In terms of individual actions, nothing is more carbon intensive than the use of private jets. In an average hour, a private jet releases two tonnes of CO2 - roughly the same amount of carbon that the average person in the EU produces in three months.

The excessive fuel consumption and sky-high emissions generated by the use of private jets are accelerating the pace of global heating, climate change and biodiversity loss. Their contribution to greenhouse gas accumulation cannot be understated.

Meanwhile, private aviation emphasises excess and elitism, driving inequality and climate injustice.

For all of these reasons, GCC has decided to make our position on this issue clear.

The global impact of private jet use

Private jets are the least fuel-efficient and most carbon-intensive form of transport, largely due to the low passenger occupancy. Whilst private jets may only account for 4% of global total aviation fuel use, the energy intensity of private aviation makes its environmental impact disproportionately high. 

Jets are five to 14 times more polluting than commercial aviation, and 50 times more polluting than trains. Private jets often fly short routes that could easily be taken by rail or driven by EV, while using commercial passenger airlines for trans-continental routes would drastically reduce emissions.

At the same time, due to high costs, access to private aviation is only for the very wealthy. Private jet owners represent 0.0008% of the global population. This means there is currently a very small minority of wealthy individuals with a carbon footprint that is far, far higher than the average person.

Private jets are synonymous with indulgence, excess, and elitism, which in turn contribute to inequality and climate injustice.

An ongoing problem

Unfortunately, private jets are not going away. European private jet CO2 emissions increased by 31% between 2005 and 2019. Since the beginning of the pandemic, private jet use has increased by around a fifth, and emissions associated with private jets have increased by more than 23%.

In 2019, one-tenth of all flights departing from France were with private jets, half of which travelled less than 500km. A report by Transport Environment found that private jets are twice as likely to be used for very short trips (<500 km) within Europe as compared to flights in commercial aviation.

More recently, some in the art world have been reflecting on this, and key players in other creative sectors have taken stances against their use. 

GCC’s stance

The blatant disregard for environmental consequences that private jet usage carries is incompatible with our definition of environmental responsibility.

For these reasons, as an environmental charity and coalition of art sector organisations, GCC stands firmly against the use of private jets and strongly advises members against the use of them. Private jet travel is not compatible with environmental responsibility.

As a sector, we must urgently curtail the use of excessive and unnecessary air travel altogether. It will take time to change broader travel behaviours and ingrained habits, but stopping private jets is a straightforward and immediate step the sector can take.

Unlike other areas of climate action where there is no quick and easy silver bullet, with private aviation it is as simple as it sounds: stop private jets. 

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