Private jets will be taxed for the first time under the EU’s new climate plan
European lawmakers introduced a raft of climate policy proposals on July 14 to help the bloc hit its legally binding goal to cut emissions 55% below 1990 levels by 2030, and eliminate them by 2050.
The one drawing the most attention both inside and outside Europe is a proposed import tariff on high-carbon industrial products that could force dramatic changes in how things like steel and fertilizer are manufactured globally. But there’s another proposal buried in the laundry list, which is dubbed Fit for 55, that could become a headache for the richest Europeans: The first tax on fuel used for private jets.
Under existing European law, aviation fuel is tax-exempt (with the exception of fuel for tiny, low-altitude recreational aircraft, which is taxed). That allows commercial airlines, air freight companies, and private flyers a free pass to pollute the climate, said Andrew Murphy, aviation director at Transport & Environment, a Brussels advocacy group. Prior to the pandemic, aviation typically accounted for 4% of EU emissions, according to the European Commission.
Private jets are especially damaging—Murphy’s group has found that they’re up to 14 times more carbon-intensive per passenger than commercial flights, and can emit as much CO2 in one hour as a typical EU citizen is responsible for in three months.
