State Department neglects greenhouse gas measurement despite Biden’s order: GAO report.

U.S. Delegation’s Attendance at U.N. Climate Conferences Raises Questions

According to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), despite President Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive Order directing the federal government to measure its emissions, the State Department has no idea how much greenhouse gases were emitted by the 450 U.S. diplomatic officials and employees who attended two U.N. climate conferences.

The U.S. delegation to the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, included 191 federal executive branch officials and employees. The 27th edition of the same gathering (COP27) took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, with 259 U.S. officials in attendance.

The State Department justified sending such large delegations by emphasizing the importance of dealing with climate change issues and the challenges of negotiating virtually. They argued that attending in person allows for complex negotiations and essential informal side discussions that cannot be replicated virtually.

Furthermore, the State Department highlighted that these conferences are significant gatherings for various organizations and attract thousands of experts, leaders, and officials from different sectors.

“It is implausible that the U.S. would not send a strong negotiating team to these meetings in order to ensure that outcomes are consistent with U.S. policy and to maintain U.S. leadership and influence in the face of challenges from other countries on such a consequential issue,” the report stated.

The GAO report also mentioned that State Department officials expressed concerns about the world’s trajectory towards exceeding the goals of the Paris Agreement, leading to significantly worse climate risks. They cited calculations by the International Energy Agency (IEA) based on the outcomes and pledges from COP26, which indicated that fulfilling these commitments would limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.8°C by the end of the century.

Surprisingly, there is no data available on the greenhouse gases emitted during the process of sending, supporting, and returning the U.S. delegations. The State Department claimed that they lack a systematic way to calculate these emissions and do not have access to information about officials’ travel arrangements.

Although President Biden’s Executive Order directed the State Department and other agencies to measure greenhouse gases resulting from their operations, the GAO’s only recommendation was for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to ensure consistent estimation of emissions from U.S. delegation travel to UN Conferences of the Parties.

The GAO report was requested by Senators Joni Ernst, Tom Cotton, and Shelley Moore Capito, who expressed concerns about the apparent double standard and hypocrisy surrounding the issue.

Senator Ernst stated, “The gas is always greener when you’re burning fossil fuels in the name of saving the planet. While giving lip service to greenies, Biden bureaucrats are blatantly emitting the greenhouse gases they demonize. The double standard is clear, and Americans have had enough of this hot air. It’s time for Biden bureaucrats to face the facts: According to their own actions, American-made fossil fuels are not the enemy. I am committed to exposing this hypocrisy.”