COP26 climate summit: 400 VIPs arrive on private jets

World leaders have been slammed for taking private planes to the UN climate conference to preach about the need to cut emissions.

World and business leaders may be blustering about emissions at the COP26 climate summit in Scotland but that did not stop more than 400 of them flying in on their private jets.

In what one Scottish MP has labelled “rank climate hypocrisy”, it has been estimated the flights will produce more global warming gas than 1600 Scots burn through domestically in a year or conservatively 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Private jets burn more than commercial flights all of which were available to most of the various leaders and business executives at the summit which has one central theme of flying less to cut emissions.

US President Joe Biden and his entourage came in two aircraft to line up next to the French Cotam 001, Canadian Air Force VIP, German Konrad Adenauer, Japanese Air Force One, Air India One, Israeli Wing of Zion and of course Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s RAAF aircraft although with Qantas only starting to fly internationally again yesterday, he had little option.

COP26 attendees' jets parked at the Edinburgh Airport, Scotland. Picture: AFP

Mining billionaire and environmentalist Twiggy Forrest also flew into Scotland on his private jet as did Amazon boss Jeff Bezos in his $87 million Gulfstream.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was also reportedly to jet into COP26, in what 2GB’s Ray Hadley likened to a “toolie” attending a schoolie’s week.

“They have no place being there, no one wants them there, and basically they are pests, which are dealt with by authorities,” he said.

“I’m suggesting Malcolm Turnbull is the equivalent to a toolie, going to Glasgow. He’s a pest, no one wants him there!”

Defence Minister Peter Dutton revealed Mr Turnbull was jetting with Mr Forrest, on his new $98 million jet, but he joked he was sure carbon offsets were being purchased for the trip.

Matt Finch, UK policy manager for Europe’s Transport and Environment lobby group, said the hypocrisy was staggering.

“The average private jet, and we are not talking Air Force One, emits two tons of CO2 for every hour in flight. It can’t be stressed enough how bad private jets are for the environment, it is the worst way to travel by miles. Our research has found that most journeys could easily be completed on scheduled flights.

Boris Johnson and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres greet Prince Albert II of Monaco as they arrive to attend the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Picture: Supplied

“Private jets are very prestigious but it is difficult to avoid the hypocrisy of using one while claiming to be fighting climate change.”

Britain’s Secretary of State Liz Truss defended the move telling the British press it was better than a zoom call.

“It’s really important that we do have people face-to-face,” she told breakfast radio.

“I think everybody who’s ever done a Zoom call knows that they’re quite useful for some things. But when you really get into crunch negotiations, when you want to look somebody in the eye and talk to them face-to-face, you do need to meet in person and this is really critical.”

Such has been the air traffic jam in Glasgow some aircraft had to be diverted elsewhere to park, flying empty to other strips.

US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden disembark from Air Force One upon arrival at Rome Fiumicino International Airport for the COP26 climate summit. Picture: Brendan Smialowski

According to industry experts, an average private jet journey emits 10 times as much greenhouse gases per person as the same trip on an economy class flight.

Scottish Labour MP and spokeswoman for the newly created Net Zero portfolio, Monica Lennon, describe it was rank hypocrisy but gave Mr Morrison an out.

“It goes against what all of these national leaders tell people they should be doing – they should be leading by example,” Ms Lennon said.

“Except in rare cases where there is no other option – for example some global south states which don’t have scheduled flights available – it sends out completely the wrong message.”

Qantas has only just begun flying again, with its first flight to London, QF1, on Monday night so that commercial flight would have been unavailable to Mr Morrison and his entourage.

Greenpeace UK also said the leaders’ arguments would sound more convincing if they chose to not fly in on private charters.