Tonight:
5°c
Dozens of UK officials fly to Danish climate talks
Nicholas Cecil, Deputy Political Editor24 Nov 2009
The Government came under fire today for flying dozens of officials to Copenhagen for the world summit to tackle climate change.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change is sending 36 officials and two ministers. Nineteen have already said they plan to fly.
Four Foreign Office officials will also take the plane to the Danish capital for the talks on a pact on fighting global warming. One is due to go by train.
Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband and environment minister Joan Ruddock will lead the delegation before Gordon Brown flies in with a "tight-knit" party of No 10 officials.
A small number of officials from the overseas aid department, the Cabinet Office and one from the business department are also due to attend.
Liberal Democrat climate change spokesman Simon Hughes branded it "extraordinary" that at least half the energy department delegation will travel by plane.
"It is unacceptable for ministers and public servants, wanting to change the way the world does business, to travel in the way that produces the most damaging emissions when alternatives are clearly available," said the MP for Southwark North and Bermondsey, who is to go to Copenhagen by train.
It is possible to do the train journey in a day on a weekday, leaving London St Pancras at 5.57am and arriving in Copenhagen at 10.11pm having changed at Brussels, Cologne and Hamburg.
Shadow climate change secretary Greg Clark added: "It is important Britain has representation at Copenhagen but I am surprised that 36 officials are needed."
Environment minister Ms Ruddock said: "At present 19 delegates have confirmed their intention to travel to the conference by air. This is necessary as the rail options are limited, and inflexible." She stressed that officials had meetings which restricted their travel times.
Reader views (6)
NuLieBore hypocritical parasites living in cloud cuckoo land.
- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 25/11/2009 08:24
Report abuse
The biggest man made threat to the climate is Climate Change Meetings at which Government Ministers find lots of reasons why they should take the most polluting transport they can find.
- Dave B, Beckenham, 24/11/2009 17:01
Report abuse
Er, what was it Miliband said about Greenwash, when Osbourne wanted to save money in Whitehall? It's because super Ed acts like this that we have climate change, allegedly!!
- Alan, carlisle uk, 24/11/2009 16:56
Report abuse
That's what happens when you have a government that is clearly on it's last legs - Departments are not talking to each other, Ministers & Civil Servants are looking to cover their backsides rather than do what's best for the country. As a result, you get 34 people all needing to go to the same summit. apart from ther BBC, no other Commercial concern would tolerate such waste of money - but then Government and the BBC seem to have an endless supply of "our money" so it doesn't bother them.
- Malcolm, London, 24/11/2009 16:08
Report abuse
Seemingly there will be 20,000 people travelling to Copenhagen for this beano. Not very green, is it? If they wanted to be taken seriously, they would have done the meeting by phone or video conference. Typical green hypocrisy - do as we say, not as we do.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 24/11/2009 15:31
Report abuse
Joan Ruddock is another clueless 'Labour lap dog' of the worst kind. She is also a close ex-CND confidant of the good Lady Ashton another useless Labour pleb who will be fully exposed 'when the brown stuff' hits the fan in Europe.
- Nick Holland, glasgow, 24/11/2009 15:26
Report abuse
