Transport is the main source of carbon emissions at the Annual Meeting, so WEF has offered a 100% discount for participants taking the train from within Europe to encourage low-emission travel. A valuable step, but this hasn’t yet shifted the dial.
Private jet use remains widespread for companies. On the first day of Davos 2026, nearly 160 private jets landed at airports serving the region, representing major companies such as Salesforce, Google and BlackRock, among others, coming from all over the world. However, several multinational companies, including Nestlé and UBS, have reportedly encouraged senior executives to travel on commercial flights instead of private jets.
During the 2025 edition, 709 additional private jet flights were identified, and there was a 10% increase from 2024 and a threefold rise compared with 2023, this represents roughly one private jet for every four participants. The growth was not due to more participants, but rather to repeated arrivals and departures, with many jets shuttling participants multiple times.
Private jets are the most carbon-intensive mode of transport, emitting ten times more CO₂ per passenger than commercial flights and up to 50 times more than trains. They are primarily used by the wealthiest 1%, such as political leaders and CEOs of major global companies, many of whom we have identified as owning or chartering these jets.
In December 2024, the Travel Smart Campaign reached out to approximately 100 companies from the Ranking, requesting their commitment to avoid private jets and prioritise more sustainable travel modes in line with WEF guidelines. Two companies responded: the French manufacturer Saint-Gobain, whose CEO committed to travel by train and KPMG, which confirmed its representatives would use commercial flights or rail instead of private jets.
We also submitted an open letter to the WEF, urging the Forum to ensure participants comply with the Annual Forum sustainability standards prioritising rail over other modes of transport and act as a safeguard for its own recommendations, enforcing compliance.
Sustainable travel is not only better for the climate, it’s also cheaper for jet users. Our analysis found that chartering a private jet from New York or Berlin to Davos costs over €130,000 and €13,000, respectively. Comparable trips in business class on commercial flights cost 10 to 15 times less.
As we did last year, we continue to call on the World Economic Forum to take stronger action to halt the surge of private jets. They should enforce their sustainability standard, of prioritising rail over other modes of transport, and assume responsibility as watchdogs, ensuring that the event is no longer framed as a private jet hotspot.
Aiza Rodrigues Akhtar, Aviation Campaign Officer