Emissions from private jets are increasing rapidly

Emissions from private jets are increasing rapidly

A global analysis of private jet usage shows that the number of planes, flights and distances traveled have risen sharply over the past four years, exacerbating carbon emissions in the sector. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of private flights increased to more than four million per year, increasing emissions by 46%. The study, published Nov. 7 in Communications Earth and Environment 1, found that private flights produced 15.6 million tons of CO2 last year and identified events around which they were centered, including the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last year.

This work "is extremely important in terms of global warming and the absolute inequalities that we have around the world," says Milan Klöwer, who studies the impact of aviation on global warming at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. “While private aviation obviously represents a small proportion of commercial aviation, it shows how disproportionately it is burning the planet.”

The cost of luxury

Researchers have that Impact of air traffic on climate change examined. Yet few studies have focused on the global scale and climate costs of private jets, which represent one of the most energy-intensive ways to fly. “A large private aircraft can cause more emissions per hour than an average person does in a year,” says study co-author Stefan Gössling, who studies transportation behavior and climate change at the University of Linnaeus in Sweden.

Gössling and his colleagues collected flight logs from private aircraft from 2019 to 2023, which provide real-time location information for all flights. The flight time data was then “linked to the specific fuel consumption of each aircraft model to determine emissions,” he explains.

Their analysis showed that the number of private jets increased 28.4% over the four years to nearly 26,000 jets in 2023. The total distance traveled by the jets also increased. Although total CO2 emissions rose from 10.7 to 15.6 million tons, average emissions per kilometer fell, which could be due to more efficient jet systems (see “The Jet Set”).

Almost 50% of the flights were shorter than 500 kilometers; Such distances, says Klöwer, could also have been covered by train or car. Much travel — and therefore emissions — was centered around major global events. For example, 172 of the 595 private aircraft that flew to the 2023 World Economic Forum were also seen at the Cannes Film Festival this year. There were 644 private flights associated with COP28, releasing an estimated 4,800 tonnes of CO2.

Worrying trend

Although the scale of emissions from private flights is small compared to other sources, the study argues that the rate at which they are increasing is concerning. “I have already heard many colleagues say that 15.6 million tons is nothing in global comparison and that we can ignore the sector,” says Gössling. "I think we should look at it the other way around. If individuals are allowed to emit thousands of tons without consequences, why should others reduce their emissions?"

Klöwer agrees that the global rise in private jet use is “unsustainable,” adding that stricter regulations would help reduce incentives for private flights. “Carbon is a cost factor, and this cost factor should be internalized,” says Gössling. “I think every country could impose taxes on every private jet that lands or takes off,” says Klöwer, although he acknowledges that such rules would be “politically very, very difficult.”

Klöwer advocates that future studies also examine non-CO2 emissions from flying, such as methane or sulfur dioxide. He says that while calculating these emissions would be challenging, this research could help provide a clearer picture of how individual jets contribute to global warming. “You could actually precisely assign that responsibility to individuals and say… ‘this is the amount of warming for which you are personally responsible’.”

1. Gössling, S., Humpe, A. & Leitão, J.C. Commun. Earth Environment. 5, 666 (2024).

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