During the previous summit, more than a thousand private planes flew to the airports in the vicinity of Davos, Switzerland, where the conference was held in a week. One of the big topics of discussion at the World Economic Forum (WEF) next week is climate change mitigation.

While clashes near the 'lignite village' of Lützerath are taking a heavy toll and more than a hundred activists may have been injured last Saturday, politicians are now preparing to travel to Davos. 

The international elite packed their bags this weekend to visit the World Economic Forum (WEF). Every year, CEOs, politicians, journalists and scientists come together in the Alpine village to discuss the major social and economic problems in the world.

From the Netherlands, for example, Prime Minister Rutte and a number of cabinet members are almost always present. It World Economic Forum is this year from 16 to 20 January 2023. Prime Minister Rutte will be present in Switzerland on Wednesday and Thursday. The issue of private jets gained global public attention last year after several public figures criticized private jets for making ultra-short trips. 

Greenpeace

The study, commissioned by Greenpeace International and conducted by Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft, found that during the week of last year's World Economic Forum, 1.040 private jet flights arrived and departed from airports serving Switzerland's luxury ski resort Davos, with about every second flight attributed to the meeting. 

Over 53% were short-haul flights of less than 750 km that could easily have been train travel, and 38% flew ultra-short distances of less than 500 km. The shortest recorded flight was only 21 km. Countries with the highest number of arrivals and departures from Davos airports were neighboring Germany, France and Italy.