Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, and Beyonce Dubbed Top 4 'Eco-terrorists' of 2023

According to MyClimate Carbon Tracker's 2023 report, celebrities often associated with high emissions, like Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian, were among the top CO2 polluters.

"In 2023, air travel was one of the most avoidable climate killers – and yet the number of flights, aircraft and private jets is increasing throughout the world," reports myclimate Carbon Tracker - a tool that uses public data to track the flights and emissions of influential people.

Reality star Kim Kardashian faces accusations of "eco-terrorism" due to her frequent private jet usage. Since January 1, she has reportedly taken 30 flights, including a shocking five in a single day and several trips lasting just 10 minutes.

Quantifying the environmental impact of celebrity jets

Ignoring the mounting criticism of celebrities like Taylor Swift for frequent private jet use, Kardashian has shown no signs of limiting her extensive flights in 2024. Her jet has logged a staggering 15 trips under 40 minutes in 2024, with eight journeys lasting less than 15 minutes in the air.

According to statistics shared by @kimkjet on Instagram, these flights have generated a substantial carbon footprint. The Instagram account claims the flights have used more than 35,420 gallons of fuel and released 425 tons of C02 emissions.

The environmental impact of these flights is staggering. According to the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, it is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 55 or 83 homes.

To offset the environmental damage caused by her flights, Kardashian would need to plant a staggering 7,027 trees and nurture them for a decade. Alternatively, she can finance the reduction of 5,857.6 t CO2 by donating EUR 146,448 (£125232.78), as per My Climate emissions calculator.

In 2022, Kardashian purchased a custom-modified Gulfstream G650ER jet (nicknamed Kim Air), reportedly valued at $150 (£117.79) million. The luxury aircraft was first spotted on her family's reality show and has already taken her to Paris Fashion Week this year.

Other famous people labelled C02 polluter

While Kim Kardashian is currently under scrutiny for their private jet use, it is worth noting that she is not the only prominent CO2 polluter. Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Beyonce have also made it to the list. Moreover, the real heavyweights of CO2 emissions are corporations and industries.

Musk, who previously said close to working out how to build an electric jet which would take off and land vertically, took 137 flights, which covered a total distance of 330,145 kilometres and generated an estimated 6,601,300 kilograms of CO2.

Travelling together, Beyonce and Jay-Z logged 144 flights and covered the most significant distance (357,656 kilometres), but their combined CO2 emissions (4,317,800 kilograms) were lower than Elon Musk's.

With 112 flights totalling 279,664 kilometres and 3,771,900 kilograms of CO2 emissions, Bill Gates rounds out the group. It is worth noting that the data doesn't account for factors influencing CO2 emissions per flight, such as occupancy and aircraft type.

While the data shared by MyClimate highlights the environmental impact of celebrities' private jet use, it is essential to remember the bigger picture. An earlier Global Carbon Project consortium report revealed that global CO2 emissions are projected to fall just short of the record set in 2019.