Biden admin violated president's emissions tracking EO during climate conference trips, GAO says

Greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by several hundred U.S. delegates to international climate conferences, including Climate Envoy John Kerry and President Biden himself, were not tracked by the U.S. State Department despite an executive order from the president requiring federal agencies to track such emissions, according to a new report. 

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the performance audit on Thursday, which showed that a total of 450 Biden administration officials flew to the UN's COP26 and COP27 climate conferences, but were not in compliance with Biden's decree designed to reduce GHG emissions by his agencies. 

President Biden, his climate czar Kerry, and several agency heads and senior advisors attended COP26 and COP27 in person.

"Federal agencies are required by executive order to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation travel and other sources," the GAO said in the report.

During his COP27 speech, Biden boasted that his administration requires that "major federal suppliers disclose their emissions."

Approximately 86 metric tons were emitted transporting just 66 State Department employees to the Egypt climate conference.

According to a U.K. government report, 72% of "calculated residual greenhouse gas emissions" from COP26 were the result of international travel, which "paled in comparison to expected emissions reductions delivered by COP26 commitments."

Biden signed the EO on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability in December 2021.

Climate Depot founder Marc Morano responded to Just the News' request for comment and said he was unsurprised to learn the U.S.' emissions for COP26 and 27 weren't kept track of.

"The Biden administration is well aware that the so-called 'carbon footprint' of the delegation, including John Kerry's, exceeds most people's annual emissions," Morano said. "To avoid the obvious climate hypocrisy, the Biden administration is choosing to ignore the federal order."

Many Biden officials have come under heavy criticism for warning of irreversible climate change while simultaneously leaving their own considerable carbon footprint. The Washington Free Beacon calculated that John Kerry's flights from March 2021-July 2022 produced 4,772 tons of carbon emissions. From January 2021 to last December, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reportedly took 18 private jet trips on the taxpayer's dime.

Kerry's family also has a private jet handy. It alone has emitted over 300 metric tons in its dozens of trips since Biden entered office.

Days after unveiling a more than half-trillion-dollar spending package for green energy pollution reduction, Biden flew to Italy, where he was accompanied by what appeared to be a motorcade of 85 gas-powered cars.

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