Climate czar John Kerry was put on the spot by a reporter in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 16, when he was asked about his carbon footprint. Mr. Kerry was in Davos to attend the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) summit.
The question was asked by Australian reporter Avi Yemini from independent media company Rebel News.
“What’s the carbon footprint of these events every single year that you come here? Do you think it’s worth it—[that] peasants pay for your crimes?” Mr. Yemini asked.
“That’s a stupid question,” Mr. Kerry responded.
When asked if he thought his carbon footprint didn’t matter, Mr. Kerry responded by saying “Nobody ever suggested that. Don’t make up stupid questions,” adding that he had done a “huge amount” to combat climate change.
Security personnel escorting Mr. Kerry then obstructed further questions by Mr. Yemeni, who was pushed aside a number of times by a female member of Kerry’s entourage.
“You can’t grab me. You can’t grab us. This is a free society,” Mr. Yemeni said in response. “We have freedom of the press.”
The summit Mr. Kerry was attending—the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum—devotes considerable time and attention to discussing environmental issues and the implementation of policies in relation to climate change and net-zero goals. According to a subsequent post on X (formerly Twitter) by Mr. Yemeni, Mr. Kerry “found it difficult to justify his carbon footprint in attending the World Economic Forum each year in Davos.”
Mr. Kerry was appointed special presidential envoy for climate (SPEC) at the State Department by President Joe Biden in 2021. It was recently announced that he would be stepping down from the role. However, Mr. Kerry confirmed on Jan. 16 that this would merely entail a shift in responsibilities, and that he will not be retiring.
The climate-envoy role did not exist prior to President Biden’s appointment, and didn’t require Senate approval. It subsequently allowed Mr. Kerry to sit in the president’s Cabinet and National Security Council. His office employs a staff of 45 with an annual budget of around $14 million.
Mr. Kerry’s role involved travelling around the world to attend climate-related summits, as well as efforts to advance a global move toward green energy and away from fossil fuels. These included multiple United Nations global warming summits, as well as several WEF conferences.
His large number of air miles have led to criticism over his past use of a private jet owned by a member of his family.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who also chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, previously told Fox News: “John Kerry is an unelected bureaucrat who’s making decisions that have major impacts on the lives of Americans, the overwhelming majority of whom are going to be more worried about the cost of gas to drive their cars to work, not the cost of fuel to fly a jet to King Charles’ coronation.”
Indeed, the amount of carbon emitted by Mr. Kerry’s Gulfstream GIV-SP family jet in just the first 18 months of the Biden administration was extensive. Flight tracking data obtained by Fox News in July 2022 showed that the jet made close to 50 trips lasting more than 60 hours, which led to over 700,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
Following the revelation and subsequent accusations of hypocrisy by a number of lawmakers, the jet was sold to a New York-based energy-focused hedge fund. The sale was later confirmed by a State Department spokesperson, who added that Mr. Kerry would be taking commercial flights in future to fulfil his duties.
Mr. Kerry’s role as climate czar has aimed to establish greater co-operation with China on the issue of climate change. He even praised the communist regime last year for expanding its renewable energy capacities, and claimed that China was doing an “incredible job”—despite its status as the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide.
