EU Plans to Give Parts of Aviation Industry a Green Label
The findings could raise pressure on the EU and UK to do more to rein in the use of private jets. France last year led calls to raise taxes on the exclusive mode of flying, while it is increasingly at odds with the EU’s plans to slash emissions by 55% by the end of the decade. The transport sector makes up almost a quarter of the bloc’s carbon footprint.
“Private jets are staggeringly polluting and generally pointless,” said Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK. “Millions of people around the world are facing climate chaos, losing livelihoods or worse, while a tiny minority are burning jet fuel like there’s no tomorrow.”
Greenpeace called for a ban on private jets and also short-haul flights where a reasonable train connection already exists.
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Advertisement