Campaign for Better Transport says it is time to properly…
Private planes emit some 50 times more CO2 than trains. The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) thinks that private passengers who use private jets should start paying for the climate damage they cause. In 2021, there were 135,505 private aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) in the UK. European private jet carbon emissions have increased by 31% since 2005, far faster than commercial aviation emissions. The UK is responsible for more than any other European country. Few of these private jet trips are necessary, and the passengers could generally use commercial flights. Depending on the trip and the plane, a passenger in a private jet might be causing the emission of between 5 and 14 times as much CO2 per as a standard class air passenger. A few flights in a private jet could emit as much as an average EU citizen in a whole year, or ordinary living. CBT is calling for private jets to pay more. Currently they pay the same rate of APD as business or first-class passengers, with a higher rate applied to aircraft of 20 tonnes or more with fewer than 19 passengers onboard. This rate should be increased tenfold; this new ‘super’ APD tax could raise around £1.4 billion each year. VAT should also be charged. .Tweet Time to tax polluting private jets 5 January 2023 By Norman Baker (Campaign for Better Transport, CBT) Private planes are 50 times more polluting than trains and as we face climate catastrophe, we think that private passengers should start paying for the damage they cause. In 2021, there were 135,505 private aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) in the UK. That’s a heck of a lot. European private jet carbon emissions have increased by almost a third (31 per cent) since 2005, far faster than commercial aviation emissions, and here in the UK, we are responsible for almost a fifth (19 per cent), more than any other European country. Almost none of these journeys were necessary. They are simply the super-rich showing off with their status symbols, and making the environment pay the price. Private jets are hugely polluting, releasing between five and 14 times more harmful emissions per passenger than a commercial flight and 50 times more than the equivalent train journey. Private jets are twice as likely than commercial flights to be used for very short trips (less than 300 miles), this despite high-speed train connexions existing on 70 to 80 per cent of the top ten most popular private jet routes in Europe. At these short distances, planes are at their least efficient, thereby increasing the climate impact of these flights. In just one hour, a single private jet can emit two tonnes of carbon dioxide. To put that into perspective, the average person in the EU only emits 8.2 tonnes over an entire ye
