Taylor Swift responds to backlash over CO2 emissions from her private jet

Don't blame me!

Taylor Swift's team has responded to backlash over a report that her private jet has racked up a whopping 170 flights this year, making her the celebrity with the most private jet CO2 emissions.

"Taylor's jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals," Swift's spokesperson told Rolling Stone. "To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The report came from the digital marketing agency Yard, which examined the worst celebrity offenders when it comes to CO2 emissions from private jets, according to data from a Twitter page that tracks the flights. According to Yard, Swift tops the list, coming in above Jay-Z, Steven Spielberg, and Kim Kardashian. "Her total flight emissions for the year come in at 8,293.54 tonnes, or 1,184.8 times more than the average person's total annual emissions," Yard said. According to the report, Swift's shortest flight in 2022 was a 36-minute trip from Missouri to Nashville, and Yard noted the total was especially surprising given Swift isn't on tour right now.

Swift faced significant backlash, including from her own fans, over the report, and this clarification didn't seem to help much. "I don't think anyone thought it was Taylor who was personally taking these trips," one fan commented on the official Taylor Swift subreddit. "...The point is these are her jets and therein lies the responsibility."

Yard previously said the purpose of its study was to "highlight the damaging impact of private jet usage" on the environment, noting, "Private jets are the worst offenders for emissions per passenger."