A 2019 peer-reviewed study by Swedish researcher Stefan Gössling, examining the air travel of high-profile public figures, estimated that Bill Gates emitted roughly 1,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide from flying in a single year — among the highest of the celebrities studied and thousands of times the average person's annual footprint. The study, covered by The Guardian and others, cited Gates's frequent use of private jets and argued that the conspicuous travel of the wealthy normalizes high-carbon lifestyles. Gates, who has acknowledged his large personal carbon footprint and says he buys offsets and funds clean-energy solutions, became a recurring example in debates over climate hypocrisy among billionaire environmental advocates.