"750 Private Jets for Cannes Film Festival Stars?"...Criticism for Undermining Climate Efforts

Equivalent to 14,000 Round-Trip Passengers Between Paris and Athens
An Outdated Practice Amid Climate Crisis and Fuel Shortages

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There is growing criticism that the use of private jets by celebrities attending the Cannes Film Festival in France, the world's largest, is inappropriate in this era of climate crisis.

According to the international environmental organization Transport & Environment (T&E), about 750 private jets were operated to transport celebrities during last year's Cannes Film Festival, AFP reported on May 14 (local time).

The jet fuel consumed for these flights is estimated at around 2 million liters.

Jerome du Boucher, head of aviation at Transport & Environment, told AFP, "This is equivalent to the amount of fuel consumed by 14,000 passengers flying round-trip between Paris and Athens."

Du Boucher emphasized the need to limit private jet operations, saying, "In a situation where the climate crisis and energy crisis overlap, it is only natural that jet fuel should be conserved for more essential uses."

He explained that since the Middle East crisis, more than 500 flights have already been canceled in France alone, and in Germany, as many as 20 million passengers could face flight disruptions during the summer holiday season.

There is also criticism that private jets are effectively avoiding the carbon tax.

Transport & Environment pointed out that under current European Union (EU) regulations, two-thirds of private jets are exempt from the carbon tax. Compared to the fact that passengers on commercial flights within the EU pay ticket prices that include environmental costs, this raises questions of fairness.

Anthony Bio, a pilot and environmental activist, urged the EU to close loopholes so that all private jets and international flights to and from the EU are subject to the carbon tax in the future.

Environmental groups have predicted that if Cannes Film Festival attendees use commercial flights instead of private jets, the festival would achieve about 40% of its targeted carbon emissions reduction by 2030.

Previously, the Cannes Film Festival announced its commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 21% by 2030 compared to 2019, and to strive to approach the optimal target of a 43% reduction. The festival's carbon footprint in 2019 was estimated at 49,100 tons.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.