Greenpeace called the annual Davos meeting’s use of private jets to travel to the occasion in the Swiss Alps on Friday a “distasteful masterclass in hypocrisy.” Ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023, which begins next week, the NGO said it commissioned research that revealed attendees last year took approximately 500 private flights into and out of airports near the exclusive ski resort.
Organizers have promised to make climate change a central theme of this year’s summit, and efforts have also been made to reduce the meeting’s carbon footprint and encourage VIP guests to use public transportation.
Given that 80% of the world’s population has never flown but suffers from consequences of climate-damaging global emissions, and that the WEF claims to be committed to the 1.5 Celsius Paris Agreement on climate change Target, “this annual private jet bonanza is a distasteful masterclass in hypocrisy,” said Klara Maria Schenk, Greenpeace’s transport campaigner.
The study, conducted by the Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft, analysed flight records from airports near Davos during the World Economic Forum week last year and compared them to the weeks before and after.
“”During the week of World Economic Forum last year, 1,040 private jet flights reached and departed from airports serving the Swiss luxury ski area Davos,” the report said. One flight was only 21 kilometres (13 miles), and the majority of them originated in France, Germany, and Italy.
According to Greenpeace, the flights produced emissions equivalent to around 350,000 average cars in a week. WEF organisers face annual criticism for the emissions generated by the event, which attracts policymakers, CEOs, academics, and journalists, as well as an army of caterers and support staff.
Since 2017, the forum has offset its annual emissions and has a sustainability policy that encourages the use of electric vehicles, seasonal produce for food, and recycling. Corporate executives’ use of private jets has come under renewed scrutiny in recent years, thanks to Twitter accounts that track the flights of planes known to be used by high-profile CEOs.
One of American billionaire Elon Musk’s first actions after taking over Twitter was to suspend the @elonjet account, which followed his own aircraft, citing a security risk.
Greenpeace Charges Davos Summit VIPs With “Hypocrisy” Regarding Private Jet Use
