Bristol’s Green Mayor Flies To Canada
By Paul Homewood
The UK’s first city mayor to declare a climate crisis has been questioned for flying nine hours to attend a conference to urge leaders to cut CO2.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees told the TED conference in Canada that city mayors could influence carbon policy.
Climate campaigners Flight Free UK calculated the trip created 2.016 tonnes (2,016kg) of CO2 per passenger and was at odds with his message.
The mayor’s office said he had a full agenda with networking opportunities.
A spokesman said the mayor was invited at the expense of the TED organisation as a speaker to share ideas and help change attitudes.
Flight Free UK said Mr Rees flew some 4,600 miles (7,402km) each way in April to attend the annual TED conference held in Vancouver that he could have appeared at virtually.
Flight Free UK director Anna Hughes, said: "Bristol was the first place in the UK to declare a climate emergency, yet the mayor is acting completely at odds with this declaration.
"Faced with such a precarious climate situation, we need our leaders to demonstrate the kind of action we should all be taking, not flying to another continent to speak, ironically, about the climate emergency.
"Actions always speak louder than words, and in this post-pandemic age of online interactions, it would have been a much more powerful and effective statement to appear on screen."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-61596817
The Mayor’s main contribution to saving the planet has been to ban cars from the city centre in Bristol. Little wonder then that the voters there have decided to abolish the post of Mayor. They probably think local interests take priority over saving the world!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-61336049
As Guido humorously points out:
“To be fair to Rees, he’s got to take advantage of all these flashy trips while he can; his own city voted to abolish the mayoralty earlier this month. Two more years and he’s out of a job. Bristol’s own extinction rebellion…”
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
City Mayor declares Climate Crisis?
If that isn’t Ultra Vires then I’m a prima ballerina.
We’ve more than enough inept buffoons in National Government. Why do we need more of them in local Government?
They get government money if they do.
https://www.bristolonecity.com/climate/
..called upon government for increased powers and resources and for leadership including through national policies, taxation etc.
Do as I say, not as I do! The hypocrites charter.
Indeed. Bristol voted to dispense with the services of an Independent Mayor, principally because of the actions of this virtue signalling twat. Previous to this outrage, he made his way to Glasgow to attend the COP26 to cosy up to his WEF chums…. Hempen rope required
Bristol Energy run by the council, was sold to Together Energy in 2020 (they were in trouble) Together Energy was Warrington Council’s stab at going green, they built a big solar farm in sunny Yorkshire, they went bust January this year. At least the Bristol residents are waking up to all this wasting of money with no accountability, Hopefully the rest of the failing Mayors are thrown out.
Let’s hope this vanishing mayor is the start of a trend.
Eat the rich?
Nah, eat your greens.
Did he fly Business or Economy? When I fly Business I never meet anyone actually in Business (in Europe). They are all Public Service or Extended Public Service.
Harry
FoI is your friend…
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/new/bristol_city_council
– the mere question is enough to nettle them 🙂
Marvin’s pretty well connected – maybe he even went by “little jet”
Another naive hypocrite. Does he really believe he can “save the planet”? More likely he simply wants the lime-light.
Eliminating the post of a Mayor is inefficient. Mr. Marvin Rees could easily become the President of the City Council, or something else, the next time.
Unfortunately Parliament has unanimously declared a climate emergency, so this makes very little difference.
Wow, how cool is that?
The New Zealand Prime Minister ,who seems committed to zero carbon emmisions what ever they may be, has been flying around the U.S A. Odd, that
.https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/ardern-greatly-heartened-biden-meeting
also odd in that she has just recovered from Covid infection and travel has been restricted across the borders until quite recently. It is to be hoped that her staff did not infect U S leaders who received them.