Green leader flies to Cop26 to give lecture on emissions
A GREEN council head flew from Gatwick to Glasgow to protest against climate change at Cop26, it has emerged.
Phelim Mac Cafferty, leader of Brighton and Hove city council’s (BHCC’S) ruling Green group, took the 80-minute flight on the same day he criticised the Government for a lack of action over climate change.
After the 460-mile journey, Mr Mac Cafferty made a speech on cutting emissions and appeared at a protest march, led by Greta Thunberg, calling for leaders to stop temperatures rising.
The councillor, who co-chairs BHCC’S carbon neutral working group, has now apologised, saying he had been worried his train might be cancelled.
The emissions of Mr Mac Cafferty’s flight were 137kg of CO2 per passenger. Had he travelled by train it would have been 20kg. He said: “This decision to fly was a major failure of my judgment which goes against my political group’s pledges and principles.”
On the day of the flight Mr Mac Cafferty claimed BHCC was an environmental trailblazer, “leading the way on climate and social action”.
In The Argus, he wrote: “There is real fear that the conference will amount to little more than lip service.
“Despite lack of action from national government, councils like ours are leading the way – including in areas that have been shamefully left out of the bigger climate conversation.”
Mr Mac Cafferty said he had been concerned about the reliability of the rail network which left people struggling to get to Cop26.
At the end of last month, the east and west coast mainlines advised against travelling from London to Glasgow amid stormy weather.
Mr Mac Cafferty added: “I paid for my own transport and all associated costs. I am not getting paid for any of the speeches I am making or meetings I am attending and I am otherwise working from Glasgow. Transport contributes a large portion of carbon emissions, all significant journeys we make have an effect on our climate. I will be offsetting the carbon cost of my journey. I will be taking my return journey by train.”
Mr Mac Cafferty has been leader of the city’s ruling administration since July 2020, but is now coming under mounting pressure to resign. Peter
Kyle, Labour MP for Hove, wrote on Twitter: “Didn’t know planes ran on self-righteousness.” Dawn Barnett, a Conservative councillor, described Mr Mac Cafferty’s actions as “absolutely disgusting”, and said: “He stands there preaching and saying what we should do but he doesn’t follow the rules. It is very hypocritical of him. I would like to see the Greens step down as a party.”
Caroline Lucas, a Green MP, described the flight as an “error of judgment” and confirmed she had travelled to Glasgow by train.