Greenpeace on EU Transport Council: Private jets must be banned

2023-06-01 12:08:38

Environmental protection organization welcomes private jet discussion at the EU Transport Council – EU-wide solidarity required

Vienna/Luxembourg (OTS) – At today’s meeting of EU transport ministers in Luxembourg, the environmental impact of private jets was discussed. The Austrian Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler, on whose initiative the topic was put on the agenda, referred to the urgency of increasing climate protection ambitions and called for regulations and restrictions for private jets. Greenpeace welcomes the fact that the EU-wide debate on the most climate-damaging mode of transport is finally gaining momentum. In order to ensure that the super-rich cannot simply buy their way out of their responsibilities, Greenpeace is not only demanding taxation, but an EU-wide ban on private jets.

“It is simply incomprehensible that in times of the climate crisis, a few are allowed to destroy the climate and the future of everyone with their private jets. The discussion about private jets at the EU Transport Council is a clear signal that politicians are now also targeting the most climate-damaging of all types of transport. However, it must not remain with isolated statements, but an EU-wide solidarity is needed to get the private jet ban on the ground,” says Jasmin Duregger, climate and energy expert at Greenpeace in Austria.

Private jets and luxury emissions are currently not regulated in the EU, even though they are the most climate-damaging and unfair form of transport per passenger and kilometer. Private jets emit up to 14 times more CO2 than an average airliner (per passenger) and 50 times more than trains. Greenpeace recently published a report showing that climate-damaging private flights have reached record levels across Europe. A ban on these superfluous luxury emissions is essential.

Summary of the private jet report by Greenpeace (German):

Long version of Greenpeace’s private jet report (English):