ED Miliband’s Net Zero department sent a health and safety inspector on a lavish 10,000-mile round trip – to check the hotels were up to scratch.
At least one civil servant got gas-guzzling flights to Brazil and back to scout out the British delegation’s accommodation for an upcoming summit on climate change.
Zealot Miliband has been blasted for his aide’s trip to Belem
Civil servant John Gaunt posted sightseeing snaps on social media
The TimesEnergy Secretary Ed Miliband has been accused of hypocrisy for sending his staff 10,000 miles by plane[/caption]
The taxpayer-funded expedition was branded a “jolly in the jungle” while the Energy Secretary was accused of hypocrisy for sending his staff 10,000 miles by plane.
Civil servant John Gaunt posted sightseeing snaps on social media of his “incredible experience” in the northern Brazilian city of Belem.
He was carrying out “H&S checks” on local hotels ahead of the UN’s COP30 summit in November.
Mr Gaunt, who is thought to have travelled from Heathrow via Lisbon, said he “never dreamt I’d be travelling this far”. He added: “Sometimes life deals you a good hand.”
He revealed the journey there took 23 hours, with the same expected on the way back.
The official was merely following orders, but critics attacked Mr Miliband’s department for the trip which is estimated to have clocked up 11,500kg of carbon emissions.
The UK also has an embassy and officials based in the South American country. Mr Miliband has previously come under fire for racking up a £40,000 bill on domestic flights during Labour’s first six months in power.
The former party leader has long campaigned to constrain aviation as part of his finger-wagging green drive. He has also vowed to block airports such as Heathrow expanding if they do not meet the UK’s emissions targets.
Last night Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice blasted: “In an effort to ‘save the planet’, Jet Ed sent a civil servant to Brazil to do a job that could’ve been completed with a simple Google search.
“His lunatic obsession with Net Zero seems to give him the moral superiority to waste your money.
“The flying green hypocrite has spent over £40,000 on flights in just six months, racked up a carbon footprint more than 12 times that of the average Briton, and outspent his Tory predecessor tenfold.
“All this travel to promote an agenda that will do nothing to reduce global carbon emissions, while raising energy bills for hardworking Britons and further damaging small businesses and economic growth.”
Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie said: “Red Ed’s jetsetting civil servants have just been exposed for their jolly in the jungle.
As per usual, it’s one rule for them and another for hardworking families being asked to tighten their belts. Labour need to start practicing what they preach because it’s plane hypocrisy.”
UN COP conferences have been criticised as a waste of time, often ending in weak deals. Oil-rich nations are accused of using them to push their agendas rather than tackle environmental concerns.
Tory ex-COP President Alok Sharma was nicknamed “Airmiles Alok” due to his extensive international travel for climate talks.
A Department for Energy and Net Zero spokesperson said: “It is in Britain’s national self-interest to attend international summits.
“Any carbon footprint is dwarfed by the carbon prize of delivering our agenda. The health and safety of our staff, while attending these events, is paramount.”
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