Climate hypocrisy? UK representatives take private jets to COP28

Climate activists are expressing renewed criticism towards Rishi Sunak as it has been revealed that the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and King Charles will each be taking separate jets to the Cop28 conference in Dubai.

Downing Street has confirmed that all three of the major British representatives at the pivotal summit, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions, will each be traveling on their own private plane.

The decision for Mr. Sunak and Lord Cameron to travel separately has been defended by No10. It has also been confirmed that junior ministers and officials will be taking commercial flights instead of joining the Prime Minister’s entourage.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson defended the decision for multiple flights, stating that the government is “not anti-flying” and is promoting new sustainable fuels. However, opposition parties have accused Mr. Sunak of climate hypocrisy, criticizing the use of separate jets as both “polluting” and a “waste of taxpayers’ cash”.

Mr. Sunak’s spokesperson reiterated, “We are not anti-flying. This government’s approach to tackling climate change…is not about banning or reducing people from flying.” They added that the government’s strategy involves investing in future technologies, as demonstrated by the recent flight using sustainable aviation fuel.

However, Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrats’ climate spokesperson, criticized the use of separate private jets as wasteful and contradictory to the UK’s climate commitments. She stated, “The UK should be playing a leading role at COP28… Instead, this government is slashing net zero targets at home while taking polluting private flights abroad.”

According to a study by the Transport & Environment campaign group, jets used by the super-rich are up to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains.

COP28: Emissions Impact

In Dubai, the COP28 conference is expected to host over 70,000 people in the “blue zone” designated for negotiators. However, the conference’s carbon footprint will not include emissions from flights related to companies, observers, activists, and others participating in the “green zone”.

The previous COP26 in Glasgow set a record with 38,000 participants emitting over 130,000 tonnes of CO2. The COP27 sustainability report suggested that emission accounting standards be “reviewed and raised” for better comparability among COP events.

Travel is responsible for “70-80 percent of conference emissions,” according to Marc Halgand from EcoAct. He recommends economy class travel over business or private jets, but emphasizes that “scale and frequency” are the key factors in reducing emissions.

The COP27 sustainability report proposed reducing the number of accreditations and extending their duration, advice already disregarded by the Emirates.

Laurent Morel from Carbone 4 argues that the emissions of COP are “anecdotal” and focusing on COP28’s footprint, rather than its negotiations, is misplaced. He rejects the use of carbon credits to claim “neutrality.”

Despite their emissions, the outcomes of the conferences are significant. The commitments made at COP26, if effectively implemented, would result in greenhouse gas reductions in 2030 equivalent to 72,000 times the carbon footprint of that year’s COP, according to the nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.

Private jets and climate change

Private jets emit at least ten times more pollution per passenger than commercial aircraft, creating significant environmental pressure.

The richest one percent of the world’s population is responsible for around 50% of aircraft emissions, and emissions from private jets have risen more than 23% since the start of the pandemic, despite only the 1% of the population uses them.

According to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies, the sale of private jets could hit a record this year, with many of the world’s richest people using them to travel.

One such example is Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who allegedly used his private jet almost every day in 2022, resulting in the consumption of 837,934 liters of jet fuel and emissions of 2,112 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent to 132 times the average carbon footprint of an American.

Although the average annual carbon footprint of an American is around 16 tons, in India it is only 1.9 tons. However, celebrities in India also have their own private jets.

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