A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the State Department has not established a system to monitor the carbon emissions generated by U.S. diplomats' travel, despite President Biden's 2021 directive. This finding comes in response to a congressional inquiry initiated by Senator Joni Ernst and others, who sought to assess the environmental impact of the U.S. delegation's travel to the UN climate summit in Egypt.

The GAO report concludes that the State Department lacks a comprehensive method for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from such travel. Senator Ernst criticized the perceived hypocrisy of administration officials who advocate for climate action while seemingly disregarding their own carbon footprint. She emphasized the need for transparency and accountability within the government's environmental practices.

The U.S. delegation to COP27, led by John Kerry, comprised 259 officials from various agencies. Senators Ernst, Cotton, and Capito requested the GAO to calculate the carbon footprint of this trip, but the lack of a tracking system prevented the watchdog from doing so. President Biden's 2021 executive order mandated federal agencies to monitor and reduce emissions from travel, but the State Department has yet to comply.

Senator Cotton criticized the administration's focus on climate conferences while utilizing private jets, urging them to prioritize American energy production or at least be transparent about travel expenses. The White House launched the "Net-Zero Government Initiative" at COP27, committing to net-zero emissions from government operations, which Senator Capito finds ironic given the delegation's travel practices. She echoed Senator Ernst's call for accountability and expressed frustration with the perceived hypocrisy.

Senator Ernst introduced the Executive Branch Emissions Transparency Act, which would require the government to calculate emissions from officials' travel, including the president and John Kerry. As climate envoy, Kerry frequently travels for climate summits and diplomatic engagements to promote the transition to green energy. Kerry's office did not respond to requests for comment.