Pets pollute as much as jets, says CEO of jet company – 05/24/2023 – Market

One private jet executive dismissed criticism that his industry was a top emitter of greenhouse gases, claiming pets pollute just as much or more while demand for luxury transport soars.

Patrick Hansen, chief executive of Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, told the Financial Times Luxury Business summit in Monaco that one of his company’s customers produces about 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ a year, or about the same amount than three cats — before a spokesperson corrected the off-stage statement by saying he meant three dogs.

The industry was aware of the urgency of limiting its carbon footprint, but the data must “be put into perspective,” Hansen said during a panel discussion on Tuesday. He added that private flights “are not going to disappear, because they provide a [economia de] time” for the rich.

Hansen later said he was referring to data published in a book by Mike Berners-Lee, a British academic, called “How Bad Are Bananas”. [Como as bananas são ruins]. He claims that a cat kept as a pet is responsible for 310 kg of carbon emissions per year, and a dog for about 700 kg.

Berners-Lee said in an email that he was “surprised and disappointed to hear data from my book used to defend the false ecological claims made by Luxaviation.” He raised doubts about the 2.1 tonnes figure provided by Hansen, saying it seemed “suspiciously low” and “must be for very short flights and very small planes”.

“The simple reality is that emissions from luxury private jets are many times higher than those from standard commercial flights. Nor is it unreasonable to claim that climate damage can be undone by so-called ‘offsetting’,” he added. “Luxury private jets are a huge carbon indulgence.”

Private jet companies have benefited from rising demand since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as the ultra-wealthy sought to avoid crowds and restrictions. Despite all travel restrictions being lifted, the trend is set to continue as spenders seek more personalized and luxurious travel experiences, according to industry experts. Global demand for private jets has increased by more than 14% since before the pandemic, according to industry data.

Hansen said the “influx of new customers into the private jet market” over the past year has offset the loss of clientele in regions hit by air travel restrictions linked to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, climate change activists and policymakers have called for measures to penalize private flights to help curb global warming. Last month, Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport tried to ban private jets from entering and leaving the Dutch capital after its runway was overrun by climate activists. On Tuesday (23), activists at Geneva airport disrupted Europe’s main fair for private jet business.

According to a 2022 Oxfam report, the carbon footprint of private jets is at least ten times that of commercial airlines. This means that 1% of the world’s population is responsible for half of the total emissions of the aviation industry, according to the non-profit institution. This was supported by a study by Transport & Environment, a European Union NGO, which estimated that private jets emit 5 to 14 times more greenhouse gases per passenger than commercial flights.

Hansen said the industry “doesn’t want to embarrass our children” and is taking steps to offset and limit its emissions.

Some industry experts have suggested that sustainable fuels, such as biofuels made from vegetable oil and synthetics, could replace traditional carbon-based ones. Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun ruled out biofuels in an interview, saying they “would never reach the price of jet fuel”.

Hansen said the availability of biofuels is extremely limited around the world, so the air travel industry cannot rely exclusively on low-pollutant options.

“Of course, when we flew people to COP26 in Edinburgh, we made sure those jets were exclusively fueled with sustainable fuels,” he said.

According to Hansen, hydrogen and electric aircraft engines will be a more sustainable alternative to combustion engines in the long term. For the foreseeable future, however, Luxaviation is advising customers against using private jets for very short trips.

“Sometimes it’s better not to fly. We tell our customers not to fly from Paris to Lyon.”

On Tuesday, in a move to cut emissions, France banned short-haul domestic flights for which train alternatives already exist, including routes such as Paris to Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyon.