summary
- The upcoming United Nations climate change conference, COP28, is expected to have record high carbon emissions due to the large number of participants.
- Private jets were spotted at Dubai International Airport during COP28, raising concerns about the environmental impact of the conference.
- Despite the emphasis on sustainability, world leaders attending COP28, including the British Prime Minister, are choosing to travel by private jet, with some opting to use sustainable aviation fuel. Some argue.
The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) will generate the most significant carbon emissions in history. Around 100,000 people attended, surpassing last year’s conference in Egypt, which had just 49,000 participants.
Dubai is well known as the hub airport for the airline giant Emirates, but its home base, Dubai International Airport (DXB), is also busy with private jets flying in during the COP28 period. It’s unclear whether these are directly related to the conference, but they do raise some eyebrows.
A quick search on Flightradar24 revealed several private jets bound for the United Arab Emirates, including Nigeria’s Bombardier Global 7500, Switzerland’s Embraer Legacy 650E, Japan’s Gulfstream IV, and India’s Dassault Falcon 7X.
Photo: Plamen Galabov | Shutterstock
Visitors to the conference include Charles III, US Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Several people attended, and all announced their attendance. was. However, it is unlikely that any of them will travel on business.
British Prime Minister’s transportation
There was widespread anger when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would fly to COP28 in a private jet, with King Charles III and Foreign Secretary David Cameron saying they would do the same. However, Rishi Sunak says his jet was powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is made from non-oil sources.
Given that Dubai International Airport is one of the most connected airports in the world, it is a wonder why world leaders could not consider a private airline.
Sustainable milestone: Emirates operates Airbus A380 with 100% SAF
Emirates operated its first-ever 100% SAF flight on an Airbus A380.
safety
It is understandable that for many of the world’s most powerful people, traveling by commercial aircraft is simply not possible. Along with many heads of state, planes can be filled with entourages, not to mention media delegations.
Looking back at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, there were 315 trips to the summit by private jet, which was very impressive for Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) on the Red Sea coast. Ironically, Etihad Airways, one of the UAE’s leading airlines, sent a delegation to the conference with net zero emissions.
Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock
Given that the conference is about climate change, it is expected that participants will need to consciously choose (within reason) their mode of travel. This will encourage organizers to consider future conference locations and may encourage the use of other transportation options. .
COP29
Eastern European countries are also expected to follow suit and host climate conferences, which could allow European delegations to travel by road and help reduce carbon emissions. . However, these plans are firmly on hold in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian state said it would veto any vote to host it within the European Union. If no decision is made, he will default back to Dubai for a second year.
dubai international airport
- IATA/ICAO code:
- DXB/OMDB
- Country:
- United Arab Emirates
- CEO:
- Paul Griffiths
- Number of passengers:
- 29,100,000 (2021)
- Runway:
- 12L/30R – 4,000m (13,123ft) |12R/30L – 4,450m (14,560ft)
- Terminal:
- Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3
