Ban private jets to address climate crisis, says Thomas Piketty

French economist says class inequality must be at centre of climate response and calls for progressive carbon taxes

Who are the polluter elite and how can we tackle carbon inequality?

Questions of social and economic class must be at the centre of our response to the climate crisis, to address the huge inequalities between the carbon footprints of the rich and poor and prevent a backlash against climate policies, the economist Thomas Piketty has said.

Regulations will be needed to outlaw goods and services that have unnecessarily high greenhouse gas emissions, such as private jets, outsized vehicles, and flights over short distances, he said in an interview with the Guardian.