We know that the richest 10% of the population is responsible for 50% of emissions. This tells us that the most effective way to fight climate change does not necessarily lie in changing the habits of the majority of the population, but in moderating the lifestyle of the top 10%. An example of this type of action can be found in private flights, which are regularly taken by some 256,000 people. This represents 0.003% of the global population, but they emit the equivalent of 1.8% of all aviation emissions. In other words, the emissions from private flights of 0.003 % of the population emit in proportion 600 times more than those of the rest of the population.

The article shows that emissions by this small percentage of tycoons and tycoons have risen over the period 2019-2022. As I point out in my recent book Ecomitos, in many countries we find increases in emissions at the national level, but they are only due to increases in emissions from the wealthiest sectors.

The event with the highest number of private flights was the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, with 1,846 flights and almost 15,000 tons of CO₂ emitted, followed by the Davos Forum (660 planes) and the Cannes Film Festival (644 flights). Paradoxically, last year's UN climate change mitigation meeting in Dubai (COP28) was also one of the events with the highest number of private flights (291 flights). Nearly a quarter of all the planes that flew to COP28 also flew to the World Cup final. However, we cannot know if the people were the same, as many of these flights are charters.

Finally, it is worth noting that most of the flights take place during the weekend, which indicates an eminently festive and not work-related use. The average emissions of each of these round-trip flights are higher than those of a Spanish citizen for an entire year. Reducing emissions in the most emitting group is as urgent as it is imperative if we want to mitigate climate change.

The study is highly relevant and presents high quality and scientific innovation. It is the first study to use the ADS-B Exchange database to identify the number of flights, type of aircraft and route to calculate the emissions associated with private aviation in 2019-2023. In doing so, it goes so far as to calculate emissions from events such as the Super Bowl, the COP, the FIFA World Cup or the Cannes Film Festival, and the seasonality in emissions associated with tourist destinations such as Ibiza. It reveals the growing trend in emissions from private aviation and the countries where most of these flights are registered, with the United States and Europe leading the way. Specifically, the United States accounts for almost 70 % of the private flights registered in the period. It highlights the high intensity of emissions per hour on relatively shorter flights.

The article points to an increasing trend in the number of flights and CO₂ emissions associated with private aviation, as has been observed for commercial aviation, and the same rebound effect after the pandemic. This study reveals the contribution that private aviation makes to global greenhouse gas emissions and complements other studies that show the asymmetry in emissions associated with commercial aviation, where frequent flyers with higher incomes produce most of the emissions. In this sense, the study provides transparency in the spatial patterns and emissions of private aviation, a sector that had gone largely unnoticed until now but in which wealthy people are responsible for the totality of emissions, with a high per capita intensity.

The results thus point to the need to regulate this sector to mitigate climate change. And by revealing the countries with the highest density of private flights, it gives us an indication of which governments should take measures to limit the associated emissions, potentially including the computation of these emissions in their inventories.As with international aviation, which is not included in the Paris Agreement, the results also show the need for multilateral measures to regulate the sector, such as those taken by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in the context of the CORSIA scheme, which includes private aviation operators but is still voluntary until 2027.

Overall, the method developed is the most comprehensive to date when it comes to accounting for CO₂ emissions from private aviation. But due to data issues, it does not cover all flights and time spent in cab mode, so emissions should be higher than estimated.