The World Economic Forum (WEF) has gotten off to a bumpy start as participants are criticised for their soaring use of private jets.
All eyes turn to Davos today, as the World Economic Forum (WEF) commences its annual meeting.
Some of the world’s most powerful elite, including government leaders and business execs, have gathered in Switzerland to engage in “forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities”.
One of the key themes of this year’s event is building prosperity “within planetary boundaries” - with WEF highlighting that nature loss impacts 75 per cent of Earth’s land and poses “significant economic risks”.
The argument that the world should transition to nature-positive business models to unlock $10 trillion (around €8.6 trillion) annually by 2030 will be put forward tomorrow (20 January) following discussions around electric vehicles (EVs) and the retreat of glaciers.
However, Davos sparked backlash before participants even touched down in Switzerland.
Has Davos turned into a ‘private jet shuttle hub’?
Environmental organisation Greenpeace has published a new analysis of private jet flights to and from Davos-area airports over the past three years - before, during, and after the WEF.
Titled Davos in the Sky, the report found a “sharp rise” in private jet activity, despite overall attendance at the forum remaining broadly stable.
During the week of the 2025 WEF, 709 additional private jet flights were identified at airports near Davos. This roughly works out at almost one private jet flight per four WEF participants.
It marks a 10 per cent increase from 2024, and a threefold rise compared with 2023. In 2024 and 2025, many private jets flew in and out of Davos multiple times during the same week, which Greenpeace argues has turned the event into a “private jet shuttle hub”.
The organisation calculates that around 70 per cent of the private jet routes could have been travelled by train within a day, or with a train and connecting train.
A tax for the super-rich
“It’s pure hypocrisy that the world’s most powerful and super-rich elite discuss global challenges and progress in Davos, while they literally burn the planet with the emissions of their private jets,” says Herwig Schuster of Greenpeace Austria.
The organisation argues that the time for action is “now” as it calls on governments to curb polluting luxury flights and tax the super-rich “for the damage they cause”.
Greenpeace supports UN Tax Convention (UNFCITC) negotiations towards new global tax rules through 2027 and urges a levy on luxury aviation, including private jets and first and business class flights.
