The Scottish Government is being urged to turbo-charge talks with UK ministers to introduce a tax on private jets. Oxfam Scotland said the private jet emissions of billionaires are the equivalent of 35million train journeys between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street.
It would also take an average person in Scotland more than 6,360 years to generate the same amount of emissions as are produced by the private jets of 23 billionaires in just one year. The charity said with nearly 13,000 flights involving private jets recorded in Scotland in 2023, a tax on them could raise more than £21 million a year.
Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said the “climate-polluting extreme wealth” had to be taxed to raise funds to help tackle the climate crisis.
The charity is urging the Scottish Government to use its devolved powers to bring in a levy on what it describes as “super-polluting private jets ”. First Minister John Swinney is being urged to hold talks with the UK Government to allow Holyrood ministers to use long-held powers to tax passengers on planes leaving Scottish airports.
Livingstone said: “ Private jets may be status symbols for the elite, but their reckless pollution is fuelling the climate crisis which threatens us all.
“This deadly destruction is inexcusable. It’s time for both the UK and Scottish governments to step up and land a fair tax on those choosing to fly excessive, planet-wrecking private jets. Billionaires’ lifestyle emissions utterly eclipse those of ordinary people and it’s time they were brought back down to earth.
“A devolved private jet tax would raise crucial funds to fight climate change while sending a clear signal that the ultra-wealthy will no longer be permitted to use Scottish skies to pollute with impunity.”
Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who is pushing for a private jet tax in the Scottish Budget, said: “The figures are shocking but not surprising. Private jets are wasteful, destructive, and completely unnecessary. The wealthy few who are jetting around our world in luxury show zero consideration for our climate or the world around us. By properly taxing private jets and the super-rich who use them, we can raise tens of millions of pounds to tackle the climate emergency and build a greener future.
“We cannot hope to halt environmental breakdown without drastically reducing the number of flights that are taking off and landing every day here in Scotland and around the world. Our governments must urgently overcome the political deadlock and work together to deliver the powers to deliver a private jet tax and ensure the small number of ultra-wealthy people are made to take accountability for their climate-wrecking choices.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government continues to explore all options for implementing air departure tax in a way that protects airline connectivity in the Highlands and islands.
“We will review the rates and bands of air departure tax – including the rates on private jet flights – prior to the introduction of the tax to ensure they are aligned with our net zero ambitions.”
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