The environmental organization Greenpeace accuses world leaders of hypocrisy when they arrive at the Davos economic forum to solve climate change in private jets.
19:30•Updated 19:31
More than 600 CEOs, more than 50 presidents, more than 50 finance ministers, foreign ministers, central bank governors and lobbyists. In total, more than 2,500 influencers will gather this week at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, and many will arrive by private plane.
Commissioned by the environmental organization Greenpeace statement (you switch to another service) according to the number of private flights to Davos and nearby airports doubled during the economic forum week last spring. 1,040 private planes flew to and from the Swiss mountains in a week.
– Europe is experiencing the warmest January days ever, and communities around the world are struggling with extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis, Klara Maria Schenk Greenpeace says in the release.
– At the same time, the rich and influential flock to Davos in highly polluting, socially unjust private planes to discuss climate and inequality behind closed doors.
A private plane pollutes the most
Private jets are the most polluting of all modes of transport when comparing the carbon dioxide emissions they produce to the kilometers traveled by the passenger.
A private flight produces (you switch to another service) depending on the number of passengers, 5-14 times more carbon dioxide emissions than a scheduled flight, and more than 50 times more than a train.
The private planes that flew to Davos during the economic forum caused more than 9,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per week. It is as much as the emissions of 350,000 cars in the same time.
And although the number of private flights “only” doubled, the carbon dioxide emissions caused by the planes quadrupled during the economic forum.
Most of the flights are from neighboring countries
According to a report commissioned by Greenpeace, a large part of the more than a thousand private flights that flew to Davos during the economic forum week were within Switzerland or came from neighboring countries: Italy, France and Germany.
– These flights, especially a large number of the 51-100 km long flights, could have been replaced by car or train without much loss of time, states the report commissioned by Greenpeace.
About 50 percent of the private flights flown to Davos during the economic forum week were less than 750 kilometers away, and about 20 percent were less than 250 kilometers away.
The shortest private flight of all flew a distance of 21 kilometers.
– This annual swarm of private jets is a tasteless masterclass in hypocrisy. Private jets must remain in history if we want a green, fair and safe future for everyone, says Klara Maria Schenk from Greenpeace.
Last spring, two private flights flew from Finland to Davos during the economic forum week. The driving distance from Helsinki to Davos is almost 2,400 kilometers.
Protesters blocked the field
Yesterday, Monday, climate activists closed the private St. Gallen-Altenrhein airport near Davos. A group of 15 people attached themselves to a wooden pole structure they had built, shouted slogans and blocked the entrance to the airport with barrels.
– Change your diet for the benefit of the climate. Eat the rich! the activists shouted.
A day earlier, climate activists, opponents of the economic forum and protesters demanding higher taxes for millionaires joined forces in the center of Davos. They arrived by train and walked from the train station to the center of the mountain village to demonstrate.
– My message to the participants of the financial forum would be this: Think for yourself and talk to your friends. Are you sure that you are not the problem rather than the solution? And in fact, if you allowed your governments to tax you and deplete your wealth, the government could put your money to much better use than you, protester Phil White of the Patriotic Millionaires in Britain association told Reuters.
Source: Reuters