Adding to the CO2 footprint: Taxpayers foot huge bill for climate officials' business-class flights

Summarised by Centrist

Seventeen government officials spent more than $303,000 attending the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, according to information obtained under the Official Information Act.

Six Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials reportedly travelled business class, while the average accommodation cost worked out to approximately $1,310 per person per night.

The Taxpayers’ Union said MFAT sent 14 officials, while the Ministry for the Environment sent two and the Ministry for Primary Industries sent one.

The agencies said their spending had been scaled back compared with COP29. However, the Taxpayers’ Union said the overall delegation contained four more officials and cost nearly $80,000 more than the previous year.

“The irony of six highly paid foreign affairs officials flying business class to this ‘green’ gathering won’t be lost on anyone,” investigative lead Rhys Hurley said.

The conference was held in Belém, Brazil, requiring long-distance travel from New Zealand.

The disclosure nevertheless raises questions about why 17 officials were needed, why six travelled business class and whether accommodation costing more than $1,300 per person each night represented value for money.

The Taxpayers’ Union compared that figure with the $260 nightly accommodation cap applying to MPs staying in Auckland or Wellington.

“With COP31 only 12 weeks away, ministers should be telling a few more bureaucrats to put their passports back in the drawer,” Hurley said.

Read more at the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union

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