As climate negotiations continue at the Cop27 summit in Egypt, some 30 scientists gathered outside Dassault Aviation's headquarters in Paris to denounce the use of private jets.
Dassault is the third largest manufacturer of private jets in the world and represents 30 percent of the business aviation sector.
As part of an international campaign called Make Them Pay, the scientists threw paper planes over the French multinational's gate to denounce "the symbol of climate inequality" that private jets represent.
Their demands are: "Ban private jets, tax frequent flyers, and make polluters pay".
+ France +
— Scientist Rebellion (@ScientistRebel1) November 10, 2022
This morning we were in front of Dassault Avion in Paris. Dassault Aviation proudly claims its credentials manufacturing military and business jets. This must stop!#MakePollutersPay #BanPrivateJets https://t.co/HFp6oStDCt pic.twitter.com/dwqKRDm4r0
'Hypocrisy, elistism'
Scientists are increasingly joining in civil disobedience to protest against the lack of action to address the climate emergency.
On 5 November, on the eve of Cop27, hundreds of activists blocked the departure of private jets from the tarmac at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, calling for a decrease in air traffic and a limitation of private jet flights in order to reduce carbon emissions.
Passengers on private jets produce significantly more emissions per person than those on commercial flights.
According to the European NGO Transport and Environment campaigning for clean transport, a private jet can emit two tonnes of carbon dioxide in an hour and is five to 14 times more polluting per passenger than an airliner.
More than 33,000 participants are attending Cop27 in Sharm el Sheikh, where high-level discussions are taking place on increasing funding for developing countries to green their economies and prepare for the consequences of global warming.
Activists have criticised the "hypocrisy and elitism" of leaders travelling to the international event by private jet.
Scientists say climate change caused by humans burning fossil fuels is worsening natural disasters, including floods, heat waves and droughts, which are likely to intensify in coming decades if greenhouse emissions are not reduced.
New research published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data found that emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise 1 percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.
