TIME’S UP

WITH THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS AT A PIVOTAL POINT, VICTOR FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN CLIVE JACKSON CALLS ON THE PRIVATE AVIATION INDUSTRY AND ITS FLYERS TO COME TOGETHER AND SHOW HOW WE CAN REACH CARBON NET ZERO IN WHAT COULD BE A MATTER OF JUST A FEW YEARS

Chartering a private jet is accessible to a privileged few in society but it’s open for all to comment on, scrutinise and criticise. As environmental activists gain increasing media attention and demand governments and industry tackle average global temperature rises, the clamour is growing louder for extreme measures to be imposed on aviation. A ban on private jets or a private jet tax has even been suggested.

Writing this amidst the COP26 UN climate change conference, it doesn’t look as though a consensus on legislation will be forthcoming. But the call to private sector bosses to step up and innovate is perhaps reflective of where governments see they can pass the burden of obligation to those that are far more capable of prescribing an impactful course of action.

So, how do we, as Europe’s second largest transactor of on-demand air mobility, get ahead and define the steps to drive change? Where should the obligation and associated costs fall, and what if we do nothing? As a capitalist, entrepreneur and concerned environmentalist, there are two things that stand out in this debate: the freedom of choice and the obligations associated with such choices. There are no quick or cheap fixes. There must be transparency, accountability, and a defined commitment from the industry and its customers to acknowledge the challenge we are facing. If we continue to ignore this problem, it will not end well.

Yes, you can fly less, but most of us recognise that stopping the world flying is a non-starter. However, as the world returns to normal, if we are to continue to enjoy the freedom to travel, there are environmental consequences that the industry and flyers must recognise and address.

At COP26, it became evident that we cannot sit back and wait, nor can we be content with non-binding pledges. While we heard many positive commitments, it’s clear that leaders and policy makers have yet to work out how we are going to achieve these ambitions.

Aviation, as with global warming, knows no borders. We have one planet, and it is incumbent on the leaders within our respective industries to step forward and propose a range of actions that will move the needle. It’s no good talking about a plan. We need action now. Action means measuring our carbon footprint and being accountable for the consumption and claims of mitigation that many are all too willing to make but are unable to substantiate.

At Victor, we’ve been working to support our customers and the entire industry to reduce CO2 emissions. In 2019, we became the first private aviation company to achieve double net zero through our self-imposed and mandated carbon offset programme on every Victor flight. It was the first of many steps and we’re on a mission to share our knowledge to decarbonise our industry far quicker than 2050. I hope that you, as a Victor flyer, will help us do this.

At industry level, I am calling on business aviation to come together and publicly disclose CO2 emissions for every private jet flight, as well as their methods for reduction and mitigation. This is important for building a viable roadmap to net zero because if we don’t measure and report the amount of CO2, how can we quantify the size of the challenge, track our progress, and measure our success? Such a simple step will provide governments with a global and localised view of the business aviation sector’s progress. Only then will we be able to win public support while our industry develops the next generation of zero-emission aircraft. To our flyers, we have committed to be open and transparent about the carbon emissions for every flight and we will keep pushing our sector to follow our lead. Every year, Victor discloses our total number of flights flown, associated CO2 emissions and what we have spent as a proportion of our corporate profits to purchase the very best in nature-based carbon offset solutions. This disclosure is audited by a third-party audit firm Cooper Parry.

On every Victor quote, you’ll see the total fuel burn and CO2 emissions against every aircraft type so you can weigh your choice not just by the aircraft range, configuration and price but also by fuel-efficiency. We call upon our flyers to match or double down on Victor’s offsetting contribution with a direct contribution of their own. And, as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) becomes more widely available, we will include this as an upgrade cost for those choosing to fly with a 50:50 blend of sustainable fuel and standard fossil fuel.

The responsibility is on all of us to mitigate the impact of our lifestyle choices and in doing so influence others to do the same in order to safeguard our planet, our freedom to enjoy the privilege we have worked hard for, and the future we want to pass to the next generation.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

I am calling on business aviation to come together and publicly disclose CO2 emissions for every private jet flight