Opinion: Taylor Swift and the Department of Top Polluters in Eco-Business
Taylor Swift’s private jet emissions, reportedly the highest of any celebrity in the world, have been making headlines.
While the allure of celebrity gossip may be tempting, let’s shift our focus away from the individual and towards the broader implications of this controversy. This article is an opportunity to delve into the environmental issues raised by private jets and whether it is possible to eliminate the climate damage caused by chauffeur-driven aircraft.
We’re talking about using carbon credits as a licence to pollute, and the troubling exemptions the aviation sector enjoys from climate regulations.
Swift retribution
Taylor Swift is receiving a lot of heat for the planet-heating emissions of her private jet. Not only is Swift topping the charts but also comes first in the list of celebrities with the highest Co2 emissions from flying, according to an initiative tracking celebrities flying privately.
Her private jet usage amounted to an estimated 8,300 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2022 – that’s about 1,800 times the average human’s annual emissions, or 576 times that of the average American and about 1,000 times that of the average European.
CelebJets, a recently suspended Twitter (X) account, run by 21-year-old Jack Sweeney is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Swift after exposing her frequent flyer status. Sweeney had previously endured silencing attempts by Elon Musk after highlighting the billionaire’s private jet usage.
The Swift saga cements a trend in which celebrities attempt to shut down those who are raising awareness of their disproportionate impact on our dwindling carbon budget even though the information used by the tracker is publicly available and in the public interest.
With the world’s lowest income groups facing the brunt of the impact of climate change, private jet usage highlights the injustice of the stratospheric emissions of the ultra rich.
Private jets and the planet’s peril
Aviation represents 2.5 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions (and likely much more in non-carbon emissions) yet only 1 per cent of the world’s population are responsible for about 50 per cent of all aviation emissions. Moreover, private planes are up to 14 times more polluting, per individual, than commercial planes and 50 times more polluting than trains, according to reporting by Transport and the Environment.
While Swift’s emissions are in the spotlight due to her celebrity status, her case points to a wider reliance on private jets within corporate culture and the political sphere, as highlighted annually at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Even some EU officials, such as European Council President Charles Michel, are under fire for excessive flying.
As the EU sets its sights on reducing emissions by 90 per cent by 2040, the number of private jet flights in Europe is soaring, rising by almost 65 per cent in 2022 alone. Greenpeace reports that CO2 emissions from private flights more than doubled in the period, calling for a ban on private jets. Adding to the madness, the majority of flights taken by private planes are for distances under 750 km.
Offsetting: from mystery to misery
In response to critics, Swift’s representatives assured fans that the pop star purchased more than double the offsets ‘needed’ to offset the emissions from her latest tour, providing no information as to what the selected offsetting project(s) involves, who is operating it and if results are verified.
However, despite what its name suggests, offsetting does not neutralise the climate impact of polluting activities, especially flying.