May 24 (UPI) — A new law banning short-haul commuter flights throughout France went into effect this week as part of a national effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Calling the law a “global first” and “an essential step” to battling the climate crisis, French Transportation Minister Clement Beaune posted the decree on Twitter Tuesday, while praising the government’s ban on the quickie domestic flights in cases where a journey by train would suffice.
“This morning, the ban on airlines in the event of an alternative of less than 2h30 by train becomes a reality,” he wrote, referring to the benchmark travel time of less than 2 hours and 30 minutes for the law to apply, meaning some short-haul flights could still be allowed if a trip by train could not provide a “satisfactory alternative service.”
Short flights between Paris and cities like Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon are now prohibited, but the law was expected to have minimal impact on domestic travel overall as France has an extensive network of high-speed rails.
The move by France comes after a March report by Greenpeace revealed the number of flights on European private jets increased by 64% in 2022 to reach 572,806.
Environmental advocates with the World Wildlife Fund recently described planes as “one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change,” while also noting air travel was “currently the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make.”
Climate activists have often called out wealthy individuals among the jet set crowd who use private planes the most to travel the world.
Earlier this year, Microsoft founder Bill Gates defended his continued use of a private jet, saying he pays a special climate firm to cut his carbon footprint through a process known as Direct Air Capture, which extracts pollution directly from the atmosphere.
Nations around the world are acting with increased urgency to align with the international climate blueprint known as the Paris Agreement, which was established in 2015 to shrink global warming by 1.5° C through the next decade.
Global temperatures would likely soar to historic levels over the next five years due to increased greenhouse gases that would give rise to extreme weather events, according to a warning last week from the World Meteorological Organization.
France’s action comes as numerous climate warnings have emerged in recent months, including a study published in January that predicted at least half of the world’s glaciers will melt and disappear before the turn of the next century.