Stop mega-polluting private jets

Read more: Zara family’s private jet party in November was a climate disaster

Only 1% of people are responsible for 50% of global aviation emissions. A private jet flight causes 5 to 14 times more CO2 emissions than a regular commercial flight per passenger, and 150 times more than a high-speed rail trip.

If we are to meet Europe's emission reduction targets, we need a swift decrease of the emissions of the aviation sector. Right now, alternatives to fossil fuel powered aviation are not available at a large and accessible scale. By regulating the use of private jets, as well as encouraging the sector to speed up innovation we can move towards other, low-carbon modes of travel. Ecological and social aspects of electrification and other ways of powering transport must be at the center of innovation, to ensure that the transition from fossil fuels (such as extractive activities) is done in the most sustainable way possible.

States and other regulators such as the EU should therefore take appropriate measures to discourage highly polluting modes of travel, and encourage both corporations and individuals to move towards alternative, low-carbon mobility.

We therefore call on the EU and its member states to:

• Set an EU-wide tax on private jets based on the flight’s climate impact.

• Ban fossil fueled private jets from EU airports from 2030 onwards, with a clear list of exceptions for medical and other emergencies.