Airplane within the sky over France. The federal government there desires to limit short-haul flights within the country to scale back emissions.
Alain Pitton | Nurphoto | Getty’s paintings
France’s ban on domestic short-haul flights when there are alternative train journeys went into effect this week, with one lawmaker hailing it as an “essential step” within the country’s efforts to chop greenhouse gas emissions.
Act that has been published by decreegenerally prohibits public internal flights between destinations in France if a train journey of lower than 2 hours and half-hour is obtainable.
France is home to an in depth high-speed rail network. In accordance with CNBC’s translation, the flight swap applies provided that the train journey “provides a satisfactory alternative service.”
Because of this the principles affect public passenger flights between Paris-Orly and cities equivalent to Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon. Connecting flights should not affected.
IN statement Translated by CNBC, Transport Minister Clément Beaune described the move as “a mandatory step and a powerful symbol within the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Beaune also said the ban was “a primary on the planet that’s fully according to the federal government’s policy of encouraging the usage of modes of transport that emit less greenhouse gases.”
The World Wildlife Fund describes aviation’s environmental footprint as “certainly one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions causing global climate change.”
The WWF also claims that air travel is “currently essentially the most emissive activity a person can do”.
The news from France comes amid a wider debate over pay for personal jets. in March 2023 evaluation published by Greenpeace showed that the number of personal jet flights in Europe increased by 64% last yr to a record 572,806.
The usage of private jets by high-profile wealthy people generates plenty of discussion.
While interview for the BBC earlier this yr Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was asked for his opinion on the allegation that the usage of a non-public jet by a climate change activist was hypocritical.
“Well, I’m buying the gold standard of financing (CO2 removal company) Climeworks to do direct air capture, which is well over my family’s carbon footprint,” replied Gates, who was interviewed in Kenya.
“And I spend billions of dollars on … climate innovation. So, you already know, I should stay home and never go to Kenya to study agriculture and malaria?”
The billionaire added that he “has come to terms with the concept not only am I not a part of the issue by paying for the offsets, but through the billions my Breakthrough Energy Group is spending, that I’m a part of the answer. “
While the direct air capture industry has known supporters, it faces challenges. The International Energy Agency notes that capturing carbon dioxide from the air “is more energy intensive and due to this fact costlier than capturing it from a degree source.”
He adds that technologies equivalent to direct air capture “should not a substitute for reducing emissions or an excuse for delayed motion, but they may be a very important a part of the set of technological options used to attain climate goals.”
—Sam Meredith of CNBC contributed to this report