Campaigners urge UK to ban private jets and lower speed limits amid fuel crisis

Leading climate and transport organisations, including Greenpeace and Transport and Environment, have urged the UK government to implement a temporary ban on private jets and reduce motorway speed limits to 60mph. The coalition warns that the US-led war in Iran is disrupting global oil and gas supplies, creating a risk of severe jet fuel scarcity and rising petrol prices ahead of the summer holiday season. The groups argue that ministers must act now to lower demand in a fair and orderly manner rather than waiting for a crisis to unfold.

Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace UK, stated that measures such as lowering speed limits and restricting private and short-haul flights would cause minimal inconvenience while avoiding more painful decisions later. He emphasised that getting ahead of the problem could soften the blow for drivers and passengers, cut climate emissions, and place fairness at the centre of the crisis response. The intervention is supported by a broader coalition including Friends of Earth, Possible, and Safe Landing.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski backed the call for a ban on private jets, linking the potential crisis to what he described as Trump’s illegal war in Iran. Polanski argued that while ordinary families face the prospect of cancelled holidays, super-rich individuals continue to waste fuel on unnecessary trips. He called for a temporary ban on non-essential private jet travel to protect the summer holidays of families who have worked to save for them.

The urgency of the campaign is underscored by warnings from Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, who previously stated that the war in Iran could have an impact comparable to the combined oil shocks of the 1970s and the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Analysts warn that the UK is particularly exposed to jet fuel shortages, with supplies potentially falling to critically low levels just before the busy summer travel period.

Greenpeace analysis suggests that banning private jets, levying ultra-frequent flyers, and restricting short-haul flights coverable by train in under six hours could save nearly one million tonnes of jet fuel annually, representing 8% of UK consumption. A separate analysis indicated that reducing motorway speed limits by 10mph could save nearly half a million tonnes of fuel, or 1.5% of UK road transport fuel use. Anna Krajinska of Transport and Environment stated the crisis exposes the UK’s dangerous dependence on volatile fossil fuels and called for an accelerated shift to electric vehicles and zero-emission aviation.

A UK government spokesperson responded that airlines are not currently experiencing shortages of jet or road fuel and that the government is working with industry to keep flights operating. The spokesperson confirmed there are no plans to change motorway speed limits, noting that private aviation accounts for a small proportion of total fuel use. However, they affirmed that contingency plans include all options for fuel prioritisation if needed.