Taylor Swift receives criticism for leading the world with her private jet carbon footprint

Taylor Swift is responding to critics who say her private jet has one of the worst carbon footprints in the world.

According to Yard, a sustainability marketing agency, the “Shake it Off” singer flew in her private jet 170 times between Jan. 1 and July 29. This put her at the top of their list for worst private plane CO2 emissions.

However, a representative for the 32-year-old pop star said that the jet is “loaned out regularly to other individuals.” TMZ reports that the jet is actually owned by Dwayne Johnson.

“To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect,” the representative said.

It’s unclear how many of the 170 flights were actually taken by Swift herself, but Yard is standing by their data.

“The fact remains that her jet is one of the most polluting in the world and she is flying it more than anyone else,” a spokesperson for the company told TMZ.

Swift has yet to comment on the controversy herself, but she has been vocal about her commitment to being eco-friendly in the past. In 2019, she offset the carbon footprint of her Reputation Stadium Tour by planting trees.

The research gathered by Yard shows results for “which celebrities are the worst private jet CO2 emission offenders,” with Swift racking up more than 22,000 minutes in the air, or the equivalent of 16 days.

This is more than double the emissions of the second worst offender on the list, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who racked up 10,000 minutes in the air.

Swift has come under fire in the past for her lavish lifestyle and her use of private jets, but she defended herself in a post on Tumblr, saying that she often loans out her plane to other artists and that she tries to offset her carbon emissions.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but I actually fly commercial when it comes to my own concerts. My band, crew, and business team all travel on a commercial airline,” she wrote.

“I have always been an advocate for the use of efficient forms of transportation. I have always loved train travel, for instance.”

“However, there are certain circumstances where a private jet is the only way to travel,” she continued. “One example is when my family and I travel to places like Australia or Brazil or Asia, which we often do to visit my mother’s family.”

“We also use it when we have to get somewhere very quickly and time is of the essence,” she added. “I have also loaned out my plane to friends and family in the past.”