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Climate activists disrupt Europe’s biggest private jet fair

 

Dozens of climate activists have disrupted Europe’s largest private jet trade fair by chaining themselves to aircraft to protest against the sector’s carbon emissions.

The demonstrators on behalf of Greenpeace, Stay Grounded, Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion also attached themselves to the entrance gates of the event at Geneva airport in the hope of preventing prospective buyers from entering the annual show.

The activists, who were calling for a global ban on the use of private jets because of their carbon footprint, stuck tobacco-style health warning labels on some of the jets at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) saying private jets “burn our future”, “kill our planet”, and “fuel inequality”  


Mira Kapfinger, a campaigner from Stay Grounded, a network uniting more than 200 climate crisis campaign groups across the world, said: “While many can’t afford food or rent any more, the super-rich wreck our planet, unless we put an end to it.

“Apart from banning private jets, it’s also time to end air miles schemes which reward frequent flying, and instead tax frequent flyers. We need fair climate solutions.





  • Staff respond to activists from Greenpeace, Stay Grounded, Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion in Geneva.
    Staff respond to activists from Greenpeace, Stay Grounded, Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion in Geneva. Photograph: Thomas Wolf/Stay Grounded/Reuters

    Klara Maria Schenk, a transport campaigner for Greenpeace, said: “For over 20 years, Europe’s super-rich have popped champagne behind closed doors at EBACE while shopping for the latest toxic private jets.

    “Sales of private jets are skyrocketing, and with them the 1%’s hugely unfair contribution to the climate crisis – while the most vulnerable people deal with the damage. It is high time for politicians to put a stop to this unjust and excessive pollution and ban private jets.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/23/climate-activists-private-jet-fair-greenpeace-stay-grounded-extinction-rebellion