Tejal Somvanshi
Taylor Swift, swap your private jet for our trains. Travel to Lyon with fewer emissions!” This is the message (translated from french to english) launched by Renfe, from its social networks in French, hours before the singer took the stage at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium for the second consecutive night. The next stop for the American star on her tour is indeed Lyon, so, with promotional intent, the railway company has echoed the great CO2 emitter reputation that pursues the artist.
Through their social networks in French, Renfe, the Spanish state-owned railway transport company has directly quoted the author of hits like ‘Cruel Summer’ or ‘Fortnite’ in the post.
This aspect might particularly annoy Taylor Swift, who has a team of lawyers prepared to take legal action against those who track the movements of her private plane. That’s precisely what happened to Jack Sweeney, as he recounted in a recent interview with Climática. Sweeney, a programmer and student at the University of Central Florida, who claims to act for ecological reasons, estimated that Swift traveled 286,500 kilometers in her private jet in 2023.
According to The Yard’s ranking – compiled with data from Celebrity Jets, the project driven by Jack Sweeney – Taylor Swift is the biggest CO2 emitter in the world of showbiz and sports, ahead of boxer Floyd Mayweather and rapper Jay-Z. It’s estimated that an average private jet emits 1.3 kilograms of CO2 per kilometer, which is equivalent to 10 times more than a regular flight.
Her emissions, however they are, are minuscule when compared to those of the audience traveling to see her concerts, especially in the United States, where rail infrastructure is not as developed as in Europe. “On average, passenger aviation emitted 90 grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometer in 2019,” was noted in a report by the International Council on Clean Transportation. While Bitlux, a private jet charter claimed, “A typical private jet emits carbon at a rate of 4.9 kilograms per mile,” in their post.
However, although the community manager of Renfe’s French networks has shown creativity, the truth is that there is no direct connection between Madrid and Lyon through the company’s trains. If the decision to change her plane for a train were made, the American star would be forced to transfer in Barcelona or Marseille. As per the International Council on Clean Transportation, on an average, each US passenger emits 64g of CO2 per kilometer.
On the other hand, although theoretically possible, it seems complicated to transport the gigantic entourage that accompanies Taylor Swift. In Madrid, as some curious onlookers were able to verify thanks to the Flight Radar website, several planes from the NetJets fleet, an American airline specializing in the management and rental of private jets, landed. After that, three high-end vehicles with tinted windows traveled through the streets of the capital, accompanied at all times by several cars from the National Police.
