Pets pollute as much as private jets, executive says

A private jet executive has rejected criticism that his industry was a prime greenhouse gas emitter, claiming that pets polluted as much if not more as demand for the luxury transportation soars. Patrick Hansen, CE of Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, told the FT’s Business of Luxury summit in Monaco that one of his company’s customers produces about 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year, or about the same amount as three cats — before a spokesperson rectified the statement offstage by saying he had meant three dogs. The industry was aware about the urgency to limit its carbon footprint but the data must “be put into perspective,” Hansen said during a panel discussion on Tuesday. He added that private flights were “not going away, because they provide a service of time” to the wealthy. Hansen said later he was referring to data published in a book by Mike Berners-Lee, a British academic, called “How Bad are Bananas”. It states that a cat kept as a household pet is responsible for 310kg of carbon emissions per year, and a dog for about 700kg. Berners-Lee said in an email that he was “surprised and disappointed to hear data from my book being used to defend the bogus eco claims made by Luxaviation.” He raised doubt over the 2.1 tonnes figure provided by Hansen, saying that it looked “suspiciously low” and “must be for very short flights and very small planes.” “The simple reality is that the emissions from luxury private jets are many times higher than for standard commercial flights. Nor is it reasonable to claim the 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 booming demand since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when the ultra-rich sought to avoid crowds and restrictions. Despite all travel restrictions being lifted, the trend is set to continue as high-spenders seek more personalised and luxurious travel experiences, according to industry experts. Global demand for private jets has risen more than 14% since before the pandemic, according to industry data. Hansen said the “inflow of new clients in the private jet market” last year had compensated for the loss of clientele from regions affected by air travel restrictions linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, climate change activists and policymakers have called for measures to penalise private flights to help curb global warming. Last month, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport sought to ban private jets from flying in and out of the Dutch capital after its runway was stormed by climate activists. On Tuesday activists at Geneva airport disrupted Europe’s flagship business fair for private jets.<br/>