November 15, 2022
BEIJING – A large number of posts on social media criticized delegates of hypocrisy for flying to Egypt by private jet to attend the COP27, British paper Daily Mail has reported.
Reports and posts included diverse estimates for the number of such planes bringing delegates to the COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the report said.
Egyptian sources confirmed claims that about 400 private jets landed during the conference, it added.
The AFP on Thursday quoted an unnamed source close to the Egyptian aviation authorities as saying more than 400 private jets landed in the past few days in Egypt.
A private jet can emit 2 tons of carbon dioxide per hour and pollutes five to 14 times more per passenger than a commercial aircraft, according to the European clean transport campaign group Transport and Environment, the report said.
An online emissions calculator provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization indicates that a passenger on a commercial flight from London to Sharm El-Sheikh in premium class would produce about half a ton of carbon dioxide, it added.
Scientists say climate change caused by humans burning fossil fuels is exacerbating devastating disasters such as floods, heatwaves and droughts, which could intensify in the decades to come if emissions are not cut, according to the report.