Private jets and hypocrisy take centre stage at COP29

At COP29 in Azerbaijan, a global climate conference designed to combat climate change, hypocrisy took centre stage.

Over 65 private jets—double the number from last year—ferried attendees to the event, including wealthy celebrities and corporate moguls.

This isn’t just ironic; it’s a stark display of the gaping disconnect between the climate crisis and the elites who perpetuate it.

As world leaders and activists discuss reducing emissions, those attending such events are increasing theirs by the minute, flying private jets emit up to 500 times more carbon dioxide per person than commercial flights.

The global aviation industry, notorious for its massive carbon footprint, is one of the largest contributors to climate change.

Yet, the private jet sector, representing just 0.003 per cent of the world’s population, accounts for an outsized portion of those emissions.

The rich are flying in their carbon-intensive planes, using the same platform that calls for urgent action on global warming.

From high-profile events like a COP to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the pattern is clear: major international gatherings attract private jet fleets, fuelling the very environmental destruction they purport to address.

In a world where cutting emissions by 42 per cent by 2030 is deemed essential to limiting warming, the irony is nauseating. Celebrities like Taylor Swift, and Kylie Jenner, and even corporate giants like Jeff Bezos are under fire for their extravagant carbon footprints.

The business of climate activism is booming, yet the real movers—those benefiting from such events—remain firmly detached from the reality they claim to be solving.

 The hypocrisy is glaring.

At a time when businesses and governments are scrambling to reduce emissions, the so-called climate champions continue to live lavishly, fuelling the fire they vow to extinguish.

Until the elites take genuine action, the fight against climate change remains a well-funded farce.

(With inputs from agencies)