Rome – The Vinitaly has opened its doors launching the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition causing many of the ultra-rich to flock to the exposition in their private jets, causing a spike in Co2 emissions. 

 On the first day alone at least five private jets landed at the Verona airport, many covering a very short distance including one that flew in from Venice which is less than a two-hour drive. 

 This was recorded by the “Jets of the Rich”, a group of researchers who monitor private air travel and call out needless flights on Twitter. 

 They were particularly outraged by one Falcon that had flown in from Perugia and had spent the rest of the day purposelessly orbiting Verone emitting a total of 5.5 tonnes of Co2 which is the average person’s yearly output. 

 In a single day, the private jets emitted more than 24.8 tons of Co2, which is around 5 average Italian people’s yearly output. The Jets of the Rich group have also stated that this estimate is actually very low as it only includes the actual flight time, excluding landing and take off.  

 But what was recorded during the Vinitaly, pales in comparison to the emissions recorded during Milan fashion week when air travel was so immoderate that even the Jets of the Rich were not able to record all the emissions. 

 The research group was quick to call out the hypocrisy of many designers who will travel by private jet to discuss sustainable fashion in Paris. A criticism that has been echoed throughout social media of the ultra-rich and celebrities preaching recycling, electric cars, and sustainable fashion whilst using private jets.  

 This trend is deeply concerning as Greenpeace published a report that private jet emissions are extremely harmful to the environment much more so than recycling or car use.

 Private Jet use is continuing to be on the rise in Europe with Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe to the Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft reporting that emissions from private jets in Europe have more than doubled in the space of a year, reaching exceed those produced annually by 550,000 European citizens. 

 Italy is number four on the European podium of private jet emissions and third in general carbon dioxide emissions, following Germany and Poland. 

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