Greenpeace calls for private jet ban in Davos campaign

Greenpeace is denouncing the use of private jets by the rich and powerful, lobbyists and business owners in its latest campaign, created pro bono by TBWA\Paris.

The campaign, launched on Monday, calls out people traveling to the Swiss luxury ski town of Davos for the World Economic Forum in private jets with the statement: “We live on the same planet, but not in the same world.” The conference, which kicks off this week, is known to attract the world’s rich, famous and powerful.

Images juxtaposing jets in the air with the deep sea aim to illustrate the disconnect between conversations about sustainability with reality, while other visuals represent various ecological crises such as fires, coral reefs destruction and food crises. 

In the campaign, Greenpeace calls for a ban of private jets in the EU, citing them as “the most polluting and most unequal form of transport on this planet, causing CO2 emissions that are 50 times more polluting than trains,” according to a press release.

The campaign comes as an analysis commissioned by Greenpeace International shows that 1,040 private jets flew in and out of airports serving the Swiss mountain resort of Davos during the week of the 2022 World Economic Forum (WEF), causing CO2 emissions from private jets four times greater than an average week.

Data also shows that in 2018, half of all aviation emissions were caused by only 1% of the world’s population, while 80% of the world’s population has never even flown.

Still, everyone suffers the consequences of climate-damaging aviation emissions.

The campaign, kicking off in time for the World Economic Forum, will run on Greenpeace's social media channels through the end of the conference.

Greenpeace and TBWA\Paris were not immediately available for comment.