Taylor Swift’s heavy carbon footprint from her private jet-setting lifestyle adds 8,293 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO_2e) for 170 flights in just seven months. That’s according to Yard, a PR firm that crunched stats from the now-suspended Celebrity Jets page on X.com. It’s over 500 times the yearly carbon footprint of most Americans for all activities.

Then there’s rapper Jay-Z with 6,981 tons of CO_2e from 136 flights.

Not to be outdone, celebs like Kylie Jenner, Oprah Winfrey, Drake, and Floyd Mayweather—along with billionaire Elon Musk and other wealthy elites—hop on their private jets for short-haul flights of 15 minutes or less because, well, a 45-minute car ride would just be too long.

While some of the super rich brag about all the trees they’ve paid to be planted to offset their jets’ carbon emissions—a scam in most cases—the truth is that private jet impacts on the environment aren’t easily erased.

Environmental Impacts of Global Aviation

On a global basis, aviation as a whole contributes only 2.5% to carbon emissions fueling the climate crisis.That’s the equivalent of roughly one billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO_2e) every year. Private jets contribute a fraction of that. 

Yet, aviation is responsible for 4% of the global rise in temperature since pre-industrial times. How can this be if the CO_2e percentage is so small?

The reason is that aviation produces other gaseous pollutants that contribute to global heating. Water vapor exhaust from aircraft—those visible white sky streaks called contrails—is the major culprit. Plus, there are other air contaminants from aviation, like soot and sulfur aerosols, that harm the environment and human health. 

Environmental Impacts of Private Jets

What makes the environmental impacts of private jets so pronounced is their disproportionate effect on carbon emissions. This means luxury jets produce more emissions per person compared to commercial flights carrying hundreds of people—even though commercial flights use more fuel per hour. Carbon emissions are 5-14 times greater for private jets per passenger compared to those attributable to commercial plane flyers. 

Another way of putting it is that luxury jets emit roughly two tons of carbon dioxide during a single hour in the air. For comparison, the average person in the US causes roughly 16 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from all of their activities annually. Roughly half of them take to the skies at least once per year.

The disproportionate impact on the environment from private jets is also due to the extremely short distances traveled since most pollution is emitted at takeoff and landing. Flights of just seven miles have been documented, although most are a few hundred miles in length.

Considering all the airborne contaminants produced by aircraft, private jets are responsible for at least 10 times more pollutants than commercial planes per passenger and up to 50 times more than trains.

Private Jet Owners

The ultra-rich and famous—celebrities and CEOs, mostly older white men in banking, finance, or real estate—own private jets, and they’re buying more and more of them. A recent report states the global private jet fleet grew a whopping 133% in just two decades from under 10K in 2000 to over 23,000 by mid-2022. Jet maker Honeywell Aerospace forecasts a 10% increase in sales for 2024 over last year. The US has more private jets than any other country with 69% of the global fleet.

Covid and Environmental Impacts from Private Jets

Fears of Covid transmission fueled the growth in private jet ownership. A 2022 study determined the number of private aviation flights rose 20% beginning in early 2020, resulting in a 23% increase in CO_2e emissions by private jets. This translates into just 1% of all people causing 50% of global aviation emissions.

Although total CO_2e emissions from private jets is relatively small—approximately 1.3% of all transportation emissions in the US—it is bound to increase over time. Unfortunately, since major international treaties, such as the Paris Agreement, exclude private jets from their consideration, the oversized impacts on global heating from luxury jets will continue unabated unless something changes.

Green Air Travel and Private Jets

Private jet owners could lead the way in green air travel if they spearheaded investments in carbon-free fuels like hydrogen, or in zero-emissions travel by electric jets. They certainly have the cash. But will they?

Lacking enforceable emissions regulations and given the abundance of cheap fossil fuels, it’s unlikely the ultra-rich will save the planet (and the rest of us) from climate apocalypse. As a report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and the nonpartisan organization Patriotic Millionaires states, “Considering the disproportionate emissions that private jets produce, it would be folly to ignore private aviation as a significant driver of the climate crisis. The US needs to pass policies to disincentivize the use of private jets.” 

For starters, a hefty jet fuel tax would help, but we need climate leaders in government to make that happen. Since one out of every six flights handled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is private, the ultra-rich should pay more than just the measly 2% of taxes they currently pay to fund the FAA.