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Environmental damage“The super rich have a way to pay off some of their debt”
An NGO condemns “unfair taxation” of private jets, which are increasingly criticised.
The private jets of billionaires and celebrities, which are more polluting than the smaller number of passengers, have been the subject of controversy for weeks, with environmentalists calling for their oversight or their ban.
Getty Images via AFP
Private jets, at the center of a controversy over their carbon footprint, are benefiting from “unfair taxation”, a specialist NGO condemned on Wednesday, calling on the French government to impose higher taxes.
“By taxing tickets and kerosene, the French government could generate at least €660 million in aviation revenue by 2030,” according to Brussels-based Transport and Environment (T&E).
“Until now, regulations in France around private jets have been insufficient,” argued T&E. “Furthermore, the European proposals around the energy tax directive are very uncertain and the future of this tax is questionable. Until the French government introduces a tax on tickets, private jets will continue to benefit from an unfair tax regime.
Celebs and millionaires in the spotlight
On August 25, Transport Minister Clement Peun said that regulating the private jet sector was on the agenda and that the question would be examined at a meeting of European ministers in October.
The private jets of billionaires and celebrities, which are more polluting than the smaller number of passengers, have been the subject of controversy for weeks, with environmentalists calling for their oversight or their ban.
Paris-Saint-Germain football club is in turmoil for using a plane during a trip to Nantes, two hours away by TGV from the capital.
“The inclusion of jets in the European Carbon Market Mechanism, proposed by Ministerial Representative Clément Pune, will not be enough, as the incentive price is not enough to encourage the use of private jets (…) This sector needs to be addressed. According to T&E, by specific regulations taking into account the wealth of users”
Mandatory use of carbon neutral aircraft
“The super-wealthy, oblivious to their impact on the planet, have a way of paying off their environmental debt to society. Let’s tax these jets and invest the revenue wisely to quickly reduce aviation’s environmental impact,” T&E’s director of aviation, Joe Dartenne, was quoted as saying in the press release.
The NGO advocates “compulsory use of carbon neutral aircraft after 2030,” using non-fossil kerosene, a sector still in its infancy today.
(AFP)
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