With a number of prominent figures being held responsible for their emissions, many are resorting to carbon offsetting. But is the practice effective in combating climate change?
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Hollywood is in crisis.
While many of its biggest stars have lent their voices and faces to the fight against climate change, others have become poster children for wasteful living and unregulated emissions.
A-list celebrities have been at the top of the naughty men list for years Private jet Usage, a neck-and-neck race with oligarchs and oil tycoons.
But now celebrities have found a solution to curb the environmental (and public relations) damage: They're buying credits to offset their emissions.
Is offsetting the right path to a greener world as it becomes more and more important? Or a way to greenwash climate sins? Euronews Green investigates.
How do celebrities offset their emissions?
Since the early days of aviation, high-profile stars and their backers have opted for the most exclusive means of transportation – private jets – to avoid coming into contact with the common people.
It's no surprise that a damn disproportionate amount of it Carbon dioxide emissions are produced by the richest few in society. In fact, a study by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) showed that around 50 percent of aviation-related emissions in the United States are caused by the first percentile of wealthiest people.
But while the one percent is largely made up of anonymous business tycoons and hedge fund babies, a subset includes many of our most popular stars, prompting a more visceral reaction.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swiftwho enjoyed a period of unprecedented success after embarking on her record-breaking Eras Tour, topped the list in 2022.
According to sustainability marketing firm Yard, it is said to have emitted 8,300 tonnes this year alone (1,184 times the average person's footprint) – a claim disputed by its representative. Although their emissions reportedly fell in 2023, some sources still rank them among the most prolific private jet users of the year.
However, Swift is far from the only A-lister implicated in the crime.
In a study by British newspaper The Guardian, 200 celebrities and tycoons produced an estimated 415,518 tonnes of CO2 on 44,739 private jet trips in 2023 alone – equivalent to the emissions of around 40,000 Brits in an average year.
A number of renowned personalities are involved, including the Tesla founder Elon Muskto British rock veterans The Rolling Stones.
“The temperature on Earth is getting hotter and hotter. Sea levels are rising, ice sheets are shrinking,” said reality megastar Kim Kardashian in a recent, tongue-in-cheek campaign for her new lingerie line. But she and her billionaire half-sister Kylie Jenner also do their part, as they are both among the biggest private jet users when it comes to their transportation habits.
At a time when a large carbon footprint is certainly seen as a tarnish to a public figure's reputation, Hollywood stars have taken major steps to eliminate their carbon footprint contrails – and inform the general public.
Swift's private jet use has come under particularly intense scrutiny. In response, her representative claimed she had purchased “more than double the carbon credits needed to offset all tour travel.”
Tech giant Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos cited carbon offsetting when they faced criticism in 2021 over a lavish superyacht birthday party where guests were flown in by helicopter.
And in 2019, British singer-songwriter Elton John claimed he compensated for a trip from Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for “support.” [his] Commitment to the environment.”
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Some, like British band Coldplay, have tried to get to the root of the problem by reducing their overall footprint. Your 2023 Music of the Spheres tour directly reduced their CO2 emissions by 47 percent – but offsetting now seems to be more common practice.
From renewable energy to reforestation: carbon offsets and “credits,” explained
Taylor Swift may have helped Emissions compensation spotlighted, but the practice has been around for decades. In fact, its history dates back to its birth in 1989, when the first agroforestry program was launched in Guatemala.
Offsetting traditionally involves purchasing credits certified by a reputable body (government or independent) to finance various initiatives to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
This includes investing in renewable energy, such as solar, hydro and wind power; reforestation and nature conservation; and projects to help impoverished communities reduce their emissions, such as by providing clean water to families in Ethiopia.
You've probably come across this yourself; Individuals often have the opportunity to offset their air miles through airlines, for example (although reportedly only 1-3 percent of passengers take up this offer). Companies also rely on compensation to reduce their footprint, and “Insert” – where emissions reduction efforts are carried out internally.
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As the deadly effects of climate change become more visible, carbon offsetting has become a lucrative business worth $1.5 billion 306.9 billion euros in 2022. The market continues to grow and is estimated to reach over 1.4 trillion euros by 2028.
Europe has now become a leader in offsetting as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) has established its place as the world's largest marketplace for carbon credits.
Compensation: Greenwashing or the answer to a greener world? Experts weigh in
Celebrities' emissions may be on a scale greater than we can imagine, but their lifestyles are merely an amplification of our own: we all leave our footprints, contributing to the ongoing climate crisis.
So is CO2 offsetting the way forward?
The most Climate scientist I don't seem particularly convinced.
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The main problem is that, despite the potential benefits, many of the methods used in carbon offsetting ultimately fail to address the root of the problem.
For example, reforestation can be helpful, but there is no guarantee that the newly planted trees will be preserved – especially in countries with volatile political conditions.
Additionally, it is difficult to estimate how much CO2 is actually absorbed in a given system, making offsetting only a “last resort,” according to WWF.
“It is difficult to prove that compensatory measures actually work,” says Dr. James King, climate scientist at the University of Sheffield, told Euronews Green. “The regulation is patchy and the science shows that it is more important to avoid or reduce emissions than to try to offset them after the fact.”
“The best thing is to leave fossil fuels in the ground,” he adds. “While we need to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this task will become more difficult as more carbon emissions are addressed.”
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The EU has already taken measures to prevent companies from gaining public favor through greenwashing. Last year, the European Parliament voted to ban companies from describing themselves as “carbon neutral” through offsets alone.
The evidence is becoming increasingly obvious: the best way to combat climate change is to reduce emissions in the first place. Celebrities are certainly not solely responsible for a structural problem like climate change — and their attempts to offset their emissions are at least a step in the right direction.
But they should probably use their platform to preach (and practice) a lower-carbon lifestyle rather than advocating a lamer excuse.
“Given that the world's richest 1 percent is responsible for as many emissions as the poorest 6 percent, prominent people who want to lead by example should show how they are directly reducing their emissions,” says King.
“Not by first polluting the environment and then trying to fix it.”
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